The Revere Traffic Commission held its regular monthly meeting last Thursday, September 21. On hand for the meeting were chair and DPW chief Paul Argenzio, Fire Chief Chris Bright, and City Planner Frank Stringi.
The commission held a number of public hearings regarding various amendments to the city’s traffic ordinances.
The first was a motion to add four-way stop signs at the intersection of Malden and Newhall Sts., with another stop sign also at Cushman Ave. and Newhall St. The stop signs already had been put into place on an emergency basis by the commission in response to demands by residents for traffic-calming measures in the wake of an accident in July that left a pedestrian seriously-injured. The commission unanimously voted to put them in place on a permanent basis.
With regard to implementing other traffic-calming measures along Malden St., such as speed bumps, the commission voted to table the measure until a study can be conducted to determine the most effective location for the measures.
The next public hearing pertained to a request for 15-minute parking spaces in front of the laundromat at Walnut and Shirley Aves. Ward 2 Councillor Ira Novoselsky spoke in favor of the 15-minute zone to allow customers of the laundromat to unload their deliveries to the business between the hours of 8 AM-6 PM. Zach Babo, the head of the city’s Parking Dept, said there already are many parking restrictions in that area and spoke against the proposal. However, the commission voted to approve the measure.
The commission next took up a request from Babo to establish a city ordinance that would provide free parking at city meters for veterans and members of the military who have the following plates:
a. Veteran
b. Bronze Star
c. Silver Star
d. Purple Heart
e. Medal of Honor
f. Legion of Valor
g. Pearl Harbor Survivor
h. Distinguished Flying Cross
i. Ex-POW
j. Medal of Liberty
k. Disabled Veteran
l. Gold Star Family
The proposed ordinance would not apply to parking restrictions such as time limits, no-parking signs, handicap parking requirements, fire-hydrant restrictions, tow zones, street sweeping, and resident permit-parking areas.
Revere resident Christine Robertson asked that “National Guard” plates be added to the list. Novoselsky spoke in favor of adding the National Guard plate, though Babo noted that his department had rejected that plate. The commission voted to approve the measure and added the National Guard plates.
The next matter was a request from Ward 1 City Councillor Joanne McKenna (who was unable to attend the meeting) that “No Trucks” signage be placed at the entrance to Mill St. from the Revere Beach Parkway. The commission unanimously approved the measure.
McKenna also requested that the speed limit on Mill St. be reduced to 25 m.p.h., but the commission tabled the matter because it lies within the jurisdiction of Mass. DOT.
The next matter was a proposal for a number of measures pertaining to handicapped parking spaces, including changing some designated spaces and the installation of two handicapped parking poles for each new handicapped space. Ralph DeCicco, the chair of the Revere Disabilities Commission, spoke in favor of the proposal. However, the commission tabled the measure in order to receive more information about the extent of the changes.
The commission discussed changing the time limit on parking spaces in front of a business on Revere St. from 15-minutes to 60-minutes. Councillor Cogliandro sent a letter in favor of the measure. The commission voted to extend the limit to 30 minutes at those spaces.
The commission moved the following matters to a public hearing at a future meeting:
— Three requests for handicapped parking spots at 51 Endicott St., 512 Park Ave., and 115 Hichborn St.;
— A request from Councillor Cogliandro to add “No Parking — Tow Away Zone” signage at 12 Folsom St.;
— Julie DeMauro from the city’s Dept. of Community Development and Planning asked the commission to conduct a public hearing about the proposal for a “road diet” at Page St. at Broadway to reduce the width of the intersection to enhance pedestrian safety; and
— Adding and removing various stop signs in the area of Fitzhenry Sq. and Campbell Ave. to reduce speeding in the area. Novoselsky spoke in favor of the measure.
With regard to a request to make the residents of the apartment building at 4 Hawes St. eligible for residential parking, Babo said the building is listed in the city’s records as having 16 one-bedroom units, though there are now some 2-bedroom units, for which there are 22 off-street parking spaces. After Stringi suggested that the Parking Dept. consider issuing parking permits on an individual basis, the commission tabled the request..
The commission then voted to adjourn until its next meeting on Thursday, October 19.
