Maynard Task Force Approves Short-Term Fixes for Walnut-Main Intersection

MAYNARD — April 2, 2026 — Maynard's Roadway Safety and Safe Streets Task Force approved a short-term improvement plan for the Walnut Street and Main Street intersection and flagged rising 2026 crash numbers at its April 2 meeting. The task force, operating under the Town Administrator's office, agreed on a phased approach including reducing the intersection's crosswalks from four to two, repainting the remaining crosswalks, installing an ADA-compliant curb ramp, and adding two or three retroreflective pedestrian crossing signs at roughly $200 each — all contingent on developer compliance and not expected to begin before June. Chair Mario reported 41 crashes in Maynard through March 2026, up from approximately 26 at the same point last year, with 24 percent occurring between 5 p.m. and midnight. The task force plans to present nighttime crash data at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting — expected in early May — as a counterweight to a proposed bylaw that members described as seeking to eliminate most street lighting in town. The group also confirmed it has 11 documented crashes on the roughly 300-foot stretch of Main Street between Walnut Street and Nason Street, bolstering support for the existing CVS left-turn prohibition.