By Journal Staff
The Revere Traffic Commission held its regular monthly meeting last Thursday (January 16) in the City Councillor Joseph A. Del Grosso Council Chambers at Revere City Hall. On hand for the session were Chair and DPW Director Christopher Ciaramella and fellow members City Planner Frank Stringi, City Engineer Nick Rystrom, Fire Chief James Cullen, and Police Chief Dave Callahan.
The commission held three public hearings, two of which pertained to adding handicapped parking spaces at 5 Florence Avenue (the placard is for the resident of 15 Centennial Avenue) and 203 Constitution Avenue.
Ward 2 City Councillor Ira Novoselsky spoke on the first matter, pointing out that the discrepancy between the person’s address and the location of the sign relates to the steepness of Centennial Ave.
Parking director Zach Babo also spoke in favor of the sign being placed on Florence Ave., noting that Centennial Ave. only has one-sided parking and is congested.
The commissioners unanimously approved creating the new spot.
With regard to the parking space for 203 Constitution Ave., the commission had been provided the required information from Ralph DeCicco, the chair of the Revere Commission on Disabilities, and the members unanimously approved the new handicapped parking spot.
The third hearing involved a request to establish No Parking for the entire length of the easterly (even-numbered) side of Wilson St., which is a small side street between the Revere Beach Parkway and Beach St.
Ward 1 Councilor Joanne McKenna spoke in favor of the proposal. Babo noted that two parallel streets in the area, Haddon and Mills, presently have one-sided parking. He also noted that the double-sided parking presently on Wilson St. makes it difficult, if not impossible, for school buses to navigate the street, often requiring parents to bring their children to the top of the street to meet the buses.
Rystrom additionally pointed out that former Fire Chief Chris Bright had noted at a previous meeting that the double-sided parking made it difficult for fire apparatus to make the turn onto Wilson St. from Beach St.
The commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the amendment.
Julie DeMauro from the city’s Department of Planning and Community Development then addressed the commission regarding a request from the residents of Charger St., who have been concerned about the speeding and traffic conditions on Charger St.
“We need to get some traffic data that is current and we will discuss what we have found,” said DeMauro, who said that the Planning Dept. will undertake a traffic study. DeMauro said that the information then will be presented to the ward councillor and the Planning Dept., who will seek input from the residents.
Ultimately, any request for changes to the roadway, such as the installation of speed bumps, then will come before the Traffic Commission for a vote.
Ward 5 Councillor Chris Giannino spoke on the matter. “The real problem is volume, not so much as it is speeding,” said Giannino. “We have done traffic counts in the recent past, so we know what the problem is. We will be looking to the commission to put appropriate measures in place.”
DeMauro added that installing sidewalks, which would narrow the street, could be among the solutions to address the situation. She said that her department “will get this going in the next week or so.”
The commission then took up a number of new matters. The first was to place a new stop sign at Mountain Ave. and Adams St. The commissioners unanimously voted to move this matter to a public hearing for its next meeting.
Next up was a motion to remove handicapped parking spots at 54 Carlson Avenue, 201 Crescent Avenue, 255 Coolidge St., 65 Nahant Ave., 283-285 Endicott Ave., and 12 Hichborn St. This matter also was moved to a public hearing for the next meeting.
A third matter pertained to a request to make the northerly side of Green St. 24/7 parking by permit only. McKenna spoke in favor of the motion, noting that this will limit parking on the street to residents, who will be able to park in front of their house, without their parking spaces being taken up by the construction workers who are putting up a large residential apartment building on that street.
The commissioners voted unanimously to move this matter to a public hearing at their next meeting.
The next item was a request by Councillor McKenna for a 15-minute parking sign to be placed outside of the Quick Mart at 225 Broadway. “The owners asked if they could have this sign because right now there is a meter there,” said McKenna.
However, Babo argued against removing the meter, which he said will deprive the city of revenue. He added that the matter can be revisited in April when the city’s comprehensive parking plan for that area is unveiled.
The commission voted to table the matter to be revisited at a future date.
Next up was a request to remove the No Parking Anytime restrictions on the portion of Thurlow Avenue where there presently is no sidewalk curbing.
According to the agenda, “The street changes from curb to transition sidewalks in that section. Residents have been parking on that side of the street for some time now and Councillor Cogliandro is looking to remove that portion of Thurlow Avenue from the City Ordinance.”
Babo spoke to the commissioners about the lack of curbing on most of the street, which has allowed residents to park with two wheels on the edge of the street. The purpose of the change in the ordinance would allow that practice to continue. The commission voted to move the matter to a public hearing at its next meeting.
