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Selectmen nix Wilton Road lane change proposal

7 mins read
Selectman Stephan Bunker makes a point during the discussion of lane changes to the Wilton Road Tuesday night. Loking on are, from left to right: Selectman Joshua Bell, Bunker, Selectman Andrew Buckland, Selectman Michael Fogg anf Selectman Matthew Smith.
Selectman Stephan Bunker makes a point during the discussion of lane changes to the Wilton Road Tuesday night. Listening are, from left to right: Selectman Joshua Bell, Bunker, Selectman Andrew Buckland, Selectman Michael Fogg and Selectman Matthew Smith.
Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck said there was some apprehension among his officers to MDOT's proposed lane reduction at Tuesday's selectmen meeting. The board voted against the change.
Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck said there was some apprehension among his officers to MDOT’s proposed lane reduction at Tuesday’s selectmen meeting. The board voted against the change.

FARMINGTON – Selectmen unanimously rejected the Maine Department of Transportation’s proposal to make traffic pattern changes along a section of Wilton Road/Routes 2 and 4 at their meeting Tuesday night.

About 25 residents joined several town officials in their discussion of  MDOT’s proposal to change the four-lane road into a three-lane road with a center turn lane and breakdown lanes in sections along a stretch of 2.48 miles, from Oakes Street in West Farmington to Walmart.

The proposal was part of a $2.9 million road paving project scheduled for 2016 or 2017 along the Wilton Road. MDOT officials said earlier that if town officials were against the new plan, it was unlikely the change would be made.

The heavily traveled road has seen a high incidence of crashes compared with other similar roads in the state. Based on a two-year traffic study, MDOT recommended making lane configuration changes where traffic congestion was found to be most significant and the safety hazard on Wilton Road higher than the state average. MDOT is proposing to reduce the number of travel lanes in various configurations in the area of most concern for safety.

At meetings held earlier, public works, police and fire department employees were polled and voiced concerns about the changes with plans discussed on how working procedures would need to change.

Public Works director Dennis Castonguay said his employees “had issues with the plan.” Set-up work plans would be different and plowing methods would need to be changed, he said. “The majority of public works is against it.”

Police Chief Jack Peck termed his department’s officers as “very apprehensive.” But, he said “what struck” him most was the MDOT’s statistics that showed roads that had been changed to the proposed lane reduction showed improved safety. He called the local police chief in Falmouth where a similar lane change had been made and was told it lowered the average speed and the number of crashes. However, there were concerns about routine traffic stops causing a bottle neck in sections where one lane would exist.

Fire Chief Terry Bell said he got mixed reactions to the plan from his department. Emergency vehicles would need to utilize the center turning lane to respond to accidents. He noted the MDOT’s study showing positive results and talked with public safety officials in Windham where a similar plan was made and was told it does work.

“It’s a change and we don’t like change,” Bell said. “But, I think it can work if we let it work.”

Of the residents who spoke at the meeting, most were against the plan for various reasons.

Resident Willard Hatch circulated a petition against the plan and listed his calculations that showed the number of accidents on Wilton Road is relatively small in number compared with the overall number per year.

“I’ve been on this road for 42 years and was glad when it went from two lanes to four. I think we’re barking up the wrong tree here. It’s trying to slow traffic, instead we should better educate the drivers. Police, fire all have a trepidation with this plan,” Hatch said.

Others questioned the possible traffic flow bottle necks when a truck pulls out or increased hazards using a center line on an incline.

However, resident Dennis O’Neil who serves on the town’s traffic advisory committee, noted that the travel land reduction will slow traffic, “and that’s a good thing,” he said. “No one likes change except a baby with a dirty diaper.”

He pointed out no one seems to trust the state’s traffic study results, but instead each trusts their own emotions or gut instinct that the plan wouldn’t work and “there’s still going to be a number of jerks driving” who may need more education. “I haven’t heard any downside where the lane reduction (in other towns and cities) was changed.” He said the naysayers against the plan “were just voting against change.”

Selectman Michael Fogg said the “bulk of accidents were caused by distracted driving and the proposal would not fixing that. “Any accidents won’t be the road’s fault,” he said.

Selectman Stephan Bunker noted the lack of negative replies from towns that had made the lane reduction and said, “road design can make a difference.” Selectman Joshua Bell thought the road’s safety could be improved with more signage reminding drivers to travel in the right lane and had a concern with sections where two lanes merge into one. He suggested the intersection at Red Schoolhouse Road could be widened to include a center turn lane to improve safety there.

“I’d rather make smaller changes than change the whole road,” he said and he added, “Is this the state’s cheapest alternative?”

Selectmen voted 5-0 to “leave the road as it is.”

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24 Comments

  1. Wonderful news to go with my coffee this morning. Hats off to our Selectmen, for demonstrating that public input does make a difference. Thank you for doing a great job.

  2. Willard Hatch’s statistics certainly were interesting; one thing that made me sit up and take notice was the number of accidents in the town overall vs. the number of accidents on this road. (accidents vs crashes)
    This road apparently does NOT have the largest percentage. My question: If the town decided to support the change and DOT made the changes, and if, after a year or two we discover the changes resulted in more incidents than the previous layout, could the town go back to the way it is now. Answer: NO! At least not on DOT’s dime. The town would have to pay to change the road back to the present pattern, and apparently the amount of money would be in the Hundreds of Thousands.

    The one question I neglected to ask: Whose brain-child was this in the first place? Did someone from the town go to DOT and ask for help? Or did DOT come to the town and suggest making the change? If it was DOT who originated the plan, it sounds like a snake-oil salesman to me.

    I’m just glad 4 of the 5 Selectmen were able to see the potential for worse problems with making changes than not making changes. Good job, gentlemen!!!

  3. I’m very glad they they voted this down. To Dennis O’Neil: You may think that people are “just voting against change”, but I see it as people using their own brains to assess a situation with the information they have…and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I’d prefer it to blind trust in a government agency that we see too much of today. I do like the idea of a turning lane for Schoolhouse Rd. if that could be done mainly because I routinely see how often people almost fail to see when someone will be turning there. Less distractions and more focused attention to driving will cut down on accidents. Don’t make everyone pay for the failings/shortcomings of a few.

  4. What a pleasant surprise! Common sense prevails. Too bad it can’t be required along with other courses necessary for a degree.

  5. Thank you Willard Hatch for your involvement and petition. Thank you Selectmen for taking the correct action.

  6. So they turn this down that Great ! so now there still money in the Highway why not fix the bad roads from the Brick Yard & car wash to Hospital and use the highway money to fix the pot holes Farmington Road r bad & rough .

  7. Whew – glad that we dodged that bullet!

    Once again through the process of ” public input” we have saved ourselves form the “snake-oil salesman” who would come in and do things that would result in a situation where “plowing methods would need to be changed”, “possible traffic flow bottle necks” or worse.

    Who cares that the issue was studied by people that we are paying to study such issues? Who cares that the paving project is still going to be done in some form, is still going to cost about $2.9 million (except for the extra paint that we will be saving by not making all those lane changes)? Who cares that the accident rate is statistically higher and no local or county agency has done anything significant to deal with the “number of jerks driving” or installed ” more signage reminding drivers to travel in the right lane” or to ” better educate the drivers”?

    I’m glad that now we won’t be “barking up the wrong tree”. Now all we need to do is agree on the right tree to bark up…

  8. ok how about lowering the speed limit to 35 mph and putting in lights at the irvings,red schoolhouse road and by the old rite-aid store .this would slow traffic and take out the worst spots on the highway .i believe its still a state highway and the state has the last say no matter what the town thinks . another thing that would help is to designate route 156 to a truck route to bypass farmington ,that would take alot of trucks out of the picture .

  9. I got the impression that the DOT could, and might possibly, overrule this and make the changes anyway. I really hope this is true and the idea doesn’t die with that meeting. I think this is a short sighted decision by the selectmen, who were trying to satisfy a group of townsfolk that are afraid of change and not thinking this all through.

  10. Now that we’ve done that, how’s chances of a true sidewalk/bike path from downtown to, say, the hospital?

  11. Since “common sense” apparently says this is really a driver distraction problem, what’s the solution to educate everyone who uses this road about driver distraction? I suppose with all of the money we are saving by painting four lanes instead of three we might be able to install a cardboard sign asking people to put their phones down.

  12. This was clearly a solution in search of a problem. Thank you Select Board.

  13. As I headed to the meeting, I was thinking that a by-pass might be just the thing Farmington needs. Then Farmington wouldn’t have to be a “business friendly” community; there wouldn’t be any businesses left. But that would suit the purpose of UMF. Downtown could become their own personal parking lot and playground. But who would pay the taxes then?

  14. I do wonder how many people took time out of their day to do some research on what this potential change really was? It is called a “road diet” and it actually does make these types of sections of roads safer. Now, in your life if something could be made safer, would you take time to look into it?
    Notice the town officials that asked other areas that had this done and how was the response?
    So everyone that is not liking this idea, where are they getting their facts from? Oh, they don’t have any facts….. Just feelings. Really, this is how we operate?
    Tom, your right, we just won’t know how much safer it would be for us. Personally, I was looking forward to the controlled speed and the safer feeling when I have to turn left actually from a safer lane instead of from the fast lane.

  15. In one of the original articles, there was a statement that reducing the speed limit wouldn’t work since the officers are already writing as many tickets as they can. I don’t believe this, the speed limit part, but I don’t have the facts the police do. I think it would be safer if the speed was dropped to 35 mph like it is on Center Street in Auburn. Why does the Farmington area have a higher speed limit?
    I also think that this isn’t a freeway in the sense of I95, where the left lane is the fast lane.
    People should travel in the lane which they are going to turn off of later down the road. If people did this there would be less speeding in the left lane. It is not our responsibility to slow everyone down, but keeping the flow of traffic is our responsibility. There will always be speeders. Maybe if they have to weave in and out of lanes to speed it will be easier for the police officers to notice them.
    But, again, these are thoughts. Not facts.

  16. So the selectmen are all knowing? I think I read earlier the state would not pursue the change if the selectmen were against it. As far as I know there are no traffic or road safety specialist on the board. I personally think it is a good idea to give it a chance. Currently I drive in the left lane when I can to avoid the manhole covers in the right lane but would live with them if it results in a safer section of road.

  17. It would help if they could put a line on the road that would stay and show up at night, it is very hard to see the lines in the road. What about markers.

  18. Again, people are only looking at one small part of the picture and not the big picture! How many of you, commenting on this particular article, have actually talked to one of the selectmen about this matter????? My guess is that most of you have not. Stop commenting about things, if you don’t know all of the information. I have personally talked to one of the selectmen about this, and he told me that one of the number one reasons that they thought it was a bad idea to lower the number of lanes, was because of traffic flow. Meaning, if you only have 2 lanes in all, traffic is going to get backed up. We have streets coming on and going off the main traffic flow, and vehicles will get backed up pretty bad. They aren’t opposed to putting lane changes at certain spots on routes 2 & 4, but to only have two lanes of traffic all the way down through, would just be ridiculous, and in the end, would more than likely cause more accidents. It had nothing to do with “not liking change.” The selectmen are always very willing to talk to any of the public, so if you have a problem with something, or a question, call them or email them. Don’t bad-mouth them on here. They’re trying to do their best for our town, not make things worse. They put a lot of time and energy into this town for the rest of us. They deserve our respect.

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