August 1, 2024 By Carol Britton Meyer
The town is working toward developing the best possible design for the Lincoln/North Street intersection in downtown Hingham — incorporating proposed improvements for vehicle parking and pedestrian access to Fountain Square and the historic Benjamin Lincoln House and Old Ordinary museum.
The conceptual design for the project — — presented to the Select Board this week by Town Engineer JR Fry — includes modifying the intersection approach from Lincoln Street to North Street to enhance safety; installing parallel parking spaces on North Street; removing vehicular traffic from the Lincoln Street spur to in part eliminate “acute approach angles” to the related intersections that require drivers to look over their shoulder to observe oncoming traffic and also to afford potential additional open space and a pedestrian walkway; and installing a sidewalk along the north side of North Street to close an existing gap and a north-south sidewalk within the existing footprint of the removed spur.
“Traffic volume increases on Lincoln Street resulting from removal of the spur will be accommodated with the installation of exclusive left-turn and right-turn lanes onto Lincoln Street,” according to Jake Carmody of Vanasse & Associates, Inc., a traffic engineering and transportation planning firm hired by the town to work on this project.
The conceptual design also includes the potential installation of a crosswalk with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB) across Lincoln Street about 300 feet north of North Street to provide a safer crossing for pedestrians traveling between the Benjamin Lincoln House and Old Ordinary.
This would reduce the distance traveled by about 350 feet and result in a grade change, thereby benefitting mobility-challenged users and other residents and visitors, Fry said.
Next steps involve moving into the advanced design stage, which will be presented to the Select Board during a public meeting, and to potentially seek input from the Planning Board and historical/historic districts commissions.
HHS Executive Director Deirdre Anderson expressed support for the project. “Traffic safety is a topic we’re deeply interested in,” she said.
HHS hosted two meetings to socialize these potential changes with New North parishioners and area residents, resulting in “overall support for this concept,” although some concerns were expressed about the RRFB in an historic district, according to Anderson.
She noted that HHS has experienced a 50 percent increase in visitors over last year, including tours of the Benjamin Lincoln House. “We believe pedestrian traffic in this area will increase, and we are willing to work with the town,” Anderson said.
The idea of a possible cost-sharing for the project between HHS and the town was discussed, in addition to potential grants.
A replay of the meeting, including all the details, will be available on the Harbor Media website.