By Adam Swift
Parking and traffic are consistently among the biggest quality of life issues for the city council.
At Monday night’s council meeting, several motions focused on those issues, including one submitted by Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya asking that the traffic commission hold a public hearing on an amendment that would prohibit overnight parking at public schools.
“To strengthen safety and security at our schools, I proposed the overnight parking ban to prohibit cars from parking in the parking lots,” said Guarino-Sawaya. “I’ve had complaints, particularly from the Paul Revere School, of certain cars parked there every single night and they are still there when teachers are coming in taking valuable spots in that front line.”
Guarino-Sawaya said the cars parked overnight potentially obstruct emergency access as well as creating other concerns.
“We don’t know what could possibly happen,” she said. “It interferes with snow removal and routine maintenance. In light of all the incidents that have happened in schools across the nation, unattended or occupied vehicles pose a potential threat, as individuals could remain inside them and use them for more dangerous items.”
Prohibiting overnight parking is a proactive safety measure that would protect students while also ensuring school parking lots remain fully accessible to staff, students, and visitors during school hours, Guarino-Sawaya said.
The councillor said there will be further discussion on the ordinance at the traffic commission hearing, and added that the police department has a safety plan ready to go regarding the ordinance change.
In other business, Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley filed a motion asking that the mayor request MassDOT to expand the southbound deceleration lane/entrance into North Gate Shopping Center on Squire Road in order to reduce traffic and accidents on Squire Road.
“This area is prone to heavy traffic congestion, accidents, and backups and I think this may alleviate some of that congestion and traffic,” said Kelley. “We have room there for the island to be widened so that that deceleration line can be extended and some of the traffic can get over to that North Gate entrance a little sooner, reducing traffic in those two lanes.”
Councilllors Joanne McKenna and Anthony Cogliandro noted that a similar motion was filed by the council several years ago, but that MassDOT studies showed that there was extensive infrastructure under Squire Road that would cost millions of dollars to relocate.
“I would want (MassDOT) to revisit this issue, especially where that area is just getting more and more congested,” said Kelley. “We are getting a carwash there, so anything that can be done to alleviate some of that traffic would be appreciated.”
Guarino-Sawaya also introduced a motion asking that the mayor request the DPW and traffic commission, in coordination with MassDOT, install bollards at 938 North Shore Road in an appropriate position to prevent vehicles from colliding with the residential structure and fire hydrant at the property.
The councillor said the residential structure at 938 North Shore Road has been hit multiple times.
