SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) – In an important move to improve resident safety, Springfield City Council members have taken steps to transform two busy streets into one-way streets. We stopped by the area to get more details on these changes and what they mean for residents.

In a unanimous 11-0 vote, Patton Street in North End and Trenton Street in Forest Park will soon become one-way streets.

Both streets have been a concern for many residents as they are often used as shortcuts, making them quite dangerous for children and pedestrians.

Councilman Victor Davila, who represents the Forest Park area, believes this change is essential, especially on Trenton Street, where numerous accidents have occurred on this narrow street and many residents have suffered damage to their parked cars.

“The resident sent a letter to the City Council expressing his concerns and they themselves took the necessary steps to go to the traffic commissioner and started the petition,” Dávila said.

He expects these roads to get worse when construction in the nearby xiThe intersection begins and says it is now up to drivers to comply with these new rules which will be strictly enforced.

“We can do many things, but if people do not cooperate, it is a problem and that is when the authorities come in,” Dávila told us. “And so I have the expectation that if that happens, the police department will go ahead and ticket him honestly.”

Patton Street will now be a southbound one-way road, while Trenton Street will flow west between Commonwealth Avenue and Dickinson Street, something Davida said would not have been possible without residents coming together to address this important concern.

“When neighbors get together, unite and talk, wonderful things can happen,” Dávila emphasized.

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