This is from todays Ledger:Traffic ruling is welcomed in Weymouth: Braintree loses bid to reroute some trucks
By MARK FONTECCHIO
The Patriot Ledger
Weymouth officials are relieved that the state Highway Department has rejected a request by Braintree to reroute truck traffic from some of its busier roads through Weymouth Landing.
?‘?‘I'm obviously pleased with the decision,'' said Town Council President Thomas Lacey, who represents the Landing. ?‘?‘I think it was the responsible decision.''
Lacey, along with Mayor David Madden and state Rep. Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, wrote letters to the state Highway Department stating their opposition.
Braintree sought approval this summer from the state to ban heavy truck traffic on Union, Elm and Hayward streets. They said trucks used the roads as cut-through routes to get from Boston to places like Wal-Mart in Quincy and the Citgo oil terminal on Route 53.
They were affecting neighborhoods, selectmen said.
For trucks that need to get to gasoline terminals, restaurants and other businesses on Route 53 in Braintree and Quincy, the town proposed sending them south on Route 3 to Route 18 in Weymouth and then doubling back up north to Route 53 and through the traffic-clogged Landing.
Weymouth officials greeted the plan coolly.
?‘?‘There are traffic impacts to the two communities dealing with congestion in this area,'' Lacey said. ?‘?‘Both Braintree and Weymouth have traffic impacts.''
In a letter to Braintree, state traffic engineer William Bent said the Braintree streets were too important to local traffic flow to exclude trucks from using them and the alternative Braintree proposed was unfair to Weymouth.
?‘?‘The alternate routes are not reasonable,'' Bent wrote.
He outlined four reasons for the rejection:
?—Only 4 percent of traffic on Union Street is considered commercial; the state's standard to consider a ban is from 5 percent to 8 percent.
?—All three streets are major east-west routes between Route 3 and Route 53.
?—The Union Street exit off Route 3 is the only direct way for commercial vehicles to get to Route 53.
?—Weymouth officials opposed the alternative route through Route 18 and Route 53 in Weymouth Landing.
Braintree Selectmen Chairman Charles Kokoros said Braintree still had ways to limit or discourage trucks from using those streets as cut-throughs.
He said selectmen could try to fund a police officer that would monitor commercial traffic on those streets and strictly enforce weight limits and traffic rules.
That would probably be fine with Weymouth, as long as the trucks aren't banned.
?‘?‘It was the right decision,'' Lacey said. ?‘?‘It's not the fix for the Landing area.''
Time for Braintree and Weymouth to sit down and work this out.
By TMM
By MARK FONTECCHIO
The Patriot Ledger
Weymouth officials are relieved that the state Highway Department has rejected a request by Braintree to reroute truck traffic from some of its busier roads through Weymouth Landing.
?‘?‘I'm obviously pleased with the decision,'' said Town Council President Thomas Lacey, who represents the Landing. ?‘?‘I think it was the responsible decision.''
Lacey, along with Mayor David Madden and state Rep. Ronald Mariano, D-Quincy, wrote letters to the state Highway Department stating their opposition.
Braintree sought approval this summer from the state to ban heavy truck traffic on Union, Elm and Hayward streets. They said trucks used the roads as cut-through routes to get from Boston to places like Wal-Mart in Quincy and the Citgo oil terminal on Route 53.
They were affecting neighborhoods, selectmen said.
For trucks that need to get to gasoline terminals, restaurants and other businesses on Route 53 in Braintree and Quincy, the town proposed sending them south on Route 3 to Route 18 in Weymouth and then doubling back up north to Route 53 and through the traffic-clogged Landing.
Weymouth officials greeted the plan coolly.
?‘?‘There are traffic impacts to the two communities dealing with congestion in this area,'' Lacey said. ?‘?‘Both Braintree and Weymouth have traffic impacts.''
In a letter to Braintree, state traffic engineer William Bent said the Braintree streets were too important to local traffic flow to exclude trucks from using them and the alternative Braintree proposed was unfair to Weymouth.
?‘?‘The alternate routes are not reasonable,'' Bent wrote.
He outlined four reasons for the rejection:
?—Only 4 percent of traffic on Union Street is considered commercial; the state's standard to consider a ban is from 5 percent to 8 percent.
?—All three streets are major east-west routes between Route 3 and Route 53.
?—The Union Street exit off Route 3 is the only direct way for commercial vehicles to get to Route 53.
?—Weymouth officials opposed the alternative route through Route 18 and Route 53 in Weymouth Landing.
Braintree Selectmen Chairman Charles Kokoros said Braintree still had ways to limit or discourage trucks from using those streets as cut-throughs.
He said selectmen could try to fund a police officer that would monitor commercial traffic on those streets and strictly enforce weight limits and traffic rules.
That would probably be fine with Weymouth, as long as the trucks aren't banned.
?‘?‘It was the right decision,'' Lacey said. ?‘?‘It's not the fix for the Landing area.''
Time for Braintree and Weymouth to sit down and work this out.
By TMM
