DEDHAM, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Officials in Dedham say overcrowded streets are becoming a problem in their town—and claim navigation apps are partly to blame.
Dr. Dennis Teehan, Vice Chair of the Dedham Selectboard, told WBZ NewsRadio's Chris Fama he wants something to be done.
"This is a huge, regional, systemic problem that requires large-scale solution to fix it," Teehan said, adding that apps are "routing people through neighborhoods that simply aren't engineered or designed to withstand the amount of traffic that they're getting."
There's one particularly tough spot that locals are aware of, but others might not know about.
"And of course, East Street Bridge, where trucks keep hitting that because they keep being routed under this bridge that is 12 feet high," Teehan said.
The town has made several changes to try to deal with the problem, including instituting local turn restrictions, building new crosswalks, restricting turns, and setting a 25 mph speed limit throughout the town unless posted otherwise.
Teehan says it's ultimately a huge public safety issue, and leaders are just trying to protect their constituents.
"Narrow, winding, hilly roads with lots of awkward, sharp turns are becoming major thoroughfares during morning and evening rush hour now, with significant amounts of traffic volume," he said.
(Photo: Getty Images)
WBZ NewsRadio's Chris Fama (@CFamaWBZ) reports
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