[Bob Dickinson]: I'll make the motion. I'm always big on approving these because I always think they're worthwhile, and if my fellow commissioners are satisfied with the information they have, I'll make the motion.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, I'll second it. I'm satisfied on this one. All right, so on the motion of Commissioner Brzezinski, seconded by Commissioner McGibbon, we'll have a roll call vote to approve 2023-48.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Chief Buckley?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, for the nothing, the petition is approved. 2023-49, Handicap, Arkansas, 147 George Street. Is the petitioner present? I just missed a second.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: It looks like Nancy Coleman, is that her?
[Jack Buckley]: Yep, we see you. We're going to ask you to unmute.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sorry.
[Jack Buckley]: Hi, welcome.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hi.
[Jack Buckley]: Hi, welcome. So you have a petition before the Traffic Commission for a handicap sign on 147 George Street. Would you like to just tell us a little bit about yourselves and the situation here?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yes, I've had a permanent handicap. Placid. Placid for at least 10 years. And I have, I just, oh, I'm sorry. They just put in a pacemaker that has two lines, and I get shortness of breath, and I also have a valve problem, a hot valve problem, and also I have a bowel situation that just happened recently.
[SPEAKER_20]: She's had a couple of stomach surgeries, so she's got what's called shotgun syndrome.
[Alicia Hunt]: We don't need to know your medical conditions. That's on file with the police. We need to know that you can't walk, why you need a parking spot in front of your house and not on the driveway. But we don't need to know about your medical conditions. That's on file with the police chief.
[SPEAKER_20]: Getting closer to the stairs is a big help. We also have a seven-year-old autistic nonverbal grandson who has a handicap placard also, and he visits us. And so typically, I would park in the driveway, and Nancy tries to park in the street. We're having trouble with, we got some multifamily houses in the neighborhood. They seem to be renting out to students and also, I don't know, it seems like a lot of people in some of the apartments We're having trouble parking near our house and also occasionally actually making the turn into our driveway from the street because they park right up to the edge of the curb and turning into our driveway. So she struggles with that occasionally. I have to actually get out and try to find a parking spot for her. So we're hoping to kind of reserve a spot in front of the house for at least a handicap for both ourselves and for our grandchild when he comes to visit. He's autistic, nonverbal, but he also bolts. So the closer we get him to the door just reduces the risk of him bolting on us. We are registered for both our grandson and for Nancy for the SMART 911 program. So hopefully, if we ever need it, first responders know the situation. So we're just trying to get as close to the door as we can, given the parking in the neighborhood.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, well thank you for presenting it that way. Commissioners, thoughts, questions, concerns? Move approval.
[Alicia Hunt]: And I just want to make sure that the applicants aware that what we are able to put up is a handicapped sign for a handicapped spot that anybody with a legal handicap placard can use it. If there's a non-handicapped car with no placard in there, the police can come and ticket them. But if they have a handicapped placard, they're allowed to park there even though they're not you. Okay.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: see if I sent off to Sebastian down his only concern was the hydrant.
[Jack Buckley]: I looked at that also I think they could fit in that that's not much of an issue. Real quick is there any public comment on this right I mean I know before we open them up I just want to make sure that uh George Freed may have some just raise your hand Okay, seeing none, on the motion of Commissioner McGibbon, seconded by Commissioner Brzezinski, I'll have a roll call vote to approve petition 2023-49.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Buckley. Yes, well nothing the petition is approved. Thank you for attending tonight's meeting and for your presentation to us and we will be working with the DPW to get that posted as soon as we can for you. return to business 2023-47, no left turn, Emerson Street to Main Street. This was a decision, within the last month, the decision was made by myself as Chief of Police to prevent left-hand turns coming off of Emerson Street. It's being brought up on the screen right now. From Emerson Street, across the two lanes of traffic onto the northbound side of Main Street. The year has been an increase, a sudden and it is pretty drastic increase in the amount of motor vehicle accidents on this intersection here. It coincides with the amount of traffic that has been piling up or being produced on Emerson Street. As best we can tell from our research, it appears now that Waze or other of these traffic programs have been directing for the last several months traffic to come down Emerson Street, most likely as a means to get to 93. There are several other avenues. So all things considered, on a public safety level, I made the decision to prevent the left-hand turns. The addition of these people getting hurt and property is getting damaged and doesn't necessarily need to be so. Not being said, I have the authority to kind of do this, but my decision has to be reviewed by the traffic commission, and so it is on the agenda for this month. I believe there are probably several neighbors who want to discuss this or comment on this and ask questions of it, which we will open it up. But before we do, I want to see if the commissioners have any questions, thoughts, or concerns first.
[Tim McGivern]: How many accidents are we talking about, Chief?
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: So we had 13 accidents categorized as an intersection at Main and Emerson. On top of that, we categorized another eight that just weren't categorized at the Main and Emerson intersection, but were categorized in front of the fire station. When we looked further into the crash report, it actually happened at Main and Emerson, but it wasn't categorized as that. We had on the day in which this was put in place, we had three collisions in the excuse me, 12 hour period, maybe 16 hour period. Um, and we had two collisions in a matter of 40 minutes. Um, the month of October alone, we had five collisions and we didn't even get to the end of October. So, uh, a generic street that should be a pull through that, uh, Nitsa and the highway to safety department, a normal average collisions that any given street would have would be four to six in a year. That's not a minority.
[Alicia Hunt]: Sorry, did you just say that a typical number of collisions on a street would be four to six, but you had five in the month of October at this location?
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Correct.
[Jack Buckley]: Four to six annually. Right.
[Tim McGivern]: The second question I have is, do we know at the moment, and this is probably going to get redirected at me, but the scope of the main and mystic project intersection, is this movement being taken into account in that design? And again, that might be a question for myself, but we gotta answer that question. In other words, are we doing something permanent here, or will the design project take this moment into consideration?
[Jack Buckley]: It's as permanent as it needs to be, but there is an understanding that this whole corridor is going to be redesigned, right? So there is a plan in place for the next year or so to redo the main Mystic intersection. And it was also going to be taken into consideration the development of the new fire station, which is right opposite that corner also. So there are expected to be several changes in that area, in that corridor over the next year or two. Having said that, you know, I understand that there creates an inconvenience, and I've had the traffic engineer, who unfortunately can't be here tonight, look at this, and his recommendation would be to support my decision to close that off, and he can't find an alternative solution. I know a lot of people would immediately, and just so I say, all the public will give you a chance to talk. I will let you talk in a second. The commissioners have to have a discussion first. A lot of people say let's just put a traffic light up there. That is not something that can be done in a day, and it is exceedingly expensive to do so. So some way of answering that question, yes, Commissioner McGibbon, it is being addressed.
[Tim McGivern]: Okay, thank you. Yeah, the reason I asked that question is to sort of give exactly what you did. And I don't know if this specific movement is included, but what we're effectively doing is changing the existing condition. So when traffic counts are done and more data, if needed, is collected for that project, you know, on the city side, we just have to be aware of that on the engineering side. And then the other thing is the The non-permanent nature of how this intersection functions today is important for everybody to know that the city has been looking very closely with the state, partnering with the state, for the Mystic Valley Parkway in Main Street intersection, as everybody knows, most people know, and then the main at Mystic. And then combining those projects. And then there's even other projects, too, that are connected to those that have to do with MassDOT trails. So, you know, hopefully a lot of stuff happening here.
[Jack Buckley]: I'm going to put a sign somewhere. So so there are pain on the The plastic pole stanchions that go across, it's pretty permanent that's up there. I mean, a car, you know, physically a vehicle could live, but it's very much closed off.
[Bob Dickinson]: Have we looked into like where those, I mean, because, you know, we have a bike lane here. I'm just curious as to where those are actually going to, where we plan to put those.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: They're already there now and they're in this yellow line to yellow line in the middle of this little corridor here and then the sign is in the middle for no left turn.
[Jack Buckley]: Those yellow lines actually mark the locations that are shut off. That's all I had. Comments, Commissioner Hunt, before we open up?
[Alicia Hunt]: I am horrified by the amount of crashes you're saying is occurring at this location. And obviously we need to do something so that unsuspecting people, particularly, I really would like for the people who are following routing software to not be routed this way because it's dangerous and they don't know it's dangerous and they're just following their software. I suspect that the local residents are not the ones getting into the accidents because they know, well, I hope so. They're familiar with the intersection, but there is no other way to do this if I understand correctly. There's a way to allow the local traffic to do things and not the rest of the world.
[Jack Buckley]: So I think your instincts are correct. Out of all the accidents, I think we've only had one local resident within the accident, but this is one of those where you can't separate the residents. And I understand it's an inconvenience, but there's a public safety condition that comes for it at this point in time. And then we don't object. keeping that open, we project an increase, traffic has increased on that street dramatically over the last several months. So we don't foresee it ending.
[Alicia Hunt]: So I actually am interested to hear what the residents have to say and I suspect that we're all going to have, sounds like you've hit some of the concerns you've been hearing already from residents and that we'll have responses for some of that, but yeah. Thanks. You mentioned crash numbers, but then there wasn't, some of them there weren't timeframes for. Like you said, there were 13 accidents, but you didn't say what that timeframe was.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: The timeframe was January 1st to October, I think it was 17th, sorry.
[Jack Buckley]: But the majority of them have ended up being August, September, October.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Since we did the collision, The change, it's been since October 17th, January 1st, October 7th.
[Alicia Hunt]: There were like 10 accidents all year and then six in October.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: So the collisions that we have categorized at the intersection of Maine and Emerson are 13 for the year. Five happened in October, three happened in September and August, and then if we backed out and did another software calculation, we had another eight collisions at 120 Main Street that were categorized at non-intersection. They categorized it as the fire station if the fire station called it. When I looked into those collisions, it was a collision that happened at Main and Emerson. We just didn't categorize it as an intersection, which is a CAD. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point.
[Alicia Hunt]: I think that's a good point.
[Jack Buckley]: I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point. I think that's a good point.
[SPEAKER_16]: Morning board members. Good afternoon, excuse me, or good evening. I'm Zoom from out of state. So I live at 14 Metcalfe Streets in Medford. I've lived there for probably now about 16 years. And I regularly use that intersection. It has been an open intersection, I believe, for decades in Medford. I understand there is a concern for safety, but to take such a draconian measure to just shut it off and just prevent a turn there without looking at alternatives is really not appropriate in this situation. May I suggest that you put a yellow flashing neon intersection warning sign for the traffic that is coming out of the square before the intersection, particularly it's the second lane, not the first lane where the accidents happen. It is the second lane where the accidents are happening. Okay, there are alternatives other than you just can't go that way. You are cutting off traffic to your square that really does need a boost of economic impact as you barely see anybody really in it. And you're cutting off a main access road to Route 93, which is very important to Medford. It's one of the attractions about living in Medford is you have great highway access. You have already cut off the traffic going across South Street to 93. You have already cut off the traffic coming down the Main Street exit ramp off of 16 to cut across the other side of 16. You've already cut that off. This is the last one. okay it isn't any safer that you do this because if you come out of Emerson and you make a right hand turn and you want to go on 38 you still have to cross over main street to get into 38 so you still have to watch out for that lane of travel which is coming out of the square on um coming up on that second lane. So there is still a danger of an accident. As long as we have cars on the roadways, we are going to have accidents. I do not think it's an inconvenience for the police department or the fire department. They are right there at that intersection. That intersection is directly across, it was directly across from the fire station. It is still directly across from the fire station.
[Jack Buckley]: Can I just ask a clarification question? What do you mean it's not an inconvenience to the police or fire department?
[SPEAKER_16]: They can get right there. They are right there. They can be there in a minute to render.
[Jack Buckley]: That's not the purpose of police to fire, not to respond to the call. Our job is to prevent the accident.
[SPEAKER_16]: Okay, you can do as much as you can to prevent accidents. You're not gonna prevent accidents as long as cars are traveling on the roadways. So to say it's a safety issue and we'll just cut off the access is not looking at alternative or lesser measures, okay, to continue the flow of traffic and to provide access roads for people that live in your community and pay taxes. That's the point I'm trying to make, okay? That you're not looking at the lesser alternatives. You did put a sign there. You put the wrong one, okay? You need to put a flashing neon intersection sign, not a stop sign, not a traffic control signal or anything, which costs a lot of money, okay? They're yellow. They're usually diamond or actually, I don't know what they call them. They're diamond shaped or something. and they flash their yellow and their neon, and that will attract the attention of drivers that approach that intersection to slow down, and you will reduce the collisions. That is an alternative to doing this, which is just to cut off the intersection completely. All right, we are a, in Metcalfe Street, we are a one-way street to a one-way street to a one-way street. We are a series of intersecting one-way streets. And you are making it very difficult on a huge section of your neighborhood, which is Medford Hillside, okay, to gain access to these roadways. Okay, now you've already cut off two of them. Why don't you just leave this one alone and make some lesser alternatives to keep the road going?
[Jack Buckley]: All right, thank you.
[SPEAKER_16]: You don't have to just cut it off.
[Jack Buckley]: We've had the traffic engineer review a lot of the things that you've talked about. And in his opinion, closing it off is the recommended avenue for prevention. We did deal with South Street, South Street and Main Street. consistently one of the worst intersections for motor vehicle accidents with injuries in the state year after year. We've come up with a solution, and there's a long-term solution associated with that. There have been very few, if any, motor vehicle accidents since we put that in place. This is a little bit more about convenience and inconvenience. It's about safety and people getting hurt. A simple sign isn't necessarily what the engineers recommend. I understand if you need to get to Medford Square, you can still come out South Street. It's much safer and there is an avenue to take a left-hand turn. If you need to get to 93, you can do the same and head into Medford Square and jump on 93. You can also take a right on Main Street and head down Mr. Gap and get on 93. Or you could go down Main Street to the right and take one of the left-hand turns and come back on Mr. Gap. I understand. I'm not telling you that that is an inconvenience, and I'm not telling you that it's not a change, but it is safer. And that is what our job is. Next comment. Siding. David Asher is next. Mr. Asher, just unmute yourself. We're going to ask you to unmute yourself. Thank you and welcome.
[SPEAKER_24]: Hi, I'm a resident of Emerson Street. I've lived there for five years now. I spoke to the sergeant who called me after I submitted a complaint. I asked the sergeant for the traffic engineering report. He told me that the city traffic engineer produced a report. Then I emailed the city traffic engineer who told me that no report or study had been done and that I was misinformed. So I don't think that the traffic commission has any right to sign off on this temporary measure until a full traffic engineering report is completed.
[Jack Buckley]: What would you expect that, just for clarification, you're looking for a traffic study to determine what? The number of accidents?
[SPEAKER_24]: to determine the traffic patterns, to determine design alternatives.
[Jack Buckley]: Sorry? We have an established traffic pattern. We're just eliminating one of those patterns.
[SPEAKER_24]: So when you remove the opportunity for left turns there, you are increasing the speed of traffic on Main Street. And yes, there are fewer accidents turning left from Emerson onto Main Street because you cannot turn left onto Main Street. However, it was already a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians. I was someone who commuted on the 354 in Medford Square. I had to cross that intersection twice, twice daily. Now it is twice as difficult. I do not think this is a net increase in public safety. I think this is a net decrease in automobile accidents. However, you are making the community less walkable and you're making the people who live in the neighborhood adjacent to Medford Square feel disentitled and less safe. Okay.
[Alicia Hunt]: Could I ask a question? I don't understand one of the comments. I wondered if you could clarify. Sorry, legitimately, you said this makes it less walkable, and I don't understand that because it looks to me, and I have to judge in this, that it makes it easier to walk because there'll be fewer cars to contend with. Can you explain the less walkable part to me?
[SPEAKER_24]: The turning cars, allow for pedestrians to be blocked from main street traffic. They work together. The turning cars slow down the speed of traffic on main street.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay.
[SPEAKER_24]: It seems that happens at rush hour times, which I would like studied in the traffic report. And that is also when people are walking across this intersection more. There is a symbiotic relationship. Okay, so I spoke to the traffic engineer. I gave him several suggestions. I have been asking for years for a wholesale redesign from Salem Street to Mystic. And this call is the first time I've heard of any plans of a redesign of this intersection. This is the first time I've heard of any plans of a new fire department building. Was that just announced right now?
[Alicia Hunt]: know. Chief, I'm going to post the information for the city alerts to sign up for that because that's where there's often information about the public meetings and stuff that's going on if residents aren't aware of things that are happening in the city.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, none of what we spoke about about the redesign of that roadway or the fire station is new information. It's been out in public for quite some time. If not, several years on them on the main street, mystic intersection.
[SPEAKER_24]: Okay, well, I think you should do a traffic engineering report ahead of that design and come up with a design solution for this intersection. And then another permanent design solution for after the redesign. I don't think an undesigned solution is the right measure here. And I don't think a solution without engineering is right. And I'll cede my time.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, maybe if Tim or I want to speak to the fact that there is a major MassDOT project to redesign this entire area and I will try and find on our web page where we have information about that that is involving a lot of traffic It is a very complicated, difficult location and area. All of this is being taken into account. There have been public meetings about it. I expect there'll be more public meetings in the future. We're waiting for the next iteration of designs. And as I understand it, this is a temporary safety measure until we have a full redesign from Medford Square to the intersection at Main and Mystic.
[Jack Buckley]: Excellent. If you could post that, and we'll try to get that out to everyone in this area over the next couple of days. Go ahead, Sergeant.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Lisa Davidson, I'll just ask you on mute.
[SPEAKER_05]: Welcome. Good evening, Chief. This is Henry Davidson and Lisa Davidson, Thomas Street. Pleasure. Okay. And good evening, everyone else. I just want to jump in first because you mentioned how South Street is safer now. Maybe safer, not safe. I spent the afternoon going through dispatch logs for this year and last year. Now, October was a bad month for Emerson and Maine. I'll give you that. You had a bad day. There's also been at least one accident since you've done what you've done to the street. There's been another MVA, at least one on dispatch. I don't know, your numbers seem inflated according to what I'm going to state now, but in October, there were 126 reported MVAs in Medford. 27 of them involved Main Street at some intersection of Main Street and another street. There were four that occurred at Emerson, and I'll give you that, it was a busy month for Emerson. There were three at Royal Street, there were two at South Street, and there were one at 7-Eleven in Main Street. This year so far, you have 14 MVAs on the log for South Street. You have seven for the year from Emerson Street. Last year, There were only two for the year at Emerson Street in Maine. And there were 12 for South Street in Maine last year. Now, I'll echo what everyone else in the neighborhood has said. You have about 80 plus homes back there. You have two ways in. One is Thomas Street, which I live on, so I have one way in. And we have two ways out. And as the other tenant said, one access to that 93 Route 16 ramp has been already taken away with South Street. And now this one is further taken away. And I understand that you can access those areas from either going left into the square and through the square down to the rotary, which during peak, times in the morning could add another 20 minutes to your commute. And maybe the same or more down by Harvard Street and 16th. And you're also going to create a worse situation on South Street by funneling traffic down to South Street in which people won't be courteous enough to let people out from Walnut Street to South Street, and there'll be a backup, and there'll be more aggression and more people aggravated. And this is what's happening. And also another thing is is that when you pull out of Emerson Street to take a left, you have delivery trucks in front of 200 Main Street, large vans, and you have a bus stop there. That's a huge blind spot. No one can see anyone coming out, not even a pedestrian stepping out onto the crosswalk. And when the right lane slows down for the pedestrian or the outcoming traffic, the people in the left lane scoot out and go around, and they just think, oh, someone's stopping for something else, and I'm just going to go around them. And that's when someone's going to step out in front of a car that's letting them cross the street, and they're going to get hurt or killed. And then you'll pay attention. and see that it's not just a four-wheel problem. We have a two-wheel problem, a foot problem. We have a lot of problems. I'm not saying that that intersection is no worse, is worse than any other, but you have problems throughout the city, especially along Main Street and Mystic Avenue. It's the influx of cars. It's the discourteous drivers during peak times of the day. And doing something like this only causes people to pull maneuvers that they would otherwise not have to pull to make it right for themselves. And that speaks to this is not a safer way. You're just diverting the dangers to other places. You're not creating a safer space. That's just the logical way of looking at it. And I don't feel like there's been an increasing number of accidents at that intersection based on your dispatch log. Now, if there's some other way that you've gotten your numbers, I think your numbers were much more higher than that for Emerson Street. I don't know where you get it and the public doesn't. But that's... That's my homework. That's what I've done. It's not just a resident problem. It's a big resident problem, sure, but just a city problem. And then that is, oh, let me speak to the navigation part. When you turn on a navigation software, it takes you the shortest route. So if South Street is blocked up with cars, that becomes a red zone. and they're gonna tell you to go down Emerson Street because it's quicker. Now, programs like Waze, even Google, it's not one. Any kind of navigation app you have is going to tell you to go the shortest route. And again, this is a driver problem or a pedestrian problem because you've got people, like I said, if they're on two feet, two wheels, four wheels, it doesn't matter, they're people. And this is people making bad decisions. and not being courteous to one another. And of course, it's going to create a safety problem. So that's not something that we can control by any blockage lights or signs or anything. That's just going to keep happening. But what can happen, the most inexpensive and now thing to do at that corner is to put a physical person out there during peak hours to direct traffic. It's very simple. You have them at dig sites. You have them in front of schools. Why not just put them in these problem areas for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening and just make people stop and let people cross the street, let people get out, take their left turn, etc, etc. It's been done that way since cars were invented and cities were invented. Just have a traffic cop out there. That's all you have to do. That's all I have to say.
[Jack Buckley]: I appreciate your comments and the way you've placed it. I think Sgt. Craver has a comment on the statistics that we pulled.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Yeah, so Main and Emerson, for the CAD system, I'm assuming that these are the ones you're speaking of. The other CAD system, if you look through it, it's categorized as Main Street at Mystic or the fire station. So if you look through that, I went through those. And the reports were not categorized as an intersection through our CAT, in which, if you look in the reports, they state collision happened when they were coming out of Emerson Street. So we're able to dig and dive through those. So those numbers were different. And as you mentioned, there was one collision here since we have put these stanchions in. The one collision that we had here was because somebody was in the middle of the stanchions and tried to drive through them. that collision I don't think would categorize in the realm of.
[Jack Buckley]: And to, I mean, unmute him or? No. Again, it's not to make this a permanent solution. Let's make it a safe solution. And I understand the opinions of what would be safer, what not would be safer. But in our experience, this is what we do. including the traffic engineer's input, this would be the safest, most immediate action to take. And we did take into consideration the inconvenience to the residents, but there is avenues, and I'm repeating myself, I don't mean to sort of distress this, but I just, it's an attempt to answer some of those questions. Why don't we click the next public comment so we can get through, everyone gets a chance.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Elaine, I think it is, sorry.
[SPEAKER_14]: I lived on Thomas Street and owned on Thomas Street for 10 years. And the cutting off on South Street to 93 was a big problem because that's the first street you can go on to loop around. and everybody was confused and didn't know what they were doing. And now that this is also cut off, it's causing a huge problem because across the street from me is the Little Sprouts. And all those working people dropping off their kids in the morning are still very confused and will tend to leave the parking lot, and then Thomas Street, which is a one-way off of Main Street, will now take a left-hand turn and drive onto Main Street when we have a one-way. My sons almost got hit, and I could count at least three different times a day where people will go down the one-way because now they know they can't cut across the Emerson to Main Street to get onto 93. even now, you're still technically crossing both lanes of traffic. It's not really stopping much. And it's not that first left, the first right lane on Main Street, it's that second left lane where no one pays attention and they're just speeding by. It still causes a lot of issues in the morning hours with everyone dropping off their kids over there, coming down the one way. They've just tried to find different ways to get to 93 the fastest because they know they can't cut across now.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: So obviously with the Waze and traffic programs for directions, it takes a certain period of time for them to calculate that this is a non-allowed left turn. Just like Maine and South, it took a certain period of time for them to update their systems to recalculate them to another direction that wouldn't be the fastest route. We don't know exactly how long that may take. I can't give you the data on that.
[Jack Buckley]: I will say, and I appreciate your comments, I will say that that's the first I've heard about the Thomas Street, and they're taking that left-hand turn, but... Yeah, they do it all the time, coming out of that parking lot, in the morning especially. Okay, so we... And this is the reason they're here, that we have the two traffic sergeants who control enforcement and those, so they're hearing what you're saying as it relates to that, so I just wanted to address that specifically, but somewhat separately from... the point.
[SPEAKER_14]: Yeah and then again it does add a lot of morning commute minutes and it's terrible and again you're still technically crossing those two lanes and it's not the first lane that you're crossing it's that second lane that you're crossing that no one pays attention to and even if you do cut across those two lanes chances are the person in front of you is trying to bang a ue right in front of the police station or the fire station which you then again you have to come to slam to your brakes because You're not supposed to be left turning over there. And they do it anyways. So again, that causes backup, it causes everything and then it causes more traffic up Main Street and Mystic Ave.
[Jack Buckley]: I understood and thank you. And I love the colloquial, you can only get that in Boston. Thank you for the comments and the commissioners may have some ultimate questions later on afterwards. So just kind of hang on. Who's next? Jamie Storello. Mr. Storello, welcome.
[SPEAKER_17]: Yes, hi, thank you so much. I'm a lifelong resident of Metcalfe Street, and I just want to thank you all for trying to make our city safer and also considering the convenience of the people who live in the neighborhood. So thank you so much for that. What I found is that the dangerous part of going down Emerson Street and trying to take the left, and many people have said this, is the second lane. People are usually fairly courteous about eventually letting you out to the first lane. But then if you don't know any better and you go straight out into that second lane, you're going to get T-boned. So I was wondering if it's possible to have one of those large convex safety mirrors put up that would make it possible for both the people traveling down that lane and the people coming out of Emerson Street to be able to see those cars so they don't just pull out right in front of cars that are moving. I've also noticed that because of the restriction now, people are moving much faster down Main Street. And if you ever have to try to get onto Mystic Ave, it's still difficult to be able to see if somebody's coming. And people are just taking chances, kind of, you know, getting out as fast as they can. And that actually could be causing some of the accidents. I don't know a lot about these mirrors and whether or not they can be put up in a way that people would be able to see clearly and would be able to prevent accidents, but it's something I've thought about. I also think having the end of Emerson Street be a two-way has caused a lot of problems. Until recently, the dividing line wasn't a solid line and people would routinely be in the wrong lane coming out of there. Does anybody know anything about these mirrors and whether or not that's a potential solution?
[Jack Buckley]: So no one here is going to know enough about him, but I will take that idea and suggestion back to Todd Blake, the director of traffic and engineering. So I can't get you an answer right now, but it's something that I'll have him look at and interest. I will say, you know, one of the things that we looked at, and this is sort of to the comment of traffic is getting faster on Main Street. I mean, we've addressed this issue without the city for a number of different ways, including lowering the speed limit to 25 miles per hour. But during the commuting hours, especially like heading back, traveling this direction, you're heading towards, that is all backed up because of mostly, I think, Dunkin' Donuts, I don't want to blame, you know, that was what it's not, but it's constantly during rush hour backed up in those areas. And, you know, quite frankly, one of the things we're seeing is, again, it is, I agree to some extent that it is that second lane, but it's more than just a second lane because you're passing two lanes and then you have to enter in theory, a third or fourth lane of traffic, right? Because you have to get to the other side of the road. And when traffic is coming, it might be clear on the southbound Main Street side. So you race across and now you have to stop because you can't get into the northbound side of Main Street. And that is leading to a lot of the accidents also, right? So you're clear. It's kind of like Frogger, right? You made it halfway and then you have to stop and wait and somebody comes and it's that is causing the hits and the accidents that are occurring there. So I understand the concept of it's the first lane lets you go, and the second lane doesn't, but there's also the third lane that is coming into play with that. And that's just a comment on some of the suggestions. But as far as the mirror goes, I will pass it on to the engineering department to look at.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: To kind of second what the chief said, the second lane is definitely, in the majority that I've read for the comments The feedback that the officers have written back, the majority of them say the first lane allows them to come out. The second lane is when they are getting collided with, to agree with you, and to second what the chief has said, everyone has said, I assumed that they had let me go, so I looked over to the main or Mystics Ave side to come through. So they take their eyes off of Main Street. And then try and because they think they're allowed to go and then come out and then you try and get to the middle because they think it's only one person they have to get by. And that was the majority of the collisions we read through from the officers that were stating what these vehicle operators were saying about the collisions.
[Jack Buckley]: And I will say, at least I see two people who still with their hands up. They've already spoken, but I don't know if they want to re-speak, but I will add this. I mean, my decision, again, we have a traffic commission decision, then we have a chief of police decision. My job is to act with immediacy on public safety issues. And I have to come up with the best solution that we can come up. Now, the question was asked earlier, is it permanent? It's as permanent as we can until we can find a different solution or another solution. That's why we do hold the traffic commission and we can have people look at it. So I'm not here to tell you that this is going to be like this forever, but I am telling you that at least I'm not going to comment on that. It's my job to react to that and to prevent that. I do appreciate everyone's comments. I have to ask, are the hands left up because you want to comment again?
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: She's unmuted. That's the, uh, Elaine? Elaine.
[Jack Buckley]: That was Elaine.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Go ahead. I just have a quick suggestion.
[SPEAKER_14]: When traffic does get blocked up on Main Street, everyone does block that intersection. Could there possibly be a do not block intersection sign or, like, a big square, like, to say do not block street or intersection so when there is traffic, people can stop before the square and after the square so people driving off Emerson Street could cross because when there is traffic, people coming down Main Street will not let you out. They will still just block the intersection. So maybe that could also be a suggestion. Like, I do not block intersection when traffic does get blocked up to give you a chance to actually go across.
[Jack Buckley]: No, it's a good idea. We have used that in other places in the city. So there's a good suggestion to kind of think about it. And I love your audience back there. Hello.
[SPEAKER_14]: You know, Alexa, we got Dom over here too. Hello.
[Jack Buckley]: How are you?
[SPEAKER_14]: Say hi, Dom.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Oh, I muted them. Sorry, we muted you. You got unmuted, sorry.
[SPEAKER_21]: The same thing should be done on South Street, that you can't block that intersection either when you're coming through traffic from the square down Main Street, because you can't get off South Street anymore.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, the long-term solution to South Street is a full set of lights, right? And it's kind of like a super night.
[SPEAKER_21]: But honestly, how long has that been? I've lived on South Street for 30 years, and it's been talked about.
[Jack Buckley]: Correct, but we just got that plan put together, and I think they said it was three years, and we've done it for, it's been a year plus, so we can get updates on that, but ultimately, that will be the right solution, but you can't just put it there. It has to be, like, You can't put a red light or a green light going when it's not synced with everything up through the square, through the Mystic Gap extension. And that's part of the big project that we're talking about that is ultimately will one day make this whole corridor much safer. It's time, money, and it involves the state, right? So it's not just the city of Medford doing certain things. But thank you, I appreciate the comments. Janine, more comments? Yes. Unmute yourself, please.
[SPEAKER_16]: Thank you. I just want to urge the police and the commission that this should be a temporary solution. It should not be considered a permanent solution here at all. That there are alternatives, that you could use this as a temporary block off until you come up with a less restrictive measure at this instance.
[Jack Buckley]: If we can find a very safe alternative, we will find it. This is about safety again. And so I'm leaving that door open. I'm not saying no. And that's why I wanted to kind of clarify that permanent question. We are looking for long-term solutions and short-term solutions. But the number of accidents, the number of people getting hit, it's just starting to get out of control. That's our job. That's how we're supposed to react and deal with these things.
[SPEAKER_16]: And I'm sure you'll react very quickly because you're right there. And that's my final comment. Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, thank you. So I don't see any other public comments. I'm just gonna take a look around quick. All right, so we'll close that portion and turn it back to the commissioners. Chief.
[Tim McGivern]: Yes. So the mirror is typically a no-go. So that's not an approved traffic control device. So we wouldn't use the mirror idea. So anyway, there's that. And then also, too, I think it's important to mention again that this is a temporary solution. Whatever we end up doing here is temporary. Also, the discussion about lights at South and Main. That has been happening for a very long time. But actually, it's only been recently where the city has taken some initiative and action to get that ball rolling. And we actually have designs in the works. So it's coming. Sure, it's been a long time, talked about a long time, but it's only recently been really pushed forward. So there's that. We're still gonna have to wait a little bit longer, but it's moving. I will, you know, Because of all those things, it may be prudent I know you guys have already talked to Todd, but it may be a situation where we check in and again on this in three months because we heard some things from the residents that. could be looked into a little bit further about what this is doing to traffic in that immediate community. Are we causing problems that we may not realize until a little time goes by? So that could be a suggestion as we check in on this in three months, maybe try to collect some data. I'm not sure what data we can collect, but I'm sure Todd can help us with that.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep. No, I understood. Agreed. Thank you. Commissioner Brzezinski, Commissioner Hunt.
[Bob Dickinson]: I don't know. I like Tim's position on this. I mean, I think something's got to be done in the short term to stop these accidents or to see what's going to happen. I think everybody would admit that we just have way too much traffic coming through Medford, and I'm not sure where they're all going. And I know they're all looking at these side streets. And I do agree with the concept that we're just probably going to push the problem down the road. I think for now, pushing it down the road probably pushes it to a safer intersection. And I apologize for the inconvenience on that. But having all these intersections combined together in this area, something's got to give. So I'd support the motion to back what you've done.
[Jack Buckley]: And I do recognize, at least in policing, we often sit there and say, OK, let's solve this problem. And then you create another problem somewhere down the line, right? Here, though, I think we very clearly whatever the time frames are, as Commissioner McGiven has said, it is coming, it is coming soon, that a working set of lights at Main and South will change that whole area tremendously, right? And give people much better access to 93 and make it a lot safer, right? And so, and then we'll coordinate it with the whole corridor. So even though while we're trying to play and make everything safer here, there is a long-term solution that hopefully is coming sooner.
[Bob Dickinson]: I agree with that, but I think something, you know, you know, there's a lot of traffic still coming down Mystic toward the square. So, you know, whereas slow down the traffic coming from Medford Square this way, you know, I don't necessarily know that anything's being done to slow down the traffic coming from Mystic toward the square. And so if the people turning left on Emerson are still going to have to potentially, you know, fend off the people that are shooting down that way. You know, I still think it's going to be a problem. You know, I also still think in this town, we still have a speed problem. And again, I always encourage the police to get out there and see that we do have speed problems. And I know we're stretched thin and we're fighting a lot of fires. But I think in a lot of situations in this town, a bigger police presence, particularly during those busy times of the day, could probably escape off a lot of these problems.
[Jack Buckley]: Did my sergeants hear that?
[Bob Dickinson]: Because I agree with you, Mr. Brzezinski. You literally, all you have to do is walk outside and stand on the sidewalk. That's all you have to do. In this case, yes.
[Jack Buckley]: Commissioner Hottenleaf, was she present?
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm just quiet.
[Jack Buckley]: Oh, there you are. There you go. Any final comments before, and again, I mean, I've sort of made the decision on this one, right? So this is sort of a different sort of petition where the traffic commissioners have to either vote to approve what I've done and keep it up there or vote to anything else, right? Put it back the way it was, et cetera. So sort of a different sort of vote for you and it would fall on the three of your shoulders.
[Alicia Hunt]: Um, so I would say that without if. If our traffic director was saying that he disagreed with your decision, and then we had, you know, that might be a different situation, but whereas he feels that this is also the recommended action in the short term, and I do know, I say short term, but I, and I agree with Commissioner McGivern that we could look at this in a couple of months and just see, like, did something, did we make other unintended consequences? Because there are always unintended consequences with traffic. But I I think that this is a medium-term solution, because three months, we can look and see if there are unintended consequences. But it's going to be, and we're going to reach out to MassDOT for an update on, and it's possible, honestly, that Todd has an update on the MassDOT project, and I just, I'm not aware of it. So I'm going to reach out to Todd and then the MassDOT for an update on the Main and South project. because that is a couple of years project. I did quickly put my fingers on their MassDOT project page and it's funded. They're expecting the intersection just to give this some levels of orders of magnitude, this to be almost a $5 million project to redo this. I think it's a $9 million project and they're expecting construction to start in the spring of 2026. public friendly. I'm having trouble parsing what this says, but it looks like it's eight and a half million dollars estimated construction costs and that they're looking to start construction in spring of 2026. So we need stuff to keep this safe until that project kicks in.
[Jack Buckley]: I appreciate that whatever the commission votes tonight, that it will include a continued monitoring of this situation.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: We do have a speed radar so we can look at data. We have a speed radar unit that's on Emerson Street, and we're able to kind of calculate how many vehicles have traveled from October 19th, which is when the street the left turn so we can print that out and I'll be sure to share that with the public and we can kind of let the data know of how many vehicles are traveling on the street. That may be helpful. So when maybe we'll know if the ways and other directional services for GPS may kick in that they aren't allowing people to go down there. We have received emails from residents of Emerson Street that aren't on here that say that the number of people traveling down Emerson Street obviously is drastically less now that they can't take a lift.
[Jack Buckley]: So it's up to commissioners now. I guess it would be a vote, or the motion would be either to approve the no left turn on Emerson to Maine or to deny the no left turn, which would put things back to normal. So having it be my decision to make, I leave it to the commissioners.
[Bob Dickinson]: I'll speak up I support Tim's motion to approve what you've done, but I would like to revisit it in a few months just to kind of see you know what the effects were. So I probably motion motion to approve with a visitation on this after the after the holidays.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, and I'll take that to also include which would include our monitoring because we're not going to revisit without monitoring.
[Bob Dickinson]: So, yeah, I mean, any data that would help people understand that we really did end up fixing a problem or if we didn't fix a problem that could clearly see that we didn't really fix a problem.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah, Steve, can I add on to that? Just maybe we can get a memorandum from traffic engineer director Blake. and I don't think it warrants a full study, especially the temporary nature. The final solution does warrant a full study, and that's what we're gonna get. And then I'd also like to add that the data should be advised, the data that we collect in the next three months should be advised by Director Blake as well. I don't know if folks wanna chime in.
[Bob Dickinson]: Do we have a meeting next month? I forgot. Yes. You know, even if we give Todd a chance to speak next month, I mean, I'd even motion to approve this at least for one month, so Todd could actually come in and actually get his thoughts on it. I appreciated the correspondency sent, but I appreciate also his input to the citizens to actually see what his thoughts are on the situation, too. But I agree with Elyse's perspective, too. We can't ignore this. I'd like to put something in, even if it's for one month or three months.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so 1 of 3 months, I mean. We can have Commissioner Blake and we can open here next month.
[Bob Dickinson]: So, yeah, we can, we can stay with 3 months as I originally motion, but if someone could speak with Todd about, you know, we'd love, I'd love to hear his thoughts on this next month when we meet.
[Jack Buckley]: have a motion to approve monitor and revisit after three months and to have director Blake speak at the December traffic commission meeting to further his
[Tim McGivern]: I'll second that. I think Mr. Blake's time here will be valuable, especially if there are folks here with burning questions. He'll be able to address them in a technical nature.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so seconded by Commissioner McGiven. I'll have a roll call.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: I'll abstain because it was my decision and I believe the traffic commission has to vote to support or deny my opinion. To those that came here in the public, I do appreciate you coming here. I just want you to understand that it is a The decision is made by safety, but please show up next month. We'll have the date posted, and Director Blake, who's the traffic engineer, can actually address some of these specific questions and problems for all of us. So thank you for your participation. 2023-50, removal and redistribution of the handicapped spaces on the Yale Street blocks. Can you... Actually, Alicia, do you have the... Commissioner Hunt, do you have the... Is the plan that Todd put together or do we have it on the manual? I have it on the manual as well.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: Chief, I can read his answer to this if you would like. I recommend approval. This is from Todd Blake. Recommended approval of the proposed removal of the two accessible parking spaces and reallocation of the two accessible parking spaces per the graphic and marking plan previously provided. The relocated spaces will be better placed to provide safe, accessible access directly to the public sidewalk on Yale Street. The removal is supported and balanced by the addition of two accessible spaces on Main Street at last month's Traffic Commission meeting. The parking lot still meets the minimum required number of accessible parking spaces too for a public parking lot containing between 26 and 50 parking spaces.
[Alicia Hunt]: do you want me to share the image do you have it there do you have the image that director Blake put together Alicia yes let's share that yeah so it's a little bit it's gonna be a little easier this is what you're asking right yes correct yep okay so start with this one for summary this is the orientation or which do you want?
[Jack Buckley]: The orientation one is fine, but let's start with that one. Because last month, we added two additional handicapped parking spots out on Main Street. The lot was designed and was able to be sort of an overflow for business parking, and it had four handicapped accessible spots. We decided and elected to move two of them out onto Main Street. Now the petition, if you want to go to the Yield Street lot, the red dots represent the current location. Two of them we're stating can be removed because we moved them closer to the square. The other two, it's being suggested that we move them to where the two blue dots are. And the reason for that is, if you could see that where the marking is, that is all designed as ADA accessible and is probably should have been the original and appropriate spots for the handicapped parking spots. So two is the appropriate number by state law. In addition, we added two out to Main Street. The four red dots would represent what is currently there and what would be repainted to be provided additional regular parking. So commissioners see that, understand that, have questions, concerns.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, I'd like to add that when I looked at this at street view as well, what I could see is that this white concrete island here with the striping appeared to be flush with the ground so that this would be an easy roll-on. Anybody getting out of a handicapped spot would come onto this automatically and roll right out to the sidewalk. It appears to have originally been designed as handicapped parking. Based on some emails received and some general information, I suspect that the reason for putting two down at this further end, closer to Main Street, was to make it easier for people visiting the businesses. But as you mentioned, we've now put handicapped spots out in Main Street. There was a request to keep the handicapped spots at this end, one of them for this condo association, but I note that this yellow line, this is actually a tall white fence. If somebody were to park in this spot back here, they actually then have to come through the drive aisle to the sidewalk, and then they can come around and come back to the condo over here, but they can't just cut through here. because there's a large white fence here. Even if they parked here or here, they still have to come out and around, and so this is a safer. I see that we would also be gaining some additional space. The net result is that we'd end up with more parking spots. I don't know how to explain this, but we would lose, we had 40 and we would actually end up with 41 parking spots after removing these for the EV parking. That's correct. We had 40 spots, including these three being used for EV. These three that are being removed and made EV only, we would have a net number of 41 regular spots in this lot.
[Jack Buckley]: The only other thing I'd point out, you may have said it, but when you talked about this concrete between the two blue dots, that is, it is level and it is accessible to the sidewalk. So if somebody was getting out of a vehicle and whether it was a wheelchair or some other assisted, they have direct access to the public sidewalks as opposed to walking through driveways and to the parking lot. So my gut is that that is probably what they intended originally and it just, but there's a crosswalk. For some reason, it didn't happen. Yeah, it is a crosswalk at the end of the access there, so you can see it on Yale Street. It also leads directly to a crosswalk. So that is what the proposed plan is. It's the same amount of HP parking spots, two of them put closer to the business district, which is very helpful, and two of them will remain compliant with my state law, but asked to be moved here And then the four red dots would be removed. So additional comments or questions?
[Tim McGivern]: This is where those handicapped spots were supposed to be. And this new location would be the location per code from my understanding of it. And I've been dealing with this stuff for a while. The locations that are proposed are the correct locations for handicapped spots in a public parking lot.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, understood. With the exception, just to clarify, the red dots exist currently as handicapped spots.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah, those those are incorrect.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep. Public comment at all. Can you open it up? Is there any public comment for the Yale Street lot? I would.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Hold your hand or. Yes.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, our Director of Diversity and Inclusion had some comments in the chat. I don't know, Director Nwaje, if you wanted to say anything on this matter. You don't need to.
[Frances Nwajei]: No, just as the ADA coordinator, just saying that the blue dots are up to code more than the orange dots that are going to be going away. So this keeps the city compliant.
[Alicia Hunt]: Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you very much for that comment. I guess that is very important, right? They are ADA compliant if we move them over there, but more up to code. So thank you for that. Okay, seeing no public comment.
[Alicia Hunt]: Move approval.
[Jack Buckley]: Second. Okay, on the motion of Commissioner Hunt, seconded by Commissioner McGiven, have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: I have a motion to approve the parking on Hillsdale Ave. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Bob Dickinson]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. before you get to Hillside. I think that the curb was colored yellow to a certain extent, but the yellow has faded. I don't believe that the space has been marked, but I do believe that there is a parking meter there. The issue is when you come down Hillside or for the trucks coming out of CVS, out of the back of the parking lot onto Hillside, there's a strong potential that someone, so it'd be on the other side of the street, right there, right there behind that Mercedes. Right there, okay, yep. Yeah, so this is a huge intersection where parking is at a premium, so I don't really wanna get rid of the space if it truly is designated a space, but I don't, I don't know if we could make it more of a compact space. I would, though, love to see the paint marking be a little clearer for that spot or the portion of the street that is not subject to being parked in, because I think sometimes when people, because usually the people that I see who come into it, are coming up High Street and then just see it and kind of, you know, almost like a NASCAR pit, they just kind of whip into it. And so I don't necessarily think they pay too much attention to what part of their car is sticking out. I mean, we do have some people, I think a lot of times they're just people either A, attending a funeral or B, trying to quickly run into the library that, you know, may actually park where they're definitely not supposed to park. I do notice sometimes when a car is in a certain position at that spot, coming down hillside, and it's not just me who lives up on that way, but it's people coming out of the library, out of the library parking lot. If the car is too far back, you do end up having to go into, I guess that would be the eastbound side of High Street to get around the back of the vehicles. I think it got phrased as more of like an elimination of a spot, which I'm not eliminating it, but I would like it better drawn in as to what portion of that part of the street is actually for parking and what's not.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you, Commissioner Buszynski. I want to say we dealt with this already before and we took something like 20 feet on each corner I think that would take a little bit of research to go back, because I can't remember if we did that before the library or that a lot of change with the library. But it doesn't preclude us from taking a vote here today and making that. It's definitely a visual safety issue, right? You come down the street and you're blocked out in several aspects of it.
[Bob Dickinson]: Commissioner McIntyre? And again, I think one last thing, and I'll be quiet, was I don't necessarily think I'm looking to kind of vote on this. Maybe it's more for like a Todd or a Tim thing to look into, you look it's faded at that point but if this were a close-up of the corner um the corner on high street that actually is the library it is yellow you just can't see it you have to look closely to see that it's yellow so and then behind the vehicle is not that um i guess the l or the angle that you would normally see to designate like where the rear of the car would stop the one in front of the mercedes actually is a corner. It's not that typical T. And I don't think they're drawn in on these older pictures. But the one behind where that car was, there isn't one. And in front of it, in the spot in front of that Mercedes, where that Mercedes is located, it actually is like the corner. It's not like a T, like you would normally see to designate that there's another spot there. And then where the drain is right there, that's the kind of space where we get the parkers who, and we get two types. We get A, the person in that spot who just doesn't pull all the way forward, or B, you get the people who think that's a spot or they're just running quickly into the library or their funeral that parked illegally in that spot. It's not yellow on that, but I think if I were to walk down there now, it actually would be a faint yellow there. Again, I, you know, I think it was more just kind of a clarification for us to talk about. I don't know if Alex can actually kind of go by there and take a look at it and see how we can better designate where the. where the spot stops and what is not available.
[Jack Buckley]: Commissioner McGiven, comments, questions? We do have 20 feet of all sort of corners and intersections. It just gets a lot more difficult when you get into the square, right, where it's really heavy and busy.
[Alicia Hunt]: Yeah, so chief something that I think, if I understand remember correctly, we now have parking meters at this location. And I think it'd be really, really helpful for us to understand. Is there, in fact, a parking meter that's too close to the corner, or at this point, or is actually the problem better now that the parking meters are there. and do we actually need, I hate to say it, but L's and T's painted to show where your last car is supposed to be, and if it was painted in the right place, then we would have better lines.
[Bob Dickinson]: I can add to that. There is a meter there. There is a meter, but there is not the L to show. Again, the space in front of it is an L, not a T, and there is no L behind that spot. But I didn't think there was a meter when I first asked Alva to put it on the agenda, but I do believe there, in fact, is a meter there.
[Jack Buckley]: There's just no delineation as to where the spot is. Commissioner McGiven, let me ask you a question. I actually really like the idea in this area here of the L's and T's and marking off those spaces because we added handicap parking up above. It would really delineate where you're supposed to park. And in theory, we could kind of hash mark out that corner to make it very clear that, is that something that's, that's just how many spots you're gonna lose? Yeah, there's a couple of things. How many spots are there?
[Bob Dickinson]: Yeah, you should should just be one spot because you get into that and then Tim's brought it up. Sometimes there's a 20 feet. me feet from the intersection. So there should be one spot. You're not going to lose a spot.
[Tim McGivern]: I'm going to clear the air here a little bit. So the meters went in before the striping was settled and the design of the striping. So we're in a little of the car before the horse type thing. I do believe you're correct. There's a meter there, but we have an L indicating the end of the space row before that. This is one of the issues that has arisen recently. So with that said, I think it should be referred to engineering for a recommendation for the DPW to take action. So whether that's drawing and making that L a T and adding an L if there's room for a space, or changing, you know, removing the meter, basically, if there's not really a space there. So there was an attempt to relay out this stretch of parking. But with the meters there, you know, we want to try to work with the current meter locations. So that kind of is a summary of the issue. And like I said, I think that my recommendation here is to request a report from engineering on a recommendation.
[Jack Buckley]: Commissioner Bezinski, it sounds like that's something you'd be amenable to based on your previous comments.
[Bob Dickinson]: Absolutely. This is not something I want to hang on the table items forever. It would be more just to figure out, again, I agree now, again, when I sent the request to Alpha, I didn't think so. But there is a meter there. And again, this is a You know, the church being right there, and then the library being right there, I really don't want a motion to remove a spot in here. I think it's just better to kind of clarify where the spot starts, where it ends, and then to, you know, if it's not too much resource on the city, to kind of designate where that 20 feet area is to not pull into it. So that's all. If we table it for like a month, just because I don't want it to be something that dies.
[Jack Buckley]: If we could table it, we could just motion to refer it to engineering.
[Bob Dickinson]: I'd support that motion to refer if I can vote to brought it up. A motion to refer is something I would.
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah, it's a conflict, so we can just take action on it. And there's only a certain amount of room there for a certain amount of spaces. So we have to just fit what's there. It's a main drag, so we do L's and T's on the business districts and the main drags. So we can just do what needs to get done. So I'll second that motion.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, I believe it was your motion, so on the motion of Commissioner McGiven to refer to engineering for a solution, can I get a second? I thought it was the, okay. Seconded by Commissioner Hunt. I'll roll call.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt?
[Bob Dickinson]: Commissioner Hunt?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes, sorry, yes.
[Bob Dickinson]: Commissioner Brzezinski? One point of order, can I vote on this one?
[Jack Buckley]: You can vote because you have the right to put something on the traffic commission, but you can also have a very good idea of my decision, so either way. Yes. Chief Buckley. Yes, for nothing approved for 2023-51 to be referred to traffic engineering. 2023-52, no parking anytime, tow zone, Willis Ave, from Congress to Alexander Ave, east side, even numbers.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: Chief, after I've received numerous complaints on speed on Willis Ave, near collisions on Willis Ave, I spoke to Director Blake on this. From Harvard Ave to Hicks Ave. Harvard Street. Harvard Street to Hicks Ave, every block is alternating traffic, either on the east or the west side, except from Alexander to Congress. By diverting the traffic on each side will slow the motor vehicles down. So the recommendation would be no parking on the east side between Alexander and Congress, which will coincide with every other block on Willis Ave in this area.
[Jack Buckley]: You continue that pattern all the way forward. I'm just waiting for it to get brought up on the screen to show just be the one block area, right? Yes.
[Alicia Hunt]: As you're bringing that up, are you saying that the problem is people going too fast, so we're going to remove some of the parking? Correct.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: So the parking is going to be on different sides as you go down Willis Ave. That will slow the traffic down. This is the one you said you want for November.
[Alicia Hunt]: Is the parking on both sides right now or it's just on the one side?
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: No. It alternates or there is no parking whatsoever on both sides. But in this area, this stretch, there's parking on both sides.
[Alicia Hunt]: Wouldn't that encourage people to go faster if there's Fewer vehicles parked on the street.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: Oh, we want to see behind you because the next block, the cars are going to be in front of them. Then there'll be an open space and that'll be in front of them again. So they're going to have to zigzag down the street.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right?
[Jack Buckley]: which will slow them down. Todd often refers to that as the slalom pattern of In-N-Out traffic. It helps, it's a traffic calming measure to some degree as opposed to the speed. You can see it's, Willstab is a two-way street, right? And so the parking lot is very, very tight in that area. I'll just go down the street so we can see the whole length of it to Alexander.
[Alicia Hunt]: I was just reading Director Blake's comment.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: That's the other way. That's it.
[Jack Buckley]: That's it. So it'd be from there to right there. That's Alexander, so it would be the one up the upper end of that. And Director Blake's comments, once you reference them. recommended approval, improved safety. Side chosen to be restricted seems to support with the existing usages in that area. All other blocks from Harvard to Hicks are already restricted to one-sided parking or no parking on both sides. And that's what Sergeant Rochester spoke to. I do believe we have at least one public comment. I can get to that if you would like to hear from the public. Can you ask Mr. Chong to unmute?
[Michael Chon]: Hi. Hi, this is my first traffic commission meeting. So, well, welcome. Thanks for coming. So I have a, so I live on Wells Ave and I have a front seat view to the traffic patterns in this area. And one thing, so I'm understanding the motivation behind the new traffic or the new parking guidelines. May I suggest that, at least for the portion of Willis between Bonner and Congress or Bonner and Mayberry, that the street parking could actually be on the other side? In part because given the direction of flow of these one-way streets, some of the turns are a little bit difficult to see with the cars in the way. And so I see often here that with the cars rolling up to Bonner and cars on Bonner trying to take a left onto Willis, they make really wide turns and nearly hit the cars on Willis. Does that make sense? It does make sense. And similarly, on Maybury, which is, I think, west, so the other direction. Yep. Almost there, yeah. Right up there. That car making that left right there, that's actually a very difficult turn to make with all the cars at that intersection. It's very difficult to see the cars come in and both as a, I'm primarily a bicycle commuter. I'm trying to take a left onto Willis from there. I nearly get hit at least once a month taking a left there because it's so difficult to see past the cars. And so I'm wondering if there is some kind of, a little bit more tweaking to the parking Guidelines here to aid in visibility, especially because it's between Bonner and. I'd say almost down to Hicks, there are no stop signs. So as soon as someone passes Bonner, they gun it down the street and similarly from Hicks to Bonner. They're kind of thinking this is they don't really think about cars trying to merge onto Willis. And so I'm hoping. I am totally on board with your goal to calm the traffic here. I also think it would be helpful for a little bit more visibility because at the moment that little section is unrestricted.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so, I mean, thank you for those comments. Again, so here's, it's an interesting scenario. It's not directly to the petition, but it is a comment on the whole pattern, which I'm not so sure we could approve tonight, but we could definitely take a look at, because you made sense, and it is something I think we should look at. But let me move on to a few more. Actually, Commissioner Hunt, and then we'll go back to public comment.
[Alicia Hunt]: So chief I just wanted to again, this is clear, I think clarifying the request because when I look at the map. This Congress and Alexander are three streets apart. So, this would be. preventing all the parking on one side for what looks to me like three full blocks on the same side the way this petition is written. But that's not how you described it. You described it as alternating every other block. And so I am confused by what's the words in the petition. Was there a map or something that I missed that went along with this? I was just looking at an overhead view of the street grid. And I see Congress, followed by Mayberry, followed by Bonner, and then Alexander. So that's three blocks.
[Jack Buckley]: It is three blocks that address, well, four also with Willard, right? So Alexander to essentially Willard and Congress are the same.
[Alicia Hunt]: If we actually put the parking on, and I'm sorry, I don't know which side is which at this point, between Mayberry and Bonner on one side and between Mayberry and Congress on the other side, is that addressing what this resident was saying and actually has more every otherness going on? Do you wanna look at it from up above?
[Jack Buckley]: I just wanna see where the parking restrictions are here.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: I don't believe there were any chief, the parking restrictions would be further down at the bend where there's no parking on either side. So this is interesting because I don't believe you can park here.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Technically it's not posted though, I don't see it posted there.
[Jack Buckley]: And then you see how it switches up here, everyone's on the left-hand side.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: There's no parking on the other side.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, and it's posted, right? It says no parking. But if you go back here, they're all parking on one side.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Oh, that side's okay to park.
[Jack Buckley]: Well, but it's not posted, though.
[Alicia Hunt]: It's the public norm, probably. And that block there where he's saying if we could make them park on the other side, make them park where that street sweeping sign is across the street.
[Jack Buckley]: Maybe it's just this view. Maybe people are parking on it and other dates, but we don't see it. Change some dates here and see if it's... Oh, that's clear. 2016, you gotta live and let us out.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Let's go on date by date and see that this... Either way, the cover.
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, I believe Jim Silva has the rendering of this. Okay.
[Jack Buckley]: You get Jim Silva to share his screen with us? We're just gonna get him all out on the share screen.
[Alicia Hunt]: For the members of the public, this is another member of the city staff.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: I made you a co-host so you can share your screen now. Jim, did you just unmute? Yeah.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Oh.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Jim, you're also unmuted, so if you want to speak on this, you're more than happy to.
[Jim Silva]: One sec, sorry. It's okay. Can you hear me? Yeah, we can. Okay. Basically, this is what exists now. The red is already posted no parking, so between Harvard and Alexander, and between Wright Ave and Harvard Street. I think we're going to Alexander and to Congress. So there is no rendering as far as side by side. It's just this is just actually showing that parking is available on both sides of the street, which is creating a safety issue, obviously.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, so I think, in my opinion, and I don't know if this would change the proposal, I think Jim may have more information than I do, or whether we have to get more from the public, what if where the yellow arrow is from Alexander to Bonner, we say that's no parking, you have to park on the green side, right, so that makes the alternate, but then on the block that is Bonner to Congress, put either on that whole side, put the parking on the side where the yellow arrow is, allow the parking there, but not on its opposite side where there's just the green arrow. And that would actually cause more slalom-like, or go half that block from Bonner to, I think it's Mayberry, and then on one side, right? To just make it more of a slalom effect. I've driven this many times in the recent past myself and felt that it was not wonderful. And that way, also, if there's a publicness, most people park on one side, but sometimes people park on the other and make the street too narrow. This could actually help guide newer residents about where they should be parking. And I think that we have some comments from the public. And I would just like to say for the public that we cannot take as public testimony comments in the chat. If you want to raise your hand, we can hear you. If for some reason you are unable to speak, then you can say that in the chat and a member of the commission can read your comment out loud for you. Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Let's go to public speaking and raising hand. I know Ron had a comment. Mr. Walls, you had a comment in the chat. Would you like to speak? We can ask you to unmute. Actually, Pam. Oh, Pam. Pam's first. Pam, can you unmute? There you go. Welcome. Comments, please? Pam, you're live, so if you want to comment, you have your hand up.
[SPEAKER_01]: Yes, I thank you for your time tonight. I know you've gone way over so I appreciate your attention to this matter. I live on will it have, and it's more of a conversation where I agree with everyone this is a dangerous. This is, this is a dangerous street. I really do recommend that you don't stop at Alexander I think you go all the way to Harvard because what's happening is because of the streetlight on Harvard, they will block every street from Harvard, all the way down to Congress apps. And if you have two sided parking on each side of the street. Yesterday morning, I was heading to work. I had a school bus heading north and a school bus heading south on Willis Ave. And they're stuck. They can't move. They're tandem maneuvering left and right and left and right. And it's not just the school buses. It's the residents as well. Because of the street light on Harvard, I would express that. you may consider making it not just from Congress to Alexander, but to make it to Harvard Street. Because what they do is they block the intersections of Alexander, Bonner, and Congress, waiting for the green light to turn on Harvard Street. So then all those other streets, side streets, back up. And what happens is, you know, it's, I mean, I can always take a shortcut, but my point being is it's becoming a real problem. The three residence houses that live between Bonner and Alexander, they're single family homes. Yet I drove by there this morning and I drove by there this evening. Four cars parked on the east side this morning, three cars parked on the east side this evening. two cars parked on the west side. So if you're driving down this street at any point, how could you possibly pass through? And what happens is, You can't move anywhere. If you're blocking every intersection, waiting for that traffic light on Harvard Street, no one's moving. You have constant backups on Willis Ave because everybody's avoiding Main Street, thinking they can take a shortcut on Willis Ave to get to where they're going. And what happens is everything just gets bogged down. I really would just like to suggest that you would consider making this change to block the east side parking, not just to not just from Congress to Alexander but to just reach out to those three houses on the east side, and just to say no, no, no parking right to have it straight. It's really Alexander to Harvard, the parking in between the east side and the west side that are causing the most traffic issues. The parking between Congress and Alexander, I'm sorry, even Bonner and Alexander, That happens randomly, but if you take away those three houses that all have single family homes that have driveways, why are they parking four or five cars on the street on the east side? So all I'd like to say is please consider reaching out a little further to Harvard Street.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, and just to be clear, from Alexander to Harvard is parking on one side right now, and what you're suggesting is there needs to be no parking in that whole block.
[SPEAKER_01]: There should be no parking on the east side. If you drive down the street right now, you'll probably find three, four, five cars on the east side of that little stop. There's no parking on the west side.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Yeah, okay. It's restricted.
[SPEAKER_01]: There's parking on the west side, too.
[Jack Buckley]: No, there ain't. No, there isn't. No.
[SPEAKER_01]: No, no.
[Jack Buckley]: There shouldn't be. It's restricted.
[SPEAKER_01]: But there is. You know, I expressed my concern originally to Rihanna because I've witnessed the school buses having enormous trouble navigating the children back and forth to school. It's not just that, it's just talk about the residents of the neighborhood too. The people that are bypassing Main Street to go on to Willis Ave to get home, they're probably not even living in Medford. I mean, they're probably just saying Main Street's backed up. several miles I'm going to cut over to Willis Ave and what happens is because they're parking on both sides you just can't you can't navigate through and all of the other intersections west to east but they're not moving either it's it's a situation.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay well thank you for your comments I want to get to a few other public comments uh Commissioner Brzezinski you've had your hand up I just uh
[Bob Dickinson]: So one of the points that Alicia made, that stretch between Congress and Bonner, there seems to be a handicap spot at 183. Just if we do make some sort of other change other than what was recommended, I don't know if it's worth or if we need to actually visit with that person on how that affects their handicapped spot.
[Jack Buckley]: public comments before I'm just kind of confused why we're asking for this one section and not addressing the whole area but let's go to John public comments and see either can everybody hear me okay yes please welcome
[SPEAKER_18]: Thank you. So, yeah, I'd like to agree with Pam's comment. I live between on Willis between Bonner and Alexander, and I do agree people tend to park on both the eastern and western side all the time. So, like, weekends, weekdays, what have you. And I think the issue is that there's a lot of renters or people that live on Alexander that like to park on this street because there's no restrictions to parking, and they walk to their homes since there's not enough parking along Alexander. And just for me, I constantly park in my driveway, and I'm always having issues leaving the house in the morning to go to work because people are parked on both sides, if you can imagine, on the eastern side and western. So in order to get out, it's very little room to operate. In addition, you have people coming from both sides of Willis Street, and they're typically in a hurry, so there's very little I guess, room to move around. And we've seen a lot of accidents as well at the intersection of Bonner and Willis, or near accidents, a lot of honking. And I have observed some police cars just kind of posted there observing. So I do appreciate that very much. But yeah, I do agree with Pam that there is a constant issue here because the funneling of having cars parked on both sides causes basically one-way traffic, and you're Constantly met with people having to let each other go, which is backing up the traffic from both ends. So, yeah, thank you for for your time.
[Jack Buckley]: No, yeah, thank you for your comments and your participation. Mr. Sean, you have additional comment. I know you spoke earlier, but we want to kind of. I do, thank you.
[Michael Chon]: I think everybody here makes some really excellent points. I do want to bring up an additional. Detail that. In the block between, or I guess, surrounded by Bonner, Willis, and a little bit further south, it is Medford Housing Association? Yes. And a significant portion of those residents park along Bonner. And so what happens sometimes, especially during street sweeping or snow emergencies, is that those residents have to find overflow parking somewhere else. And that's when I see the biggest traffic jams on Willis, because residents who typically do not park on Willis have to find some kind of overflow parking. This happened when there was construction along Bonner, I think, due to the gas line. A number of my neighbors had to park along Willis, and I think even one of my neighbors got side-swiped. because of how tight it is. You know, I think this is a, everyone can agree, this is a very difficult parking and traffic situation. It's right off the exit of 93. You know, we are at the, this is the first block from Mystic Ave into Somerville and I'd say even parts of Cambridge. And so there is just a lot of traffic here and the infrastructure is not really set up to handle that kind of traffic flow. And so, I don't know, I would love for there to be some way for us to accommodate everyone. I understand right now safety is the first priority. I also do have to make a comment that because of how busy Willis is, it's actually not safe, it's not very safe to cross Willis. Cars are quite aggressive, especially during rush hour. Kind of like anecdotally, Halloween night, I don't see any kids in this area because of how much traffic there is. And, you know, these are a lot of, I mean, you have the entire Bedford housing authority. There's a lot of single family homes. There are a lot of fairly young families in this area. And I don't see any of that kind of foot traffic except basically along Willis on one side of the road. It's very difficult to kind of cross Willis at all.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you for those comments. So I see John's hand raised but he just spoke. Do you have an additional comment?
[Alicia Hunt]: Chief, Ron Wallace said in chat that he would like to speak. I don't think he knows how to raise his hand.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, we'll get to Ron. Thank you, John. Mr. Wallace. I'm on mute. Welcome.
[SPEAKER_03]: Good, good. Thank you. First of all, I mean, I lived in Mecklenburg. I'm sure my age, 68 years. And I've lived in this part of Medford for 63 years. The issues on Willis Ave that I observe is taking a left, far right, on Bonner Ave to Willis Ave. It's almost impossible because cars park on the east side of the street and the west side of the street. I've seen traffic jams probably all the way up past Ellis Ave, which is ridiculous. Coming down Mayberry Ave, taking a left or a right, I've seen six or seven cars backed up, waiting to take a left or a right. And Pim had a good point about all the way to Harvard Street. I mean, if I want to take a right on Harvard Street, and matter of fact, you can take a right on red there, it's almost impossible because there's always somebody parked on the east side there. And if somebody tries to take a left off of Harvard Street to Willis Ave, You know, it's like one lane. I mean, I don't know when, it's almost impossible. So I think the only way to avoid this, and I firmly believe it's not gonna create problems with people speeding, people speed all over Massachusetts, and it's unfortunate. If they, from Congress Street all the way up to Harvard Street, On the east side, if they make that a no-parking zone, I think that the traffic will flow much better.
[Jack Buckley]: I thank you for your comments and your participation. I agree. To the commissioners, this was sort of interesting, right? So we have a petition before us for a block or two, maybe even three, to control parking, to get it into conformity. But what we're hearing from the residents In some senses, they all agree, but they need a more holistic approach to it, that the whole area needs to be addressed. And I don't know if anyone can speak to why we're just addressing this one section, maybe because it's both-sided parking, or if the commissioners want to deal with the petition and then suggest that we do an engineering study on the whole street and get some resolutions to it. But I turn it back to the commissioners for their thoughts and comments.
[Bob Dickinson]: I have a comment. Was everyone affected by this notified? Do we have documents to show that all the houses that empty out onto Willis in this stretch were notified of our vote tonight?
[Alicia Hunt]: We didn't do a mailing, right? Did you do a robocall for this?
[Jack Buckley]: Robocalls for the entire area, yes. I believe Director Blake did the robocalls, right? Or had them directed to people? Yeah, Emma.
[Alicia Hunt]: If anybody did not receive the robocall, I'm going to, again, put the information. Please make sure you have your address in the city's remote robocall information because we use it for emergencies that are location-based. I'll put it in the chat again. And if you don't get regular calls from the mayor about things going on in the city, that's what I'm talking about. If you do, but you didn't get this, it means we don't have your address, and this was a location-based alert.
[Jack Buckley]: So that's the extent of the notification, Commissioner Brzezinski. It seems like I mean, listen to the residents that more needs to be done rather than.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, I'm just concerned is that there are residents who didn't get the message who are going to be impacted and if we expand the area. If we so I'm all in favor of can we do the area that we noticed now in order to expand the area is it really truly fair to those residents who thought that their street wasn't impacted and then. So they didn't show up tonight and then we change the parking on their street with no notice because what they were it's sort of like when when we go to change. we go to change zoning if we we post this is what we're going to do and if now we're going to do bigger then we have to repost it again because it's it's more dramatic than what we intended to do and people didn't know that they needed to show up and say something.
[Jack Buckley]: I absolutely agree with that comment and I absolutely think that we should hear from Commissioner Blake as to the whole concept of the area the streets have been put back and so I know it seems like this needs to be tabled. I guess the only question would be, do you want to deal with that small area and then have a larger project addressed as soon as possible related to the rest of us in Congress?
[Alicia Hunt]: My only concern with addressing the small area is that I think which side is no parking could shift as we do that. Like I would like to make, so we were asked to make three, essentially three blocks no parking on the same side. My preference would be to alternate those three blocks. And could we do that right now? I don't know if the other commissioners agree with me on that. I'm a little hesitant to say, let's post that whole stretch, no parking on one side, because I think that'll turn that stretch into a raceway.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah. Commissioner McGibbon, thoughts, comments, give me the opportunity.
[Alicia Hunt]: He may have had to step away for a minute. He had a conflicting meeting. I'm going to need to go to City Council soon.
[Jack Buckley]: The other side of the coin is, you know, I do think if we are going to address the whole of that's not going to be done tomorrow or the next day. And maybe approving the petition would allow some relief to the area while we do a longer term study. Just another thought of process of looking at it, right? So we're putting in some, we're addressing the petition and the fact that it comes from the director of engineering, that carries a little bit of weight with it with me. And then I'm sure he's thought about the longer term, but I think we do need to have a look at that and have some addressed. So would there be much harm in approving this measure now with the understanding that we're gonna be looking at it? And yeah, I guess potentially it could change, right? We could be switching sides, but it would be a little bit down the road after we took time to study it all.
[Bob Dickinson]: I mean, I think I would support that. I think it's a good place to start. I just don't want it to die here, because it sounds like it's a larger problem. And as I mentioned earlier, if we go with what Alicia was saying, where it's like a slalom back and forth at 183, well, someone's going to lose their handicapped space. So I would encourage us to look into that space and see what happens. Again, if we do go with the slalom effect on that section.
[Jack Buckley]: I mean, in a minimum, we deal with the immediacy, and we ask Director Blake to take a holistic approach to Willis-Avon and come back with some recommendations to the Traffic Commission.
[Bob Dickinson]: I would support that. Again, I think we're in a little disservice tonight not having Todd here. But if we can start the process today, I would support that measure.
[Jack Buckley]: All right. Do you support it enough to make a motion?
[Bob Dickinson]: I don't know how to phrase it in terms of actually motioning. Motion to approve the item with the idea that we revisit in the next month or so with the director of traffic and input on a longer term solution.
[Jack Buckley]: All right. So on the motion of Commissioner Bezinski to approve 2023-52, and with the remanding it to the Director of Blake to revisit a long-term solution, do I have a second? Second. Seconded by Commissioner McGibbon. Alba, roll call?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Mr. Perez, are you present?
[Jack Buckley]: There he is down below.
[SPEAKER_19]: Hey, thanks everybody. Appreciate you having me. So I'm a resident of Medford just moved over here from Somerville on September 1st. I live at 164 Harvard Street, which is pretty much right on the corner of Harvard and Main Street. I can see Oasis from my front porch, if that means anything to anybody. Now, Harvard is no parking zone for a long stretch heading towards Tufts from Main Street. Yeah, that's that house with the white porch right there. So my roommate has been approved for a variance. He's been there for over a year. So he has a variance to park on Wareham Street. And I'm just looking to apply for the same and also get permission. We do have one spot in that driveway to the left between the white porch and the brick building, but obviously it's only one spot and we each have a car. So we'd both like to have a variance so we can equally share the driveway.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you. So you're a recent roommate. I believe we've approved three for that residence, have 1.10 different people. So maybe there was a prior roommate who had moved out. Because I remember dealing with this and the issue. So we have, I mean, obviously there's the petition stated, this roommate has the petition. So commissioners thoughts, comments?
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm fine with this. This was part of the needing to make this area no parking because it's not wide enough for parking. I think we should be considering what our process is for cleaning up old variances when people have moved away. How do we know if people live here or don't live here?
[Jack Buckley]: The only way we have now is they don't apply again the next year.
[Alicia Hunt]: Is it in every year they have to apply for the parking permit?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay, then, oh, good point. So then we don't, do we think that there are actually four permits or there's previous variances approved?
[Jack Buckley]: There have been previous variances approved. There would, I believe, as the petitioner states, it's just his roommate has them. So they may have moved on or they may be, we may have approved them for another street if that's possible too. not just Wareham, because we did move some to Main Street or Alexander.
[SPEAKER_19]: Yeah, the roommate has since moved out of Medford.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, yeah, to the point. I just was in the back of my memory that we had done that, so.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm fine with this. I would move approval.
[Jack Buckley]: on the motion of Commissioner Hunt to approve 2023-52, variance to 164 Harvest Street to Wareham Street, seconded by? I'll second that. Seconded by Commissioner Brzezinski. I'll have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven? I think he had to leave. Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, exactly. Yes, 301G petition has been approved. It's just going to give us a few days. We have to notify the parking department and they'll get the variance approval of everything and then you can go down there and conduct your business and get your pass. So thank you for your participation and your comments. I have a motion to add parking to the VFW off-ramp.
[Alicia Hunt]: I was just going to ask, we have one more resident item waiting, who's been waiting for several hours. I'm wondering if we could take that before we take the items that are for staff that aren't even here.
[Jack Buckley]: I mean, not the- I'm fine with that. That's your prerogative. That would be 2023-56, permit pocket Habitat between Bauer and Boston Ave? Yes. Yep, okay. We're going to ask you to unmute, and if you want to present your petition, please.
[SPEAKER_15]: Hi, how are you guys?
[Jack Buckley]: Good, welcome and thank you for your participation.
[SPEAKER_15]: So I've been here for eight years on Harvard Ave. Do you guys know where we're at? We're between, I'm at 42 Harvard Ave. It's between the brewery that we just added, the OBs, and the corner of Boston Ave.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep, we're gonna pull it up on the screen and show everybody here. One quick second, just takes us a few.
[SPEAKER_15]: I just wanted to, well, this morning I went off to run an errand for like less than an hour, dropped my son off at school, ran to get gas, come back home. There's literally no parking. It was nine o'clock. I had to either take my chances on Park and Boston Ave. There it is, that's the house. There's only four spots. The next door runs to college kids who has about four cars, that's 43, and the White House next to it has about six cars for four spots. It's either Park and Boston Ave to get a ticket and move it in the morning, or park all the way down towards the, because every other street around the area is permit parking. I literally had to park all the way down by the park because every other street is a permit parking. The brewery doesn't even help at all. Then you've got the commuters parking too. It doesn't help for us. There's nothing that's impossible for us to do.
[Jack Buckley]: We've heard the argument on the brewery that is recently open and we've heard the argument on commuters, of course, and looking at that situation. Where are the college kids? Where are they living?
[SPEAKER_15]: They're living right across the street from that red car. If you turn sideways to the left, right there, that White House, they have about four cars because they rent it out to the Tufts kids. They have four cars. When you go to the left of them, they have about six cars in the driveway. Yeah, right there. Put four spots. There's only four spots.
[Jack Buckley]: All right. Questions, concerns from the commissioners to the petitioner?
[Alicia Hunt]: So if I understand correctly, the request is to make the street permit parking.
[SPEAKER_15]: Is permit parking or give us a variance to park in Boston Ave. Your choice, because there's no parking.
[Alicia Hunt]: Is Boston, so what is the rule? So my experience with parking on Boston Ave there is that it's meter parking.
[SPEAKER_15]: No, it's not. It's after 11, but Boston Ave, there's tons of parking on both sides of the street. That's the problem. There's tons of parking. Harvard Avenue Street is not permit. It's permit.
[Alicia Hunt]: Boston Avenue permit parking.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Boston Avenue is only permit parking 7 a.m. to 12 noon. Yes.
[Alicia Hunt]: Oh, is that to keep people from parking there and then taking the bus to the city?
[SPEAKER_15]: Yeah, so Harvard Avenue is the same thing.
[Alicia Hunt]: 7 a.m.
[Alicia Hunt]: You have to get your car up at 6 a.m.
[SPEAKER_15]: to move.
[Alicia Hunt]: This is to prevent people from getting on the commuter rail. This kills me because I want everybody to take the commuter rail and not drive, but then they drive to our neighborhoods and they park.
[SPEAKER_15]: Yeah. I physically watched the guy over this morning, park the car, take the train. You guys are stopping it from Boston Avenue, you're not stopping it from Harvard Avenue.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. It makes complete sense that people would want to park in this area and take the commuter rail.
[SPEAKER_15]: But why are we paying excise taxes for this area if we can't even afford parking? Because you've got Fowler Street that's parking, Boston Ave's parking, and every other street besides Harvard Ave's permit parking.
[Alicia Hunt]: Do we have a map of where the permit parking is in this area?
[Jack Buckley]: Probably not readily available, but it pretty much is as she describes it all around.
[Alicia Hunt]: Yeah. We need a better map system around here.
[SPEAKER_15]: I mean, we looked into it, it's nothing. Then it kind of sucks getting up at six o'clock in the morning in the middle of winter to move your car back over to Harvard Ave. If there's only four spots and there's still no parking, you still have to move down Harvard Ave by the car, all the way down by the community center to truck back in the middle of winter to come back up with groceries.
[Alicia Hunt]: Todd didn't have a recommendation of this. Do the sergeants have a recommendation for like Honestly, so here's the thing. Today, we can't just declare the street permit parking. We have to notice the street. We have to make sure that the other property owners on the street are aware of this. It's like we said in the last one, we can't just do that to a bunch of people without saying that we're doing it and making sure they're aware. We can, however, give this person a permit for the other street.
[Jack Buckley]: So I can't tell you that the neighbors were notified and I'm just looking at.
[Jim Silva]: I make a statement. Wait, was there a permission? There was a petition Kim filled out, Jim Silver from the mayor's office. Kim filled out a list and there's a petition that was submitted with other people's name in the neighborhood. This has been an ongoing process since April of last year.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay.
[Jim Silva]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Jim Silva]: I'm sorry.
[Alicia Hunt]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
[Jack Buckley]: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. So the neighbors who are notified by robocall, there's five neighbors who signed the petition for resident permit parking. So some level of notification has been made.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: We don't have this issue further down, obviously. as we keep going further down, they're not parking there to go to the train.
[Jim Silva]: I believe there's meters if you go the other way towards the commuter rail itself on Harvard Ave. If you pass Bowen, you'll see the red brick building. That's where the There's a kiosk there, so this is all parking. And it isn't commuter parking. There's a commuter parking lot beside Walgreens that any resident of Medford can buy a commuter pass. Unfortunately, I believe a lot of folks do not live in the city of Medford and they're parking here on the commuter rail.
[Jack Buckley]: On the other side.
[Jim Silva]: Sorry, on the other side of Boston Avenue, I believe Harvard Avenue is resident parking on the other side of Boston Avenue. And that allows folks to at least be able to park a little bit further on Boston Avenue. So if you head down Boston, I'm sorry, Harvard Ave towards Boston Avenue and cross Boston Avenue, I believe that side of Harvard Ave has resident permit.
[Jack Buckley]: It does, yes.
[Jim Silva]: So this allows people in this block at least to be able to go down the other end of the street and park legally because it's Harvard Avenue. Boston Ave, as I believe Alva mentioned, is from 8 o'clock to 11 a.m. to prevent commuter parking. And so these residents on this stretch of Harvard Avenue have no choice.
[Jack Buckley]: It almost seems like We've made everybody who has a pocket miss this one.
[Jim Silva]: Except that block. Yeah. And as I mentioned, Kim has been going and submitting requests for a couple of months, her and her neighbors. So this is something that's been well thought of, well thought out. And certainly there's been a great deal of participation with her neighbors.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: people that, tough students, do they have Art of State plates on their car? Or do they have them registered? I don't know.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: they would have to get to a resident.
[Jim Silva]: And beyond the commuter situation, if there's nights that the brewery is open, this at least allows some form of parking for residents who live there. Our parking program is 24-6, and so we have an opportunity to navigate a little bit easier for folks who live in that small block.
[Alicia Hunt]: Right, and so the renters in those other buildings could get parking permits as long as they register their cars in Medford at this location.
[Jack Buckley]: I mean, my thought is it probably should be moved towards approval and that just maybe the petitioner can keep us advised as to how it's working out with some of those other issues. We may have to deal with just some other issues, I mean, I think it's not just residents here, it's patrons.
[Unidentified]: Internet cut out.
[Alicia Hunt]: Sorry.
[Jack Buckley]: Are we muted?
[Alicia Hunt]: Sorry, I think now you're unmuted. There may have been an internet glitch.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, I don't know what happened. No, I'm just saying that the risk of repeating myself, but it just seems that we probably should recognize the resident parking here because we've done it all around. And I mean, it's not just a neighbor problem. This is a commuter problem. It's a patron problem, right? Not just, you got the brewery, you got the West Medford Square. and it seems like people have discovered this vacancy and it's void and they're filling it with their cars and it's not benefiting our residents there. So I would rather put the resident parking in place and see how that pans out and then deal with it to monitor it to see if it's working.
[Alicia Hunt]: So I just want to know that the petition has signatures from two of the, there appears, am I correct that there are five houses facing this block and a large apartment building? But I assume that large apartment building has parking off street, that that's what I'm seeing there next to it?
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: It does, yes. Only two houses on here. One, two, three, four.
[Alicia Hunt]: Sorry, I'm looking from up above.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep, no, it looks like six.
[Alicia Hunt]: See where that blur is? That's another one, yeah.
[Jack Buckley]: Yeah, two of them are corner houses with access to Boston Avenue.
[Alicia Hunt]: And four are not.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep. Five people signed the petition. We did robo-call it, again, you know, the neighborhood. So it's only two houses. It's two houses, but I have more residents.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Four houses really impacted. Yeah, because the two ones are not going.
[Alicia Hunt]: Yeah. I kind of wish Tim was still on. I see that the petitioner is raising her hand again. Yep.
[Jack Buckley]: I'm here.
[Alicia Hunt]: Oh, good. You're back.
[Jack Buckley]: Sorry, there's a temporary absence. It's okay. The petition wants to speak again. Go ahead. Can you ask?
[SPEAKER_15]: Actually, there's four houses, but a lot of them doesn't drive. He doesn't have access to cars. He doesn't use his cars. He runs his driveway out. There's actually only three houses on this block that actually drive. I got muted. There's only three houses, 42, 43, and the one next to it. That's the only house is that. But the one next to 43 has six cars.
[Alicia Hunt]: And I assume that they didn't sign the petition.
[SPEAKER_15]: No, because they're probably not registered, half of them.
[Jack Buckley]: But the one next door did. That's a pretty big drive.
[Alicia Hunt]: Did you say that the house with the students signed the petition?
[SPEAKER_15]: Yeah, they did because they're worried about the off-street parking because they kept getting tickets. That's the other thing, we kept getting tickets, tickets, tickets. Tickets for what? Parking on Boston Ave, because they parked behind the no-tow zone too because if the brewery is open, they parked behind the no-tow zone all the way up to the corner. That's the other thing.
[Alicia Hunt]: So the renters in the house across the street from you also- No, no, actually not them.
[SPEAKER_15]: Well, sometimes if they park one behind, if there's one by the sign, they park one behind this, one behind the sign, but the brewery will take the whole up to the corner, up to Boston Ave. I'm just letting you guys know. They'll park to the corner, because when the fire truck hits Boston Ave and Harvard Ave, they're going to get into an accident.
[Jack Buckley]: You know that. Yeah. That's from the commissions. this point it's probably.
[Alicia Hunt]: I would say I'm mildly, very mildly. I just want to say that I have concerns for the brewery and that they have adequate parking. But I honestly think they're open in the evenings. People can park on High Street and walk in there. That's what I do. There's plenty of metered parking on High Street. There's no reason people need to park on Harvard Ave to go to the brewery. You just have to be careful crossing the street. they'll just park wherever it's most convenient.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, that they will. Bishop Osinski?
[Bob Dickinson]: My only concern is notice as always. I do agree with everything else surrounding it being permitted, that it's a shame that these people are suffering. But I'm just bothered by the brewery people weren't notified as to what was going on. The body shop was not notified as to what was going on. But I agree with your perspective on handling the fallout from this. Even if the brewery here though, I would point out there's lots of public parking in that area that their visitors can go park in, just like the rest of us who go to West Medford. But I am concerned about you know, the notice aspect of this because it seems like it's a pretty big deal to those businesses and I would appreciate their input on this. But nonetheless, I would support the motion if presented tonight.
[Jack Buckley]: And I'd like to believe the robocalls do go to the businesses, and at least in this day and age, they have machines, right, and they should be monitoring their calls. But to your point, they're not present, and you've got to question whether or not they did get notification. I know the auto body shop has all that off-street parking there, so it may not have been an interest to them.
[Alicia Hunt]: Yeah, I don't think they really park cars on the street. When I've talked to them in the past, they have plenty of parking. An interesting fact is that in our robocall system, you can only put in one address. So if you live in the city and you own a business or work in the city, you can't put your work address and your personal address. So if we do like a localized robocall, you would only get it at the address that's registered.
[Tim McGivern]: that's not that's a good question for another time and a bigger issue but did we already talk about how many spots this approximately is that medford broom company might use i mean there's plenty of public parking like you said there's like four parking spots here that we're talking about all right yeah well If we notified and they didn't come and it's four spaces and there's plenty of public parking around?
[Alicia Hunt]: Right. So it wouldn't be on the brewery side in front of the brewery because that's not parking anyhow, right? That's all driveway. So it's in front of the residents on that side of the street. Then it's in front of the apartment building and the houses. Is that correct what we're talking about on the other side of the street? parking on the other side of the street.
[Jack Buckley]: No, there's no parking on that side. Yeah, just the side where the red cars.
[Alicia Hunt]: Okay, so there's not even parking on the other side of the street already.
[Jack Buckley]: Correct.
[Alicia Hunt]: All right, then I move approval.
[Jack Buckley]: On the motion Commissioner Hunt to approve 2023-56 resident permit parking for I second that. Commissioner Brzezinski, I have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGibbon?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. have a motion to approve the petition. Do we have a second? Yes, the petition passes for nothing on approval. I thank you for your participation and for your explanations on this one. This will take us a few days to get it up and going. We'll get you a notification and go to the parking parking sign at the edge of Mystic Valley Parkway, off ramp to the VFW driveway. Approximately seven spaces.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: I've spoken to Director Blake on this on numerous occasions. Due to the changes on Mr. Gaff with the bike lane, the bus lane, the restricted parking, we determined that they could fit seven spaces in front of the VFW. Right now, it is no parking anytime. We have tried to research this along with Alba, and we can't find out why it was done that way. So by allowing parking in front of the VFW in this location, we'll add seven spaces.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay. As I said earlier, before we go back, I've had a petition in five years to increase parking spaces. So this is an interesting one.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: And I have had complaints. There's one or two houses down there from the residents that they have nowhere to park.
[Jim Silva]: It's 71 Mystic Avenue, actually. They have no parking. They only have in front of their house and with the bus lane, as you alluded to, from six to nine in the morning, it causes a hardship. They used to park on Raiden Road, which is a private way across the street, but unfortunately, because it is a private way, or fortunately, they posted no parking signs recently. So it came to our attention probably about four months ago in the mayor's office. And we've been working to try to navigate a little bit to help these folks out specifically to support the bus lane, but also give folks an option.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: Wow, certainly looks like more than 7 spots, but. About that chief director, Blake didn't want going all the way up to that access road due to site. Okay. Site line. All right.
[Alicia Hunt]: And further up there's parking, correct? Because my impression, some of the complaints that I got from the city councilors is that there are a lot of, that the car dealerships and repair shops keep putting the vehicles they're working on on the street.
[Jim Silva]: Yes. We're currently working on navigating with the businesses and having that conversation. So that's phase two of this process. That's good to know.
[4FrRjkCyMqA_SPEAKER_06]: Chief, as you know, and the commission is, especially Sergeant Canave has been working down there with total numerous scars for various violations out of there.
[MCM00001829_SPEAKER_08]: Yeah.
[Tim McGivern]: Well, this is a way for that area too, isn't it? This is a little bit down the street.
[Jack Buckley]: It is, but there was auto dealerships that are also that are in close proximity. They have been known to commit those same offenses. I see Mr. Tron has his hand raised. We allow him to public participation.
[Michael Chon]: Hi, thanks. So, um, I live in South Medford, and whenever I want to bike into Medford Square, there are basically three options for me. I can go down Main Street, I can go down Willis and then cut over once I hit Hancock Street, or I can take Mystic Ave. Lately, I've been taking Mystic Ave in part because there is space on the shoulder for me to bike, Um, somewhat safely, it's it's not as safe as I would like that. And honestly, there are no real bikeable. Pathways from South Medford to. Uh, square and given. And I, what I want to bring up are 2 things. 1 is if there will be parking. Um, will there also still be some way for, um, cyclists to be able to bike on that shoulder? Because I believe. Shortly going further north. Um, you will be running into a bike lane. Um, and so it, it does make some sense that there should be a certain. Again, I haven't reviewed the DCR redesign of Mystic Ave, and I don't know how much further or if there will be any bike lanes going on Mystic Ave going northbound. My understanding right now is it's a sharrow, and Mystic Ave being a state highway, it's not very safe to go on that direction. And then also with the considerations of Willis Ave, That I brought up earlier of how it basically is a. Um, a side street for a lot of cars to speed along to avoid all the. I sent it to issues. Um, or sometimes literally run into cars, or rather they into me. Um, on will staff and then mainstream again, there is just not enough space to bite because it's just so backed up. So my main thing I would like to bring up is consideration for bikeability between South Medford and Medford Square.
[Jack Buckley]: Yes, thank you for your comments. And I can, as I hopefully show in the shadows, but I do understand that they took into consideration, and this is the city portion of Mystic Ave, the sharing of the road with the bikes, et cetera, as you can see in the shadows here. I can't speak as to whether or not there's going to be continuation, but I do know that there are multiple plans for bike lanes that are being considered or drafted for the City of Medford. To what extent, I don't know in this area. As far as the passability of bicycles, it's Here's that this parking along with the gap everywhere, but this stretch, so it. Wouldn't necessarily change the total condition of the roadway. Um, you know, that's probably not the best thing, but it just seems it ought to be no parking.
[Michael Chon]: It's, um. It's a yeah, so it's a share road basically up until that section and from about Harvard Street to that section. I basically just pray for my life and thank God that I have a written will written already at age 36. But, uh, yeah, it's it's a bit of a reprieve. Once I hit that section of no parking that I can actually move out of the street and all the cars that are thankfully not trying to run me over are allowed to pass. I would love for there to be a more holistic approach as many other. Concerns I brought up of how to make it a. a synergistic relationship between commuters, both on bicycle and on cars, and on foot.
[Jack Buckley]: Yep, understood. And just to, we probably have a variety of opinions on this subject matter, but I'm just reminded that the Traffic Commission is one that votes on regulatory matters, right? So we don't design the traffic, we don't sit there and say that a bike might have to be in there. Someone else does the study, does the forging, puts it all forward, and then we approve the regulatory forging from that. So we can pass this, your concerns, on to the Director of Engineering, et cetera, as it relates to that, so.
[Tim McGivern]: I have some advisement to achieve if Mr. Chan wants to, Receive it. So the width of the road is consistent with the other sections. So we did put the bus lane with the bike lane on the other side. And on this side, the northbound side, it will remain a shallow unless the street gets redesigned and the curbing gets moved. So we're just going to keep that cross-section consistent. If you haven't already spoken to the medford bicycle advisory commission, they may be done but I'm not sure. They're going to do it again anyway. Update the master plan for the city. So mystic avenue is identified as a corridor that bicycles travel but it's not ideal as far as width goes and you've demonstrated that in your presentation tonight. A lot of other cyclists, including myself, share that opinion about Mystic Avenue. So one of the things that they're looking at in the master plan process is the wayfinding and alternative routes for bicycles that are safer and maybe have opportunities for things like full width and buffered bike lanes. So if you haven't, I encourage you to get involved with them if you'd like your opinion to have greater weight than at a regulatory body such as ours. So thank you. With that, I move to approve this.
[Jack Buckley]: So, sorry, we had a side conversation going here, but do you have a motion to approve? Is that what I heard Commissioner McGiven?
[Tim McGivern]: Yeah, I was just giving Mr. Johnson advice on where his opinions could have a little bit more weight and then move to approve.
[Jack Buckley]: to approve 2023-54 and additional parking in front of the VFW on Mystic Ave. Seconded by? The motion is approved and petition 2023-54 passes. 2023-55 city hall commuter parking lot proposed change for pay to park to include commuter permit parking spaces Monday through Friday. This applies to whole lot with exception of areas by postal service. Could you unmute Jim Silva, please?
[Jim Silva]: I am unmuted. I'd like to speak on this. We'd like to table this till next month. We have not got a return call from the postmaster. There is no indication as to if or how that parking came about. So as far as our parking enforcement, we want to ensure that If there's an agreement in place, that everything is in place, and then we have an idea where we need to direct people for that commuter parking if it does in fact change. So until December meeting, we'd like to table it if possible.
[Jack Buckley]: Thank you for the comments. So the commissioners have heard there's a request by the petitioner to table 23-55 until December. That would have to come from a motion from one of the, Commissioner Brzezinski, hands up.
[Bob Dickinson]: I just had a question. Is the motion, I know we're going to table it, but is the motion to convert the whole parking lot to commuter parking?
[Jim Silva]: I some of them, I believe the whole parking lot just as an option for folks. It's just, it's, it's a little bit difficult to do that currently, or to define spaces to find commuter parking when we're not quite sure the postal parking situation. So we need to have some clarity on how the parking lot is allocated. And that's what we're looking to do.
[Bob Dickinson]: So a couple things is I think we just approved did we not a couple meetings ago commuter parking spaces in the parking lot on the other side of City Hall. If that got finalized and number 2, just 2 points just to consider when this comes up next month. The office building at City Mall Plaza. where my dentist is, one, is where are those people going to park? Are they supposed to park across the street, in the other lot where the food pantry is, or what? I'd like to see something that you have notified the the businesses within that building as to what you're planning.
[Jim Silva]: Right. Correct. But if you read the proposal is to include commuter, not to change the paid park. Okay. So it's just to add that commuter aspect. This allows folks to live in this community to register their car here because only commuters who live in the city of Medford can park in a commuter parking lot.
[Tim McGivern]: That's a good question, Chief. Sure, go ahead. Jim, do you happen, do we have an idea of numbers that we would project commuters would be, you know, the numbers of commuters that would be using the lot?
[Jim Silva]: We were probably were like 15 spaces total in the overflow if needed. There are certain times that there's election or there's some event at City Hall and commuters can't find a place to park. So it's come to our attention that we might want to expand that. The other aspect is it allows certain, this is only a temporary situation because it's our understanding that that particular parcel is going to be redeveloped at some point soon. So it's a temporary situation to allow commuters to park when there's a need for an overflow.
[Tim McGivern]: make sense. My understanding is that there's not a ton of commuters that use it, but if there's some potential for overflow and we need a place, this seems like a pretty underused parking lot in that regard. So anyway, we'll hear from you next time and make a decision. Thank you.
[Jack Buckley]: Okay, so I'll need a motion from the commissioners to table until the December meeting.
[Alicia Hunt]: Motion to table.
[Jack Buckley]: The motion of Commissioner Hunt to table 2023-55, seconded by Commissioner McGiven. Is that you? Yeah, that's me. Commissioner McGiven, I'll have a roll call vote.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner McGiven?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes.
[MCM00001607_SPEAKER_07]: Commissioner Hunt? Yes. Commissioner Brzezinski?
[Jack Buckley]: Yes. Chief Busley? Yes. The motion is approved, the table, that item. And that is it for attendance on November 14th, 2023 Traffic Commission meeting. I will say, when you're at, like Todd being absent is so valuable, like he realized how valuable he is when he's not here. So I just, he won't hear that probably, but I hope he does and somebody tells him that, but he's an invaluable resource. It hurts when he's not here, but we'll get him next. What's that?
[Tim McGivern]: He's an incredible, valuable resource to DPW. When someone's not around, you realize it, don't you? So anyway, noted.
[Jack Buckley]: That way to find out. Other than that, we look forward to seeing everybody in December. We've got a little bit of follow-up items to do here. We'll make sure we get this stuff posted and out and make sure that the director of parking is aware of all of these things. Any other comments before we seek a motion to adjourn?
[Alicia Hunt]: Jim, thank you for sticking around through that whole thing to have your item tabled. To ask to have your item tabled.
[Jack Buckley]: Jim, you're going to have to come every week now, every month.
[Alicia Hunt]: It was very helpful.
[Tim McGivern]: Thank you. If it happens again, just put it in writing, ask us to table it, right?
[Bob Dickinson]: Please just send a message. Please push me.
[Tim McGivern]: And you know how we operate now. Now you have seen Traffic Commission live, so you get it. Yeah.
[Alicia Hunt]: He's been here before. All right. I got to go to City Council.
[Jack Buckley]: All right, someone say motion to adjourn.
[Alicia Hunt]: Motion to adjourn.
[Jack Buckley]: Second. Seconded by Commissioner Brzezinski. All those in favor? Aye. Have a good weekend. Aye. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.
[Bob Dickinson]: Thanks, everybody.