Walpole residents tired of traffic from Gillette concerts

WALPOLE, Mass. — “So ridiculous,” said a Walpole resident responding to an endless line of cars driving past her home last Thursday.

Mary Jane Lightbody says they were headed to a concert at Gillette.

“Thursday was ridiculous. We could not get in or out of our driveway,” said Lightbody.

But that’s not all she saw.

“People were urinating and so forth and so on. It was really ugly,” she said.

During the last two concerts, Pete O’Farrell says the gridlock barely moved past his home.

“It was literally bumper to bumper gridlock traffic here, and then it happened again last Thursday,” said O’Farrell.

All this traffic caused by concert-goers who were using GPS. Drivers were directed to side streets that turned into parking lots.

“And I think people on Walpole were concerned about the safety, if they needed to get out of their homes and get to loved ones or family members,” said Ryan Weiss whose Walpole street also was jammed packed with cars.

So Mary Jane got neighbors together and pressed Walpole officials and police to do something – and they did.

Streets were blocked off, police directed traffic and Waze made side streets off temporarily off limits.

Pete shot drone video showing how much better traffic moved with most of it staying on Route One.

And Mary jane says at last, her peaceful street is back:

“Oh my gosh, it’s been so quiet – just like what we’re used to.”

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