The Cranston City Council public works committee unanimously passed a resolution Thursday night imploring the administration to conduct a traffic study at the Sockanosset Corridor.

Director of Administration Robin Muksian called the crossroads of Sockanosset and Pontiac Avenue, which meets with Route 37, a “failing intersection.” Right now, she said, the city is working on synchronizing the traffic lights to work through some of the flow issues.

She said the intersection needs to be redesigned, and the administration is working on getting state funding to do so through the states Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

She added that the Carpionato Group, which operates Chapel View, will conduct a traffic review for the intersection and will also have to perform a peer evaluation. Muksian also noted the city is working with Garden City to develop better signage to also alleviate some of the traffic.

“Primarily the main focus, outside of a resolution on the roads, we’re looking is synchronization of lights and aggressively assuring something happens at that intersection. It’s failing now. We all know it’s failing now. If there’s going to be growth something has to be done.”

According to statistics from the city, the Sockanosset and Pontiac intersection saw 30 accidents last year, the fourth-most of any analyzed intersection. Not far behind were Pontiac and Route 37 with 24.

Pauline DeRosa, a Cranston resident, was the only person to speak during public comment and had a recommendation of her own. She noted the dangerous left turns on Pontiac Avenue coming out of the Shell gas station and Brewed Awakenings. The roads and narrow and, from the Brewed side, the curve obscures oncoming vehicles.

“That [left turn] should not be permitted under any circumstances,” DeRosa said. “It’s a very dangerous area. I’m not sure what can be done. I can only think of a median of some sort on that road there.”

Council Vice President Michael Favicchio, the sponsor of the resolution, said that he had met with DeRosa and some other residents as well as Carpionato and the Wilder Group, which runs Garden City.

Favicchio said there have been “quite a few discussions” on the issue, saying that there are still questions of whether right-on-red works at the Pontiac intersection and whether widening or adding lanes would be on the table.

“What we don't want to do is take action that ends up with more people saying, ‘We’re going to use Garden City Drive instead,’” Favicchio said. “Make Sockanosset work to ensure that that doesn't happen.”

Council members lauded the resolution, with Council President Michael Farina, Council Majority Leader Christopher Paplauskas and Ward 2 Representative Paul McAuley all throwing their support behind it.

Chairman Ken Hopkins backed it as well, but wanted assurance from the administration that factors such as school being in session, the new Attorney General Customer Service Center and Citizens Bank moving out of the area would be taken into account during a future traffic study.

Muksian said that wouldn’t be a problem.

“We’ll make sure whoever we pick for peer review on the state study makes sure they’re aware of the time of day,” Muksian said. “Traffic studies always take schools into account.”