Maynard Road Safety Task Force Adopts Mission, Plans First Intersection Audit

MAYNARD -- November 20, 2025, Maynard's new Road Safety Task Force approved its mission statement and outlined plans for a hands-on safety audit of the town's most crash-prone intersection. The task force, only in its second meeting, unanimously adopted a charter framing it as an adviser to town departments on roadway safety, referencing the national Vision Zero framework. Crash data presented by the chair showed 124 collisions in 2024, a 33 percent increase over the prior two-year average, with 96 crashes logged through October 2025 and a projected year-end total of around 115. Deputy Chief Serlin disclosed that Maynard PD's in-house records show 140 crash reports assigned this year against the 96 in the state portal, a discrepancy of 44 that the task force said needs untangling. The department was awarded $4,800 of a possible $25,000 EOPS enforcement grant, applied conservatively due to staffing constraints, covering overtime patrols focused on pedestrian safety in November and impaired driving in summer months. Town Engineer Wayne reported a new traffic signal at Route 27 and Noncongord Street cost $875,000 in total, with signal equipment alone at roughly $450,000, correcting an earlier estimate of $100,000 per signal cited at the meeting.