FARMINGTON — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted Tuesday to take no action on the proposed Wilton Road traffic lane changes and to leave the road the way it is.

Some board members were concerned that this was the only option presented.

About 25 residents turned out to voice their concerns and many had called or emailed some selectmen prior to the meeting. The majority did not favor the change.

Maine Department of Transportation engineers proposed a lane change on Routes 2 and 4 between the hospital and Center Bridge to reduce vehicle crashes. The DOT had proposed changing a portion of that stretch of road from four lanes to three lanes with a left-turn lane in the middle.

During a study from 2011 to 2013, there were 158 crashes along the 2.8-mile stretch, said Dennis Emidy, DOT engineer. In other places where traffic lanes were reconfigured, accidents decreased by 29 percent.

But a number of Farmington residents and others who use the road were not convinced.

Wilton Road business owner Willard Hatch collected a total of 883 signatures opposing the change. There were 522 signatures from Farmington residents submitted by April 29, he said.  He was told there were not enough from Farmington and collected 42 more, he said.  

From 2011 to 2013, there were 1,303 crashes in Farmington, Hatch said. The number of those crashes that occurred on Routes 2 and 4 during that time was 12 percent, Hatch said, suggesting other areas of town with less traffic may have bigger problems.

At the request of selectmen, Police Chief Jack Peck, Fire Chief Terry Bell and Public Works Director Denis Castonguay talked to members of their departments. 

“As a whole, my crew was not in favor,” Castonguay said. Bell and Peck echoed the same for their departments.  

Peck checked with the police chief in Falmouth, where a similar change was made. Fewer crashes occurred, he said. Bell talked with his counterpart in Windham who said the change does work and has helped with traffic there.

Selectman Andrew Buckland asked if safety and reducing the number of accidents would be a trade-off for other things that might be unforeseen. He mentioned tractor-trailers pulling out of Irving that use three lanes and police traffic stops that intrude into a lane as potential problems.

Buckland said he received numerous calls and emails to not make this change.

The bulk of accidents occur at intersections where there are traffic lights, but these would not change, Selectman Michael Fogg said.

Other potential options included more signs and making left-hand turns only at certain intersections, similar to Western Avenue in Augusta. 

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