This drawing illustrates the improvements that will be made to Franklin Street over the next eight months. The improvements are to enhance pedestrian safety. This area of Franklin Street is one of the city’s most dangerous areas for pedestrians.
Photo credit: City of Westfield
WESTFIELD — The city of Westfield’s Engineering Department has announced that work will start on a roadway improvement project along a portion of Franklin Street, from Shepard Street through the Elm Street intersection, to enhance pedestrian safety.
“This is one of the city’s worst areas for pedestrian crashes,” said Lt. John Parrish, the Police Department director of the Traffic Bureau.
“Our goal is to have zero incidents involving pedestrians and vehicles,” he said.
The improvements are significant, said the city’s Utility Engineer Matthew Gamelli.
Perhaps the most consequential safety improvement will be at the crosswalk across Franklin Street between Madison and Kellogg streets, he said.
The crosswalk will be moved west by about 20 feet, and solar-powered Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons will be installed on each side of Franklin Street.
There will also be an island installed down the center of the street with a flashing light, he said.
That crosswalk has been the site of two incidents over the last two years involving pedestrians being struck by vehicles.
In September 2024, a man using a wheelchair died after being struck there, and only two weeks ago, a man was seriously injured at the crosswalk after being struck by a vehicle while pushing a stroller carrying a baby.
The vehicle just barely clipped the stroller, knocking it over. The baby suffered very minor injuries, Parrish said.
He also said the family of the man struck was happy to learn about the safety improvements.
Another reason for the crosswalk readjustment was that motorists on Elm Street heading south — after the bridge — toward the intersection with Franklin Street often turn right onto Orange Street and travel down to Kellogg Street to avoid the congestion.
Gamelli said that as motorists on Kellogg Street approach Franklin Street to turn right, they typically look left for approaching vehicles, but not right to check for pedestrians approaching on the sidewalk.
“This will make it safer for pedestrians walking east toward Kellogg to be seen by motorists,” Gamelli said.
Another significant change will be at the intersection of Washington and Franklin streets.
Currently, two lanes are heading toward Elm Street.
As motorists approach Washington Street heading east on Franklin, the right-hand lane will be for right turns only, Gamelli said.
Motorists who want to turn right from Franklin onto Elm Street must stay in the left lane, which becomes a single lane.
Traffic will be funneled at that point. This choke point will prevent motorists who often continue straight from trying to merge into the left lane to turn left onto Elm Street, which is one of the most dangerous areas for pedestrians in the city.
Traffic in the left lane may be backed up, waiting for the traffic signal or for a pedestrian. If the pedestrian is in the crosswalk between Maple and Summer streets walking toward Grader Auto Service, motorists in the right lane heading toward Elm Street cannot see the pedestrian.
This improvement will prevent it from occurring, Gamelli said.
For those in the left lane approaching Maple Street, a left-turn-only lane will be created at the intersection of Franklin Street.
There will also be a significant realignment of the crosswalk between Maple and Summer streets — it will be moved toward Elm Street by about eight feet.
Once the improvements are complete, Franklin Street from Elm to Maple streets will have only two lanes, and there will be a bump-out at the corner of Summer and Franklin streets.
The lanes will be separated by a traffic island with a flashing pedestrian light. There will be a left-turn-only lane immediately after the traffic island for motorists who want to turn left into the CVS parking lot.
Once a motorist passes the island and the bump-out to turn right onto Elm Street, a right-turn-only lane will open.
At the intersection of Franklin and Elm streets, the island with the traffic light will be removed, and another island will be built to make it easier for tractor-trailers to turn right.
Work on the improvements, which will include new mill-and-overlay pavement treatment, will start this week, Gamelli said.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, two-way traffic flow is expected to be maintained throughout the project.
However, motorists should expect moderate-to-significant traffic impacts during the morning and afternoon commutes, Gamelli said.
“It will be open at least for one-way traffic — there might be unforeseen circumstances. Obviously, a very heavily congested area for traffic, with moderate to heavy congestion at times during peak flow,” Gamelli said.
Gamelli said the project is being funded through a combination of Chapter 90 and city funds from the Engineering Department.
Major work will be completed by Dec. 1, 2026, with final completion by June 1, 2027. The total cost of the project is $1.02 million.
Staff writer Amy Porter contributed to this story.
