Local Opposition Causes Traffic Change in Square

The rotary traffic experiment around the Cambridge Common ended yesterday morning because of strong opposition from residents in the area.

Initiated April 1 on a 30-day trial basis, the plan was designed to alleviate traffic congestion through Harvard Square.

Edward F. Tierney, head of the Cambridge Police Traffic Bureau, said the rotary plan "worked very well from the standpoint of traffic, but residents in the area complained too much about the added noise and traffic near their homes."

With the ending of the experiment, vehicles again move both ways on Garden St. However, no left turns are permitted onto Garden from Appian Way and Mason St., the streets bounding the Radcliffe Yard.

This portion of the trial plan is being retained to limit the number of cars cutting into Garden St. traffic from the side streets, Tierney said.

The decision to revoke the traffic plan came last Friday morning at a meeting of the Cambridge city manager with representatives of the MTA, the police department, and the public works department.

Residents Protest

Last Thursday evening, 150 residents of the area protested the rotary plan at a meeting sponsored by the Cambridge Civic Association. Only Tierney and City Councilor Joseph A. DeGuglielmo '29 defended the experiment.

The City Council last week expressed its disapproval of the trial plan in a 5-4 roll call vote. The Harvard Square Businessmen's Association, however, voted Tuesday in favor of extending the trial period for another 30 days.