Several city councilors are taking steps to help better understand and address the myriad traffic and parking concerns in the city.
At last week’s meeting, District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero introduced a motion requesting city officials take a closer look at the proliferation of one-way streets in Chelsea.
Originally, Recupero filed a motion asking for the city to place a moratorium on creating one-way streets, but agreed to amend his motions to remove the moratorium language and instead request the city do a study on one-way streets.
Recupero said the number of one-way streets help create gridlock and cause safety concerns. He added that the problem is only made worse by the amount of construction in Chelsea.
“There are so many one-ways, if you close a one-way street, where are you going to go,” said Recupero.
The councilor said the city has left traffic decisions up to the parking traffic commission.
“Do they know what the people of the city go through? They don’t,” said Recupero. “You go down Congress Avenue, which is a one-way, all the way down to DeMoula’s (Market Basket) and see how long it takes you. Let’s have a study and ask the people is it good to have so many one-ways or better not to have so many one-ways.”
Councilor-at-Large Roberto Jimenez-Rivera agreed that there needs to be a citywide conversation and more information about the traffic issues in the city.
District 1 Councilor Todd Taylor said he plans to introduce a motion at the next council meeting asking for either a special committee or a subcommittee on conference to begin to address the parking and traffic issues in Chelsea.
“This is an issue that has really been a thorn in a lot of people’s sides,” said Taylor. “We get constant complaints from the residents, and I think it is about time that this council took up this issue.”
Taylor said his proposal will include a series of meetings in each district of the city so the public can relate the issues they have with traffic and parking.
“It’s really important that we recognize that not every district has the same problems and that we really should not put this issue as we have done time and time again to the traffic commission,” Taylor said. “I think part of (Recupero’s) concerns about the one-way streets could be addressed in this committee.”
Taylor said issues include public safety as well as gridlock in the city.
“They are all part of the same problem we need to take up as a body and solve,” he said. “People desperately want us to solve this problem.”