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Posted 1/18
The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) selected Route 1A in Wrentham, Massachusetts, as the subject of the Federal Fiscal Year 2017 Addressing Safety, Mobility, and Access on Subregional Priority Roadway study. The 3.1-mile section of Route 1A, between Wrentham Common and the Plainville town line, was selected because of the critical need for improvements on the corridor to address safety and mobility issues affecting motor-vehicle drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. The corridor has a high crash rate overall and contains several high-crash clusters in two distinct areas, near the Wrentham Common and the Wrentham Outlets commercial district south of Interstate 495.
MPO staff, working with a study advisory committee that included representatives of the Town of Wrentham and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), collected data on crashes, traffic volumes and speeds, and other transportation data, conducted safety and operational analyses, and developed recommendations for short- and long-term improvements for the entire corridor. The benefits expected to result from implementing the major recommendations include the following:
- Proposed improvement plans for the Wrentham Common area would improve intersection operations and traffic circulation in the area, reduce travel speeds on Common Street and Taunton Street, and enhance mobility and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Proposed improvements for the I-495 commercial area would reduce traffic congestion on Route 1A and at the I-495 interchange during holidays and busy weekends and improve mobility and safety for all users.
- Proposed corridor reconstruction, including sidewalk additions and shoulder expansions, would improve accommodation and safety for pedestrians and cyclists and improve traffic operations.
This study offers a vision for the corridor’s future development and presents a series of improvement measures for the corridor to operate safely and efficiently. Significant effort and collaboration on the part of all stakeholders, including the Town of Wrentham, residents, owners of adjacent developments, and MassDOT, will be required to achieve this vision.
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