The Chelsea Parking and Traffic Commission added a permanent new item to its agenda at its September meeting with the addition of a public comment period.
Two city councilors took advantage of public comment to highlight several of their concerns that were not on the agenda for the Sept. 2 meeting.
“First of all, I’m here to celebrate the fact that there is public comment at traffic and parking commission now,” said District 5 Councilor Lisa Santagate. “I just want to thank you for adding that, because I think that it has been missing and I am thrilled there is an opportunity to talk about things in general.”
As far as business was concerned, Santagate said she wanted to follow up on some long-brewing issues involving the intersection at Marlborough, Shurtleff, and Broadway.
“You may remember that there were some safety measures that were going to be implemented because the area was identified as one of the most dangerous in the city; in the top 5 percent for pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles,” said Santagate. “Since your last meeting, three additional pedestrians have been hit.”
Santagate said the only safety mitigation measures that have been put in place since January have been the painting of some lines.
“There have not been any flexible barriers added as was the plan, so I just wanted to come up and give you the lowdown on what has or hasn’t happened and add continued urgency to the area,” she said. “I understand that they have ordered the flexible barriers. I didn’t realize it would take so many months, and I was worried that more people would be injured, and that is what has happened.”
The District 5 Councilor said she did not know if the safety measures would be put in place before work begins on a planned redesign of the streets around city hall next year.
“This is very urgent for my district and for the neighborhood,” Santagate said.
District 6 Councilor Giovanni Recupero spoke about the number of construction vehicles that have been left parked on city streets.
“The city, I think, has an ordinance that was done a few years back that construction vehicles should be moved and they should not be left on the city streets because there is no place to park,” he said. “I’m getting a lot of complaints from the people saying they are taking up the spaces and there is no place to park.”
Recupero asked if there was anything the traffic and parking commission could do to make sure the ordinance was enforced, or to help with the issue of construction vehicles taking up parking spaces overnight.
He also spoke about the issue of handicap parking spots in the city, noting that he was in favor of residents requesting them and having the spots given out by the city. However, he said that residents requesting the handicap spaces have to be reminded that if they are approved, they are not assigned spots, but can be used by anyone with a handicap parking placard.