CHICOPEE – The city is planning to create a series of speed tables on Front Street in an attempt to solve a long-debated concern about trying to slow down traffic on the street.
The problem of speeding on the main street has been the source of many complaints said City Councilor George Balakier, who represents Ward 4 where the street is located. The concerns have been going on for so long his predecessor, Councilor William Zaskey also frequently searched for a solution to the problem.
Traffic safety on the street is especially a concern because there are three schools, a church, an elderly housing complex, the Chicopee Public Library and Szot Park all within a one-mile stretch, Balakier said.
“There are a lot of kids going through that stretch of the city,” he said. “You have to slow them down. There are a lot of strong-headed people who don’t adhere to the rules and the laws.”
The idea was proposed months ago, but it has taken some time to get it through local officials and to get approvals from the state, Balakier said.
The speed tables are bumps raised three inches high and are 20 feet wide. They are designed to slow traffic but have a gradual incline, unlike speed bumps, said Elizabette Batista, department of public works superintendent.
The original proposal was to create some raised crosswalks, which are used in downtown Amherst, especially in front of Chicopee High and Dupont Middle schools, but they would have caused problems with drainage, Mayor John L. Vieau said.
The speed tables are similar but they do not go to the edge of the street so there are not as many issues with ponding. If raised crosswalks were added instead drainage would have had to be rebuilt on the street, he said,
The speed limit on Front Street is currently 30 mph, except when school is in session and then it drops to 20 mph near the three schools. In 2017 the City Council voted to drop the speed limit to 20 mph when city officials were also lowering it to that speed on side streets, but it was later rescinded, she said.
“I felt it was not an appropriate move for Front Street 24-7,” she said.
After months of back-and-forth, the city has received state Department of Transportation approval to install the tables. Fire department officials were also asked about the proposal and did not air any objections, Batista said.
The city will also have another public meeting to approve the final proposal, she said.
The plan is to now install six tables that are between 250 and 300 feet apart and will run between Chicopee High and the library. The cost is estimated to be between $100,000 and $150,000 and will likely be bid with another road project to get the best price, Batista said.
The speed tables will likely not be installed until next spring since the city still needs final approvals and will have to go out to bid, she said.
“If this works it will be great,” Balakier said. “We will use it as a model in other places in the city.”
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