A City Councillor and a Summit Avenue resident are asking the Traffic and Parking Commission to look at ways to reduce traffic speed on Summit Avenue.
“I’ve noticed there’s a huge traffic concern with cars flying up and down Summit Avenue,” said Summit Avenue resident and Chelsea Firefighter Rony Gobin. “A year or two ago, a gentleman was hit and killed on Washington Avenue, and shortly after that the city put some speed bumps on Washington Avenue. That was very reactive and we need to be proactive; I’m requesting the city put some speed bumps on Summit Avenue before someone gets hurt.”
Councillor-At–Large Leo Robinson said the issue is especially pressing since the area is near the Chelsea Soldiers Home, which is slated for rehabilitation and expansion.
“I think we want to try to get ahead of what is going to take place up there,” said Robinson.
Robinson reminded the commission that a few years ago, there was a car that went through a house across the street from Gobin’s on Summit Avenue.
“He has two young children and he is concerned about the traffic flying up and down Summit Avenue,” said Robinson. “We’re just getting concerned about the traffic, and we’re keeping an eye on the new development that’s going to take place.”
The City Council recently met with the Soldiers Home development team, but Robinson said they have not done a traffic study yet.
Housing and Community Development Director Alexander Train said that over the next month, his department and the public works department would work with the city’s engineering consultant to design traffic calming solutions for the neighborhood to improve safety and address some of the speeding concerns.
In other business, Train said the city’s outside transportation consultant is also putting together final recommendations for traffic calming measures at Jefferson and Washington avenues.
“We should be able to present proposals at the next Traffic and Parking Commission meeting that relate to traffic calming and pedestrian safety at this intersection,” said Train. “Similarly, we have engaged with the MBTA relative to the bus stop … to explore if we could shift the bus stop back in order to improve pedestrian safety.”
The commission also got an update on plans for proposed intersection improvements at Eastern Avenue and Griffin Way, including a new traffic signal. A public hearing on that project is scheduled for the next commission meeting, as well