Belmont's Traffic Advisory Committee (TAC) is looking at ways to improve the intersection of Grove, Bright, Blanchard, and Washington Streets in order to reduce the number of accidents there and make the area safer for pedestrians.

Currently, walkers must navigate the heavily traveled intersection, which lies on the border between Belmont and Cambridge, in order to reach the MBTA bus stop on Bright Road or the town playing fields on Grove Street. Belmont and Cambridge school buses also make stops nearby.

At the committee's January meeting, committee member Joel Douglas said accidents frequently happen at this location because drivers are confused about who has the right of way. Currently, motorists are supposed to yield to traffic coming out of Cambridge on Blanchard Road, but that is not always clear to drivers approaching the blinking yellow light at Bright or the stop signs at Grove and Washington.

Sergeant Ken Hamilton of the Belmont Police Department said two houses facing the intersection have actually been struck by cars. He also mentioned that the stop sign at Grove Street is difficult to enforce, because while the stop sign itself is in Belmont, some drivers who ignore it are crossing the town line into Cambridge, where Belmont police cannot issue tickets.

The TAC last proposed changes to the intersection in 1992, but they were never implemented due to lack of funds.

Last May, Susan Clippinger, head of the Cambridge Traffic and Parking Department, wrote to Belmont's Tom Gatzunis of the Office of Community Development and offered to pool resources with the town to improve the intersection.

Traffic consultants for both municipalities have suggested that the intersection be redesigned as two distinct T-shaped intersections (one at Bright and Washington and one at Grove and Blanchard) rather than the large existing four-way intersection. An obvious problem, consultants have said, is the width of the roadway, which was originally designed to accommodate trolley traffic as well as other vehicles. They recommend getting rid of "excess roadway" at the intersection by bringing the curbing further out into the street and perhaps building pedestrian refuge islands in the middle of the road. These changes would also shorten the crosswalks, an advantage for pedestrians.

Mark Paolillo, TAC Chair, said the committee will invite nearby residents of Bright, Washington, and Grove Streets to its March meeting to review two alternative designs for the intersection and to solicit other suggestions for improvements. Susan Clippinger said local Cambridge residents will also be invited to attend.