Braintree Installing Traffic Light Sensors On Route 37

BRAINTREE, MA — The town plans to install new controls along sections of Route 37, which adjust the frequency of traffic light changes in real-time based off traffic.

Mayor Joseph Sullivan and traffic engineer David Soares told town council the new system will be installed at seven intersections at Route 37, from Rockdale Road to Braintree Five Corners. The system increases and decreases the duration of green lights based on the flow of traffic, according to Soares.

According to Sullivan, this type of traffic control system is the first in the area.

"This is state-of-the-art technology," Sullivan said.

Town Council President Thomas Ryan asked Soares if the system takes pedestrian into account, saying he wants to ensure their safety.

Although some newer traffic control system have pedestrian sensors, they are not widely-implemented yet, according to Soares.

“This still relies on push button activation,” he said.

Soares also presented the council with other roads the town could make safety improvement at in the future. He showed the council a heat map, which showed every car crash in Braintree from 2012 to 2016. The data for 2017 should be available soon, Soares said.

Although most of the town's hot spots for crashes were on the state highway system, there were two hot spots identified at Five Corners and Forbes Road. The Union Street Rotary, Ivory and Pearl Streets, Mahar Highway, as well as Common and Granite Streets were also discussed as areas where improvements can be explored.

“It’s the first step in many steps that will be taken as we look at traffic flow in our community,” Sullivan told town council.

Installation for the Route 37 project is slated to begin this summer and will be paid for by the state highway department. The project will cost the state about $680,000, according to project details on MassDOT's website.