Phillipston Drivers Warned Of New, Temporary Stoplight

Phillipston Drivers Warned Of New, Temporary Stoplight

+ click to enlarge News staff photo by Tara Vocino Officer William Chapman said the number of motor vehicle stops have significantly decreased since four stop signs and two stop lights were first installed a week or so ago. Tara Vocino Reporter PHILLIPSTON ––– The police department parked along the side of the road and nailed 34 cars in less than two hours for failure to stop along the Queen Lake Road/Route 101 bridge, which is due for some minor repairs. The state has loaned two solar-powered flashing stop lights to the town during the partial lane closure of the bridge. The state also placed four stop signs on both sides of the bridge for both north and soundbound traffic. The town also placed two warning signs, indicating that drivers will soon be asked to slow down before the bridge from each direction. Officer William Chapman called the cause distracted driving. To ensure safety and to prevent accidents, the issue needed to be addressed – quickly. “They would have had to miss the signs alerting them to the situation as well,” Mr. Chapman said. “It’s a down hill from both directions.” The department issued verbal warnings the morning that the new signs were placed on the road. A citation for failure to stop is normally $105. Police Chief Kevin Dodge said the stops were simply meant to educate the public. “It wasn’t to fault the operating public,” Mr. Dodge said. “It was to educate the motorists since most said they just didn’t see it. They didn’t expect to see the stop signs there all of a sudden.” Mr. Chapman said the road narrows basically from two lanes to one due to the concrete barrier. Mr. Dodge said while some people have admitted that the stop signs are inconvenient, there are far more benefits than deficits. “Our first priority is safety on the roadways,” Mr. Dodge said. “There have been a few motor vehicle crashes on that roadway but none at that location.” The stop signs should help to prevent accidents. And Mr. Dodge said they have already helped people to comply with the law. “I would say there is little to no issue now,” Mr. Dodge said. “There are flashing red traffic lights in both directions and ample signage.” Mr. Chapman said the situation is improving daily and that the lights are doing their job. “We have significantly less motor vehicle stops,” Mr. Chapman said. “All parties involved, especially Chief Dodge and the Highway Department Superintendent Rick Teney, are working hard to make ensure the situation is as safe as possible.” He said the distracted driving stems from people being nonobservant – drinking coffee, playing with their radio, etc. – instead of focusing on the road. Mr. Chapman called driving a big responsibility, as drivers have to pay attention. He called the informative stops a nice self-check. “Some people thanked us,” Mr. Chapman said. “They were surprised that they drove by stop signs that were in plain sight.” The town had a legal right to close the bridge, but since it’s a high traffic area, including large combination vehicles with heavy equipment, a traffic diversion probably wouldn’t be in the best interest of the town and area residents. The diversion would have created traffic congestion on many smaller side roads.