Transportation Planning
Route 2 West Safety Study
Lack of a climbing lane up Greenfield Mountain creates safety concerns along Route 2 West.
Project Overview
The purpose of the Route 2 West Safety Study is to undertake a detailed review of potential safety issues along the 22 mile Route 2 corridor from and including the Greenfield Rotary west to the Charlemont/Savoy Town Line. Over the past several years, the FRCOG has been involved in a number of studies that have included all or a portion of the Route 2 corridor west of Interstate 91. During these studies a number of locations along the corridor were raised by those participating as potentially hazardous, primarily based on perception or anecdotal evidence. Attempts were made to substantiate these concerns by using Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) data, but unfortunately this data did not provide the level of detail in both location descriptions and the circumstances of the crashes to confirm or dispel the concerns raised at the majority of these locations. Due to funding constraints at the time, completing a comprehensive assessment of the locations in question was not possible. With an increased emphasis on safety planning being promoted by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the FRCOG has been able to dedicate transportation planning funds toward conducting this comprehensive safety assessment of the whole corridor.
Current Activities
A draft Route 2 West Safety Study was released for a 30-day public review and comment period that runs from July 24, 2009 through August 24, 2009. This report contains a detailed crash analysis for the whole corridor, plus traffic data collection to support investigation of identified safety deficiencies. Land use was examined, and physical constraints to improvements also identified. The study concludes with a set of recommendations for improved safety. If you have any questions or would like to offer comments on the draft report, please contact Stacy Metzger.
Future Plans
Staff will continue working with the City of Greenfield and MassHighway District 2 in Northampton to identify and implement appropriate safety measures recommended in the study.
Links
This page was last updated on August 11, 2009 .