Redesign Of Dangerous Worcester 'Speedway' Road Becomes Political Issue

WORCESTER, MA — An ongoing improvement of a wide, pockmarked, speedy street on Worcester's west side will continue after a city council candidate asked to hold off on changes until the city council could review the project.

Jose Rivera, who is running for the District 5 council seat, filed a citizen's petition last week asking for a public hearing on a proposed Mill Street redesign in front of the council's Traffic and Parking Committee. The petition also asked for "any work beyond the current milling and resurfacing of Mill Street not proceed until a recommendation is delivered" by that council committee.

Worcester is in the midst of milling and resurfacing the four-lane road, known by locals as "The Speedway," as part of an annual citywide repaving program. Department of Transportation and Mobility leader Steve Rolle told councilors Tuesday the resurfacing offered an opportunity to redesign the road to slow traffic, a longtime concern for residents. The redesign would include reducing Mill Street to one lane in either direction, and adding bike lanes buffered by parking. Those plans are in line with Worcester's complete streets policy, which was adopted in 2017, Rolle said.

The redesign will not include the upgrade of sidewalks along the busy road, home to a city beach, a new daycare center, a park and the Worcester Public Schools Head Start program. The three crosswalks along the 2-1/2 mile road west of Park Avenue would be repainted and upgraded in line with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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The Mill Street redesign became a political issue over the past week. Rivera accused District 5 Councilor Etel Haxhiaj of overlooking her constituents by not telling them about the plans. Haxhiaj said she wasn't informed about the plans until last week.

"She has talked about this project at recent community meetings. If, in fact, this information was new to her, why was it? Why was it 'not communicated' to her if it was in her district? Why has she been so focused on issues outside District 5 and not informed of such a vitally important issue as this within her district?" Rivera's campaign wrote in a Friday Facebook post.

Plans for the redesign outside repaving weren't mentioned in early discussions about Mill Street. Rivera said Department of Public Works Commissioner Jay Fink told him on multiple occasions that the street was going to be resurfaced without mentioning other plans. Fink told councilors on Tuesday Haxhiaj wasn't informed about the plans because typically only abutters are alerted about these projects.

Mill Street was mentioned in a memo to the council in May about a number of street redesigns — including nearby Stafford Street, where a 5-year-old girl was hit and killed in 2022 — but lacked specifics.

At-Large Councilor Moe Bergman said communication about the project between the city administration and residents should've been clearer.

"I just feel compelled to say our departments do a great job, our department heads do a great job, but somebody dropped the ball on this one," he said.

Rivera still declared a win after councilors "filed" — a council term for discarding an item — his order on Tuesday night.

"Worcester residents’ voice will be heard. I don’t know about you, but that’s what I call people over politics!" he wrote in a social media post.

City officials are planning a public meeting in July to discuss the Mill Street redesign proposal with residents, Haxhiaj said. Any redesign involving re-striping of the road would likely not happen until after the repaving concludes in about four weeks.