July 23, 2205 By Carol Britton Meyer
A multi-car crash in the area of the Middle/Short/Main Street intersection in Hingham Centre on July 22 highlights the need for action to be taken as soon as possible to address longtime serious safety concerns at this location.
This latest accident comes at a time when Town Engineer J. R. Frey is planning to propose to the select board that a roundabout be installed at that intersection.
According to the dispatch log entry, a motor vehicle accident with injuries occurred at 321 Main St. at 19 Middle St. at 9:04 a.m. involving three vehicles driven by Hingham, Brockton, and Scituate residents. Two of the operators were transported to South Shore Hospital after experiencing back and chest pain. Two of the vehicles were towed from the scene.
In February 2024, the traffic committee reviewed the road safety audit conducted by traffic engineers Vanasse & Associates that identifies potential improvements to help make this intersection safer following numerous crashes and near-misses. No decisions were made at that time. The traffic committee reports to the select board.
A number of alternatives were analyzed during weekday morning, weekday evening, and Saturday midday peak hours, also taking into consideration the many bicyclists who travel through the intersection and that the crosswalks don’t meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The speed at which vehicles travel through this intersection is also a concern.
Both unsignalized and signalized intersection control, as well as a roundabout configuration, were reviewed.
‘Preferred option is a roundabout’
Following further consideration, Frey told the Hingham Anchor recently that “the preferred option at this intersection is a roundabout. We can fit one in without any [land] takings and [such an action] would not require a Town Meeting vote.”
The town is applying for “Complete Streets” grant funding to cover most of the cost of a roundabout, subject to select board approval.
If the grant is not awarded to the town, “we would have to identify town funds for this work,” according to Frey in a memo to town officials following the accident.
“I selected the roundabout design to advance over the other alternatives because it offered the best improvements to both safety and operational efficiency (minimization or reduction in total delay for vehicles),” the memo states.
“We will continue to advance and socialize this concept, and I hope to have the support of the traffic committee and the select board over the course of the next few months as we move this traffic safety improvement forward,” Frey said.
Check the town website for upcoming traffic committee and select board agendas.