Route 12 today
The section of Rt 12 that is affected by the project today resides in a 50 ft ROW.
There are 3 traffic signals at, Erdman Way, State Street, and Bemis Road. Except at Erdman Way there are no dedicated turning lanes. At Erdman Way there are dedicated left turn lanes on North Main Street. Most traffic delays on this section of road occur at the traffic signals. Sometimes there are delays at Benson, and Nichols but delays at Nichols are usually short except when traffic is backed up all the way from the lights at State Street.
In Fitchburg most of the sidewalk is paved and some of it, is raised as it is in front of my house. (Yes, I live on Water St and yes they plan to take 9 ft of my frontage.) In Leominster very little of the sidewalk is paved and there are long stretches (like where MCM used to be) where traffic can turn in at any point.
The intersections of Carey St, Old Leominster Road and Abbott Ave with Water St are acute angles, which is a problem for vehicles with limited visibility like cargo vans and delivery trucks.
The entire stretch of Rt 12 is 2 lanes from just north of Erman Way to Bemis Road, but these are two VERY wide lanes at 39 ft. curb to curb. Traffic at Bemis Road tends to split into to rows of vehicles but in reality it is one lane. Likewise Bemis Road approaching Water St. is one lane. A certain former Fitchburg city councilor had the DPW repaint the road into two lanes. But that was an unauthorized change.
Today drivers on Rt 12 that wish to turn left sidle up to the double yellow and wait for an opening in traffic. Traffic traveling in the same direction just passes to the right as there is ample room to make that manuever. There are a few problem areas like the entrance/exit at Dunkin Donuts in Leominster where the minor curve limits the sight line and at the Mobil Station in Fitchburg near Benson St when traffic is heavy but there's nothing insurmountable if you aren't clueless.
There are 3 traffic signals at, Erdman Way, State Street, and Bemis Road. Except at Erdman Way there are no dedicated turning lanes. At Erdman Way there are dedicated left turn lanes on North Main Street. Most traffic delays on this section of road occur at the traffic signals. Sometimes there are delays at Benson, and Nichols but delays at Nichols are usually short except when traffic is backed up all the way from the lights at State Street.
In Fitchburg most of the sidewalk is paved and some of it, is raised as it is in front of my house. (Yes, I live on Water St and yes they plan to take 9 ft of my frontage.) In Leominster very little of the sidewalk is paved and there are long stretches (like where MCM used to be) where traffic can turn in at any point.
The intersections of Carey St, Old Leominster Road and Abbott Ave with Water St are acute angles, which is a problem for vehicles with limited visibility like cargo vans and delivery trucks.
The entire stretch of Rt 12 is 2 lanes from just north of Erman Way to Bemis Road, but these are two VERY wide lanes at 39 ft. curb to curb. Traffic at Bemis Road tends to split into to rows of vehicles but in reality it is one lane. Likewise Bemis Road approaching Water St. is one lane. A certain former Fitchburg city councilor had the DPW repaint the road into two lanes. But that was an unauthorized change.
Today drivers on Rt 12 that wish to turn left sidle up to the double yellow and wait for an opening in traffic. Traffic traveling in the same direction just passes to the right as there is ample room to make that manuever. There are a few problem areas like the entrance/exit at Dunkin Donuts in Leominster where the minor curve limits the sight line and at the Mobil Station in Fitchburg near Benson St when traffic is heavy but there's nothing insurmountable if you aren't clueless.
posted by noway @ 3/30/2006 08:13:00 PM
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