WRENTHAM - Representatives of two regional planning groups recently visited town, coming up with several recommendations for traffic improvements.

Transportation engineers and planners from the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) identified traffic and safety issues at intersections downtown and around the town common.

Town officials expressed concerns about speeding motorists, unsafe turning movements, and limited pedestrian access.

A walk-through of the areas allowed participants to discuss potential solutions.

MPO staff prepared short-and long-term recommendations. Short-term recommendations focused on improving pedestrian travel by increasing the number of crossings, reducing their length, and narrowing business driveways.

Long-term recommendations consisted of calming traffic speeds by reconfiguring problem intersections to better channel traffic.

The visit was part of a new MPO program that is designed to provide municipal officials with technical advice on local transportation concerns and with quick-response recommendations.