A four-way stop sign will be installed Friday at the intersection of West Street and Hillside Avenue, a crossing that has been on the state’s highest crash list for several years. In 2024 alone there have been at least 14 collisions there, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
“That intersection has been on the radar for a really long time,” said Department of Public Works Director Carys Lustig. “But there [have been] concerns about implementing a four-way stop, particularly on West Street because of the pitch of the road.”
In May 2021, MassDOT and the town reviewed the road safety audit they commissioned on the intersection. It noted five areas of safety concerns: sight distance; pedestrian and bicycle accommodations; misplaced, damaged or faded signs and intersection clutter; solar glare; and managing access into and out of the intersection.
Lustig said the town had hoped this intersection would be dealt with as part of a larger state-funded transportation improvement plan that includes Highland Avenue from Webster Street to Great Plain Avenue. Eventually a more permanent solution may be found, but for now the four-way stop will serve as a stopgap.
The proximity to the railroad tracks has made finding a solution challenging, said Needham Transportation Safety Committee Chair Justin McCullen. He believes a traffic circle would be a better option, but the current infrastructure surrounding the area as well as private property makes installing one complicated.
“It would involve land taking from the town, the MBTA and private property,” he said. But with no delay of a signal, a traffic circle would allow for “smoother traffic flow and a safer way to navigate the intersection.” He said these are becoming common nationwide as solutions to a variety of traffic issues.
McCullen said once the signs are installed the intersection will be closely monitored, especially to ensure motorists aren’t backing up to and stopping on the railroad tracks. “[West-bound West Street] can tolerate a six-car queue before a car has to stop on the tracks,” he said.
Lustig said before making the decision to install the four-way stop the town closely studied the traffic patterns and made sure the signs would not create a bottleneck. There are also federally mandated thresholds that must be met to qualify for a four-way stop, such as the daily volume of traffic travelling in each direction.
For years the town was reluctant to implement the new measure, but with a transition in staff and a new town engineer, Lustig said the philosophy has shifted and the intersection was deemed “worthy.” And, she added, “It’s not an irreversible choice, it’s just signage and paint.” Once the signs are in place, the town will do an analysis to see if safety and traffic patterns are improved.
Lustig asks people to give themselves time to get used to the signs. “When it comes to change of all kinds, it takes a little bit of time for people to get used to it, so people may get frustrated having a change in place. Then after a few months it becomes normal.”
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