Hi everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started. Officially open up the May 2025 traffic and parking commission public meeting. Quick reminder, if you wish to speak, there's a sign-in sheet. Speak into the microphone and then just state your name and address for the record. Uh, so first up is the approval
of the minutes from the April 1st, 2025 meeting. If anyone wants to make a motion. Motion will accept. Second. All in favor? I I Okay. Next up, communication of February 24th, 2025 from Commissioner of Public
Works Kate Fox Length providing an update on the downtown Broadway utility project. Okay. And throughout the month of May and June, the first crew will be working on Broadway in front of city hall and then down city hall. A the work is moving a little more quickly in this
location because we are only installing one sewer line and there are fewer buildings to reconnect. As time allows, the crew will move back onto Bellingham Square back towards Fourth Street for a few days here and there to complete some remaining work. The second crew will work to complete the water sew on drain
work on Winter Summit just before Second Street by the end of May and then move back onto Broadway, installing new drains toward William Street. For any updates on traffic impacts, please check the city's traffic advisory page on chelsea.gov/tra. Thank you. You're welcome. Next up,
communication February 26, 2025 from councelor Tesh to temporarily remove the dedicated bus lane on Broadway for the duration of the ongoing construction project. I don't know if you want to speak about it, but I know we tabled it because Emily had some concerns. I was
for it, but I don't know how you feel, but Emily was a little bit against it, so she spoke out against it and we ended up tableabling it. Mhm. Um, I think it's a I think it's an earnest suggestion because right now there's a lot of impacts on the downtown businesses. I don't think the decision
by this traffic and parking commission will actually lead to tangible benefits to the businesses if we were to temporarily remove the bus and bike lane. Um, I do want to just mention that the bus and bike lane was formally accepted as a permanent asset by city
council. will be going back in when we do the surface work um which will be following the utility work. Um but that that gap between when the utility work is done um and when that surface work occurs is going to be like maybe a 6 to 8month gap.
So removing it is logistically very difficult to start with. the upfront cost of actually removing it and then having to reinstate it temporarily before we come back and then do the surface work again and actually have to do implement it a like a third time um
is very difficult. Uh the estimate for removing and replacing the bus lane is between 300k and 650k and that's crews out there that need to buff it out and repave. So that's an additional construction impact for the entirety of
the bus and bike lane. I appreciate councelor Tesh's concerns about the downtown businesses. I fully understand the notion behind and the intention behind the request. Um however, I think that there are that this will not
create a change that has merit in terms of helping businesses reducing congestion. And the congestion is due to the fact that there's construction happening on downtown Broadway, not because of the bus and bike lane. I think that if there's an alternative to be considered by this commission, it
would be to not enforce the bus and bike lane. Um, that is something that we could consider, but I think that removing the bus lane now, waiting for the utility project to be done, reinstalling it temporarily before the surface work comes in just feels like a lot of upfront cost, effort, and
probably a more pronounced impact onto the businesses. That's where I'm landing. I have other data about the benefits of the bus and bike lane, but because it's already been formally accepted as a permanent asset, I don't think that those are relevant in this particular arena. Um, but I'd love to hear from the
commission. I think it should be an open conversation. Um, I don't think it's a silver bullet to the the issue of the impact to the to the businesses. Um, did we ask him to come because I thought we asked him to give some clarification. Yeah, unfortunately we reached out to council an email on the
result of the meeting and I also spoke to him on the phone to let him know that the commission would like further details on this. Um he said he was going to come but because I mean not sure what happened. I mean you know based on what
he's saying and not having any information from the counselor it's kind of hard to make it. But Ben made a good point. I don't necessarily think that council tes was saying to remove it completely. I think he was just saying to not almost not enforce it like he just wants to see some relief during the construction. I think that was the issue
is that we don't actually know what his request is and that's why we're asking for clarification. Correct. But I until Ben brought it up. I know Emily didn't and I didn't think of it either last month, but Ben brought it up and it makes a good point. Like you said, even if we just suspend it for the duration of the construction, it might alleviate and help some of the traffic congestion
we have. Like Ben said, it's created from the construction that's going on. But if they're blocking the lefth hand lane and the bus is in the right hand lane, someone's going to stop and then it creates a bottleneck. But, you know, it's still going to be there technically because it's because council passed on it. So, we have to keep it there. But temporarily I think we can we could I
mean what if we put some kind of signs on there saying bus lane open during construction or something like that. Yeah. I mean, even just not enforcing it would be, you know, people kind of driving it now as it is, you know, but yeah, just leave it up to them if they do and if they get, you know, obviously double parking and other stuff is not
going to be allowed. I was going to say, um, how is that going to work on the weekend with double parking because we have a huge double parking issue and opening up two lanes for cars to drive in means it's going to be a slalom. Yeah, it used to always be like that. That's unfortunately that's going to be up to the cops to enforce that. We can
always we can always have Lieutenant Fern push that issue to the patrol and have it kept up. Sometimes they do, sometimes you hear him chirping down Broadway removing cars all the time. So it happens and that's like a relevant point about the benefit of the bus and bike lane. Um but again I think the
nexus of um councelor Tesh's request is to help the businesses and I think from my professional opinion it's it's not going to be helpful to actually remove it. though I think um unfortunately I feel like tableabling it again for
additional clarification or even just denying now and letting him come back with a motion to or or or um in order to to just remove um enforcement temporarily would be better. So yeah, I would make a motion to either
deny or table it. I'd make a motion to table. I wouldn't want to deny it. I'm I'm in favor of it. So, um, if you want how you guys want to go, but if we just have him clarify, if he can come in or even if he could just give it to you, Eler, and say that we want just suspend enforcement for now, that we can take
that and we can vote on that next month. Yeah. I mean, if he sends some sort of clarification, if he can't be here in person to advocate for this, then at least he should be able to write something down because we did ask for it the first time. So, would that be a motion to table
until further information? Steve made a motion to table it. Second. I'll second it. All in favor? I. Next communication March 17, 2025 from Sylvia De Vista proposing a change to the current visitor parking pass regulation.
It's coming up. Sir, do you want an extra agenda to see where you're at? I also will give it to you. Thank you. Hi. Could you state your name and address for the record, too? Oh, sure. Sylvia Dvasta, 231 Washington A,
Chelsea. Um, yes. So, I'm a lifelong resident. Um, my kids are were born and raised in this city and you know, my sister grew up in this city and they live out of state. Um, my son lives in
Virginia with his family. My sister lives in Maryland with her family. My son, my other son lives with me, but his fiance's in New Jersey and she comes to visit. And my grandkids live in Virginia and they come to visit not to stay one
day, two days. They come to stay, you know, a week or so or five days a week. I mean, I want to see them, but parking's an issue and they've had to find other places to stay. These are Chelsea people, you know? They shouldn't have to go
somewhere else to come visit their family, and I shouldn't have to ask them to go somewhere else to visit me, and they shouldn't have to stay in a hotel. they shouldn't have to pay. I mean, there has to be an easier way for them to visit. And I don't always know, you
know, for example, my son's fiance, when she can come, she could come, but I don't always have time to come and get the pass here and to wait in line and, you know, to get out of work. I just wish there was an easier way to get a visitor pass and it wasn't so
challenging, especially, you know, since this is my home. Like, I grew up here. My kids grew up here. I I just feel like, you know, there's there's so many obstacles for it. I know that it's a crowded city. I
know that there's so many units being built and, you know, people moving in, which is, you know, great, but what about the people already here? You know, I um I don't know if the parking lots under the bridges can be um something
that I can use for when they come or if I can, you know, apply online when they come just to make something a little bit easier. It should I feel like it shouldn't be so hard. you know, if I if anything that I suggest doesn't work, maybe, you know,
people that work in this in um government can help with other ideas. I don't have all the ideas, but I just I just want my family to be able to visit and have it not be so hard. And I have to work. I mean, I know that, you know, it's been suggested you can apply online
and then wait or you can come in during, you know, business hours, but that's not always that's that's not always perfect, you know? It's just not always easy. And those visitor passes, I I do have them, the ones for the one night, and then you
have to flip it over and, you know, you you have to mark off the night and the day and it's only good for two days. That's not good for my family. That's not enough for my family. And for you know my my my um son's fiance when she comes she has to flip it. Well sometimes she's here it's three days and sometimes
she forgets to flip it and then she has a ticket. But why? To visit my son. I I just I don't know. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Elsa, can you can you clarify Elsa that is when they get those passes I thought
they were good for they're only good for two days. They can use them uh twice a week. So they're only good for two days. Okay. Yes. Uh but um so Sylvia and I spoke um I did mention to her about the weekly passes that we have. So there's a different pass that she can get. That's
a weekly one. So if a car is staying in Chelsea for more than um two days. Yeah. Uh she can use the weekly pass. Uh we sell up to four per registration per year. Okay.
Can can you get those online and can get all the permits we have. Um, she can How I'm sorry, how long does it take to get uh 7 to 10 business days. And does she have to come here and get it or does it get emailed to her? No. So, if you apply
online, we send it by mail. Um, I also mentioned to her um that if she has uh a print out of the application uh someone else can come on her behalf. She's working, she's busy, she can't
make it. Uh, someone else can come on her behalf with her license and um the um uh make sure that the application is signed and her utility bill. Um it all depends what she's applying for, but you
know, someone else can come on her behalf if she can't make it. So, if you apply in January and you buy one or two of these, you can use these throughout the entire year. Yes. So it's week after week or is it how does that I mean like is she has several family members coming
at different times? Can she buy one pass or does she have to buy like four? Well, what do you the weeklies? Yeah. Oh yeah, she can. So it's uh so if I if I have all of you coming, I can get six regist six uh weekly passes, you know, because
it's a different registration. Okay. And each one of you can get up to four per year. And it's for one week per pass. So she can get four weeks a year from one person. Okay. So that should cover it. Okay. And do you have to know when they're coming? Yes. Okay. Yeah. So
that's what makes it that's the like point that's maybe a little more challenging is like so that's why like if you know like let's say they come on a Thursday at least you have those emergency set of passes you know the ones that are for two days a week the
two day ones you know for those and yeah and then on Monday you can come and get a weekly pass. I mean, obviously it does sound like a little bit of a hassle and a challenge for you to come and do that and even even even just the time to do it online, but with with I mean, like you said, we have such tight parking and and the way
it is in Chelsea, unfortunately, it's just the way it is in certain sections of the city. It seems like your section is one of those 231. Um, yeah. So, another thing is that if it's during the day that they're getting tickets, just try to park at an area where it's not
daytime restricted. Uh, you know, at least they're not using the set of passes for the day, so I don't have to go outside and flip them. So, the other question she had was like under the bridge if So, everywhere in
Chelsea, um, you have to be overnight, you need a valid permit from the park to park. What about during the day? Can you be during the day? You would have to, if she wants to park in the depends where she parks. days. Some are some are all day restrictions around the bus stops
and around the bus stations and stuff and other parts of the city only have to pay. Okay. Yeah. The pass uh so the weekly is uh $15 and the one that's good for the whole year uh is $10.
And and like I said around your location, it's only daytime restrictions. It's only I mean sorry night time. It's only midnight to 4:00 a.m. That's her only resident permit restrictions is only overnight. But the pass and and if she has two ve because it's a set, right? Um if she has two
vehicles um coming over, one pass can go on one vehicle and the other uh pass on, you know, on another. So is this stuff she didn't know previous to you telling her? Is it is she a little more clear on it now? I I I
did tell her so but I don't know. I mean I don't know that necessarily this commission can even change the way we do our permitting whether it's online or not. That's not something we can really say but it is online so it is there. Uh I know she also mentioned uh Sylvia you mentioned also about you doing it
yourself for you to have access to these passes right away. Uh remember you mentioned that like you me mentioned something about Cape Cod having like do you mind coming over? Come up to the mic Sylvia please.
Please. I know if you if you go to like if I go to so my sister she spends a week in the in the cave and so when I go and visit and I have to park at the beach in Brewster I just go online and I do my parking for like the week you know
it's um there has to be a way in 2025 where you can just go online put all the same information and then just have it immediate instead of waiting like 10 days have wait for a week for it to come in the mail. I mean, I don't always
know, you know, and and I don't always know how long they'll stay. And I don't know always like which vehicle because I think you need the vehicle information for those weekly passes. For the weekly, yes, you need like the the um the make, the model, the plate number. I
mean, I just feel like in this day and age, it should it should just be easier, you know, more simplified. And and I I can't tell you how many tickets we've gotten just for forgetting to flip the pass because I do live on that main street. And who wants to, you know, if
if you're out at night, why would you want to park further away, you know, and then have to walk further away to come to come into the home? I don't know. It's unfortunate. It's either that or it's either that or walk out and flip the Passover. So, it's one or the other, unfortunately. Um Right. And I have
grandkids. They're little. They're not They're one and two. I mean, can I can I ask so like for you to be able to do what she's talking about the technology is that something that the city we would have to switch vendors and and we have looked into it but I don't I don't think
we're I don't think we're there yet. Okay. And even even then it's not something that this commission is going to hold or has the control. But my question is it something that she should be advocating with the city council? Um, she could I I I that I would have had a response. There's no ability to
email the pass to somebody if they do it right. No, it needs to have the city seal. Yeah. I just want to state your name. Yeah. Roberto Himenez, uh, 40 Elellanor Street, uh, city councelor at large. Um, so I know that the council at our last meeting, we were discussing a proposal from the city manager to move
to digital parking, uh, permits. Okay. My understanding is that that that may also apply for some of these um visitor permits. Is would that is that correct? And would that help because he he mentioned that it you know it would be like you would be able to get it instantaneously. Is that something that
would kind of decrease the amount of time? But so sounds like eventually I think we we might you know I I don't know but we're going to start with the citywide stickers. Yeah. Um, like I said
before, we're not there yet and it we have to work with our parking vendor. Um, so I think one of the um permits that we we'll start with will be with the citywide stickers, but not the passes. So it sounds like we might be
the council might be approaching that subject and it might get further, but it might take some time to get there. But I mean, obviously we're not a beach destination like the Cape, so we're not going to have it next day, but I mean hopefully we can get there within the next couple years. I I agree with you what you're saying about technology, but like you said, it's it's it's
unfortunate. It's just comes down to location and and how we set up our residential parking, unfortunately. Um, but like I said, in terms of these passes, I don't I don't even to be quite honest, I don't know if there's something that we can even vote on. I don't think so either. I I don't I
don't think the technologies there at this point. I mean, if it sounds to me like we're moving in that direction. Yeah, it it's just going to take some time. Motion to deny as it's not relevant to this commission. I'll second. All in
favor? I. Thank you. Next. Handicap application March 31st, 2025 for Fatima Caresso of 137 Hawthorne Street. I will make a motion to accept
the communication. Remove the sign. This is the removal. Orange Street removal. Oh, which one? Oh, sorry, Joe. I thought you were on Orange Street. Oh, this is hot. Oh, sorry. So, this is application. That was the removal one. No, my fault,
Joe. Sorry. I went too far ahead for this one. They're saying do not have a driveway. Hop on doesn't have a driveway, but it has one at 119 up. Yeah, it says 119 on the application.
And there's also one around the corner right on Sham, two or three spots up from Shamat from Hawth maybe 100 ft away, 150 ft away. So Jimmy, you're saying there's two there's one at 119 on Hawthorne and then
uh take the turn on Chestnut and sorry Chester and there's it's like two or three spots up from there. I mean, personally, I just hate to see so many spots taken away when there's two or three handicap signs in their vicinity. But then again, if there if there's that many people looking for handicap spots, I mean, I don't
see, especially with the issues that this person is having, I don't see how we can look the other way. I guess you guys feel parking in that area is already tight because it's metered. So, it's
obviously a challenge for her. Anyways, that particular one can go right in front of the entrance and it's three or four parking spots from 119 and it's three or four parking spots from the corner on Chester. So, it's not like it's right on top of the other one and we've got some pretty close together.
So, the other two Yeah. So, I would make a motion to accept it unless you guys feel that it's it's something that doesn't warrant. I mean, like I said, it'd be it's tough to overlook someone with especially with the conditions she has. You know, if they had a driveway, if they had another
means of parking, I would say sure. But, right, just just because four or five people with handicap placers living near each other, that's just coincidence, I guess. I'll second all three. Yeah. No, I'm just I just meant multiples. We don't like, you know, obviously we give one or two, but when you start to get
three, four, five in the same neighborhood, same block, it takes away from parking for the rest of the residents. That's all I look at. All in favor for that? I I thank you. So, next is a handicap application April
7th, 2025 by Evan Williams Jr. 162 Clark A. He says on here he's not a tenant. He's going to speak my own. That's why he's not attended. Good evening. And then just state your name and address for the record for me.
Evans Williams with the S. They put a They didn't put the S on there. Williams. Okay. I'm I'm call I'm requesting a sign. I've had my hips replaced. My knees are going
to be replaced. I'm veteran. Uh, I can't get any park in the front of my home at times and I'm walking from Galuli Road and having to come back, you know, to get some park in the front of my home. I just request something. I don't want to talk too long, but I'm And that and that driveway next to your
house belongs to 164. It's not a driveway. It's a It's like a walkway. Oh, is it a walkway? So, it's not even though it has a curb cut, it's not a driveway. Okay. Yes. I do know there is a no. We've we've implemented no parking here at the corner for the fire trucks to be able to make the turn onto Webster. So there's no specific parking
in front your house. It would be it would have to be 164 next door. Yes. Yes. Or across the street. Or across the street. Yes. No, actually there's none on that section of Clark. Now you have it marked off here that you're not a tenant. Excuse me? You have
it marked off here that you're not a tenant? I'm I I own the home. Okay. I've been here. Right. So, you you live there as you I've been living there for 29 years. I bought the home. I've been in Chelsea for 34 years. Okay. I'd make a motion to accept that one.
Second. All in favor? I. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, sir. Thank you. More can. Next communication April 14th, 2025 from director of facilities Joseph Cooney of the Chelsea public schools requesting the closure of a portion of Shirtlift
Street from Central to Congress A on June 12th from 7:00 a.m. to 400 p.m. for its annual spirit day. Uh this is a request that has come yearly from the school department since probably about 2010, 2011. It's been a few years now. They blocked the section.
We put some trucks out there. DBW blocks it. They bring the fire truck there. They bring the police truck over there. The copsicle goes there. So, it's a good time that the kids have before they get out of school. It's a little party for them to get out of school. I would make a motion to accept. Second. All in favor? I.
Next. Thank you, sir. Communication April 17th from Sarco Georgia requesting to remove the handicap sign at 127 Orange Street. I make a motion to accept and remove the
sign. Second. All in favor? Next handicap application April 17th, 2025 for Zia Lopez of 418 Crescent Avenue. I will speak on Zeta's behalf, Joe. She is actually working downstairs. She works in the clerk's office, so
she's working. Um, she's had obviously I've seen her walking through the hall. She's got like time going around. So, and then I do not believe there's any handicap spots in that location. No, I don't believe there's anything down there. And it's my grandmother's old
house, so that's how Yeah, my father grew up there. Yeah. I didn't know she lived there. So, I will make a motion to pass the request. I'll second. All in favor? I next handicap application April 17, 2025
for Peggy O'Neal of Four High Street. Uh the only thing I would say on this one was it's across the street from the park. There's no parking on that side of the street, High Street. So, as long as she's okay with it being across the street, which most people don't seem to have an issue with. Yeah. Other than
that, there's no handicaps. High street's a small street, but there's no signs on there. And I don't even know if there's any on that section of Beacon. I didn't look. Yeah. It says there's one at 89. 89. That's 112 114 up by that way. So, 90. Oh, yeah. Oh, before just after the
bridge. Yeah. It's It's about maybe a couple hundred feet away. There's nothing on High Street. No. I'll make a motion accept that one. Second. I'll second. All in favor? I. Next. Communication April 29, 2025 from
the pocket clerk Janette Centro White requesting the removal of the handicap sign at 93 Essex Street due to the failure to update the expired placard on file. Make a motion to accept. Second. I'll second. All in favor? I.
Next. Communication April 29th from Pockin Clark Janet Centron White requesting the removal of the handicap sign at 855 Broadway due to the failure to update the expired placard on file. I'll make a motion to accept. Second.
Yep. All in favor? I I Yes. Sorry. Yeah, thank you. Uh, lastly, communication April 29, parking clerk Janette Centron White requesting the removal of handicap sign at 80 Blossom Street due to the failure to update the expired placard on file.
I'll make a motion. I'll second. All in favor? I. Thank you. There are no more agenda items for this month. Meeting will be adjourned. Thank you all for coming. Thank you, sir. Thank you.