Town of Williamstown

Massachusetts
Municipal Building 31 North Street Williamstown, MA 01267 www.williamstown.net

OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN TEL 413-458-3500 FAX 413-458-4839

July 14, 2011 Peter Niles, District Highway Director MassDOT District One 270 Main Street Lenox MA 01249 Re: Route 2 Truck Ramp Dear Director Niles: We write to express our concern and to seek your assistance in improving safety at the Route 2/Route 7 truck ramp in Williamstown. The truck ramp has saved innumerable lives over the past decade as its effectiveness has been tested and proven on many occasions. Inexplicably the driver in the June 29 incident did not use the truck ramp and perished in the ensuing crash. We would like to suggest four improvements that might increase the chances of a truck driver using the runaway ramp, thereby potentially saving his own life and those of others traveling Route 7 in automobiles, trucks, and buses. Immediately tree limbs, brush, and grass could be trimmed back on the south side of Route 2 approaching the truck ramp to improve visibility to the ramp. This would provide a driver in distress more time and opportunity to recognize the ramp and make a decision to use it. Immediately additional truck ramp signs in advance of the ramp would provide earlier and multiple opportunities for cognitive recognition by the driver. A portable flashing sign should be considered preliminary to permanent signs. The hillside to the south of Route 2 should be cut back to provide drivers descending the Trail an unobstructed view of the truck ramp. The addition of overhead and roadside flashing truck ramp signs would provide the ultimate level of advance warning for a driver attempting to process multiple bits of information during a period of high stress. If desirable this sign might even be activated by a speed detection sign to intensify the advisory and the warning.

Ultimately the runaway truck ramp should be extended and the access straightened so that the safe option is both visible and available to truck drivers as they descend the straight portion of Route 2 west of Torrey Woods Road. The runaway truck ramp comes into view with little warning at speed and its short length is an unappetizing choice, albeit better than the deadly alternative. Enhanced advisories should be installed so the truck driver can anticipate and look forward to the truck ramp rather than being faced with a last minute decision. Lets give these drivers as much assistance as possible, not only for the sake of their lives but also for the lives of men, women, and children on Route 7. Lastly, we request assistance from the highest levels of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to work with us to convince GPS device manufacturers and programmers to eliminate this route as the suggested alternative. There is no logical explanation for a tractor trailer traveling from Chicago to Adams to be on this road other than GPS misguidance. If you experiment as we have with on-line and in-vehicle GPS tools you will discover alarming travel directions. We must work together to stop GPS devices from luring drivers to their death. We recommend an on-site meeting of MassDOT and Town officials to discuss our longstanding concerns and potential improvements. Thank you for considering this matter. Please let us know if we can provide more information or any further assistance. Yours truly,

Thomas E. Sheldon Chairman