Springfield City Council is turning two streets into one-way streets

SPRINGFIELD — The City Council has approved petitions to make two problematic streets one-way.

The 11-0 vote on Monday makes Patton Street in the North End and Trenton Street in the Forest Park neighborhood one-way streets.

“Trenton Street is being used as a thoroughfare,” said Candice Haynes. “It creates a very unsafe atmosphere. There are children and people walking their dogs and I think it will be much safer if it is made one-way.”

Haynes said she bought her house three years ago and her only regret is the traffic problem. She has built good relationships with her neighbors and says she enjoys living there.

But many accidents have happened in the narrow street. Many of her neighbors’ cars have been hit by drivers while parked in front of their homes, and at least one had to pay a $1,000 deductible to get the car repaired, she said.

There was no opposition to either proposal. The Transportation Commission and the director of the Department of Public Works supported the idea of ​​making the streets one-way, said City Council President Michael Fenton.

Councilman Victor Davila, who represents the Forest Park area, said he has not heard any complaints about the change to Trenton Street and said he believed it would make the small street safer.

“It’s a very busy area and there have been numerous accidents there,” he said.

The road runs between Commonwealth Avenue and Dickson Street, so it is a natural cut-through and this is expected to get worse construction on the nearby X iThe crossing will begin in the spring, Davila said.

No one talked about the Patton Street proposal, but the City Council decided to vote on it because it had been approved by city officials.

Paton Street will now be one-way southbound, while Trenton Street will be one-way westbound from Commonwealth Avenue to Dickinson Street.