WESTFIELD – Ward 6 City Councilor Christopher Crean submitted a motion requesting consideration of a heavy commercial vehicle exclusion for a section of Paper Mill Road Thursday night.
Crean, in whose ward Paper Mill Road is located, is seeking to prohibit truck traffic on the section of Paper Mill Road between East Mountain Road and Mocking Bird Lane, closing about two thirds of the road to heavy commercial vehicles.
Crean said that he is making the motion because of the heavy volume of truck traffic through the densely developed residential neighborhood, which includes an elementary school and playground along Paper Mill Road.
Crean requested that the motion be referred to the Traffic Commission, Law Department, Engineering Department and the council’s Legislative & Ordinance Committee.
Crean said that retired City Solicitor Peter Martin provided guidelines for the process of adopting a truck exclusion, which includes conducting a traffic study and collecting other data, such as accidents and road condition data, which is reviewed by the state Department of Transportation (DOT) before the city can adopt an ordinance establishing the exclusion. The state DOT has a number of requirements, such as appropriate alternate routes, as criterion of its assessment and approval processes.
“There was a motion for this exclusion made in 2006, but it died in committee,” Crean said. “Nothing can happen until the traffic count is done and the data goes to the state.”
“The road is overdue for reconstruction. Right now there is a heavy burden because of the high truck volume,” Crean said.
Westfield Sand & Gravel, whose facility is located on Paper Mill Road a short distance west of Mockingbird Lane, would have to direct all trucks to access and exit their facility from and toward Union Street. The exclusion would eliminate access to the company from East Mountain Road. There is already a truck exclusion for several residential streets off Union Street, including Springdale Road.
The city has been trying to reconstruct Paper Mill Road for several years, but cannot use state Chapter 90 funding because the road was never accepted by the city and is still “owned” by residents. Many residents, recognizing the benefit of the road reconstruction, which will include paving and installation of drainage, have surrendered their ownership rights to the city, but others have not acted on the city’s request for a voluntary transfer of title, meaning that the city will have to take that land.
The Law and Engineering departments have been working on the “ownership” issue which has delayed the engineering and design of the reconstruction project.
