10 seconds. Go pass my good uh evening everyone. We're going to go ahead and get started. 6:00 uh officially opening up the Traffic and Parking Commission public meeting for October 2025. Uh a few things for today. I want to let everybody know that we do have a Spanish interpreter here with us
today should anybody need one. Uh quick reminder uh to sign in to my right. Uh if you wish to speak, uh if you do speak, we're going to set a limit to about four to five minutes. Speaking of the microphone, uh just give your name and address for the record and reminder
to please just stay on topic for the items that are on the agenda. So, first up is the approval of the minutes from the June 3rd, 2025 meeting. If anyone wants to make a motion, I would like to make a motion to approve the minutes from the June 3rd meeting.
I will second the motion. All in favor? I I Next, approval of the minutes from the September 2nd, 2025 meeting. I'll make a motion to accept the minutes from the September 2nd meeting. Second. All in favor?
I. Okay. Next up, we have a public hearing proposing amendments to article 13 of the citywide parking program. If anyone's here from the public that wishes to speak on that, Can I make a motion to close the
hearing? A second. Second. Second. All in favor? I I. And I would like to make a motion to adopt the changes as proposed by the clerk. I will second the motion. All in favor? I I
Next up on the agenda is communication of April 28th, 2025 from Linda Doo requesting speed humps on Pine Street. Is Linda here tonight? Councelor, if you want to speak, just come up right to the mic.
Thank you, madame board members and staff and Mr. Chairman. Um, so yeah, I'm on here on her behalf tonight. She was here at her last meeting with her family. They've been coming up for quite a while and um I suggested that I would go up because she told me she had an
emergency. She could not be here. Um, but she did want um folks to know that she's in dire need of that um speed bump. Um it's a small treat. Um I've talked to neighbors there. She'd have a lot of neighbor supports. there's been some petitions on behalf of her and her
family to um try to go after this. And I told her again that I would try to go up and speak on her behalf, but it's always great to have someone. She called me up again and asked me if I would go. I told her we have a meeting um for the soccer proposal that's going to be coming
around in our neighborhood and I was glad to see that it was up to the near top. So, I wanted to stop by and um show support for her um her neighbors. Uh it's not a lot of um houses, so there's not too many houses. The issue is the
the quickness in the traffic when they come up and try to shoot through, but there are a few um children there, and we're also concerned about that. Again, it's maybe four or five um apartments and houses on there, but there are a few children and her impairment from her
blindness. and um it caused a habit for her and she would um really appreciate if the board would go favor in her request. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you counselor. We spoke about doing some traffic coming measures doing some light art.
There is people to take traffic counts. I haven't done it up there. Liberty Maintenance is doing the construction for the development on William Street. So that street has been closed more often than not. Pinehouse. Pinehouse. They're not allowing access. So, not a good opportunity for you to go take speed
just yet because the road's closed can even access it. Not every day, but majority of the time. And again, we're dealing with speed humps. I don't know if the fire department just wants to make any comment about the speed humps in general. As usual, the speed humps are are
something we're usually against, but I think Pine Street's a small street. What happens is when uh fire truck making progress. We have to slow down for speed bumps because speed humps, anything over time, damage fire trucks and then
you need to build momentum back up. You know, all of our trucks are multi-tonon vehicles and it slows us down wherever we go with uh speed bumps. So, Pine Street would is not a street we use very frequently for uh traversing the city,
going to any calls. I don't think we would have an objection to Pine Street. That's We're usually not in favor of speed bumps. Thank you. Hi, Lisa. Hi. I know that councelor Brown spoke on
behalf of Mrs. Dub, but um she contacted me almost a year ago and again just to reiterate the fact that it's particularly dangerous for her because of the fact that she's sight impaired and that I don't know if there's any
special arrangements because of that. But it's you can imagine um it's harder for her to navigate um than it would be for the average person. So, I don't know about an exception um or some kind of speeding mitigation
if it's not a speed bump, but something because it's quite dangerous for her. Great. Understood. And thank you, counselor. Um this is one that I have like I to your point, it seemed like maybe a
lowerhanging fruit that wouldn't be detrimental to the fire department. Um so I am glad that that is kind of on the same page. My after the last meeting you and I had talked about trying to take speed data and using that as a basis for
something. I think that I know no one likes to hear this but if we can give it one more month and I will come back with something that's maybe more of a plan for how we're going to do this. Um and not just traffic and
parking saying yes we can slap a speed bump down there. Speed bumps really tend to work to reduce speeds when they are planned and part of like a series of speed bumps. One slows people down for a second but not like for the course of a road. So if it's something that the fire
department is open to in this location, I want to have a little more conversation both with the fire department DPW and with our trafficcoming engineers who one of whom is here right now. Um so you'll be hearing from me about this on Thursday. Um, but it sounds like this could be a
good place to pilot some additional speed bumps in a lower impact of the fire department way. So, can I request to table this for the November meeting in hopes that I can come back with an update? Does anyone want to second that? I'll second. Second. All in favor?
I. Next. The handicap application June 18, 2025 for Santos Romero of 105 Garfield A. Wasn't this one the one we had missing information on or something? I believe Garfield.
So, I reached out to him and I provided him with a new um handicap application. He did not return it. I mean, as it is, he has checked that there is off- streetet parking available to him, and like we talked about last
time, I'm not sure if that's a mistake, but I don't feel like we can grant the application without some clarification from him. I I agree. And we reached out to him and he didn't reach respond back to us, so I'm more inclined to reject it. Elsa, would you be willing to reach out
to him one more time after we make this vote and he can reapply? So, um, I spoke to him on the phone and I also spoke to him in person. Yeah. He So, he had his chances. Yeah. I make a motion just to deny it.
If he does bring he can make he can reapply in a month or two if he wants to get the right information and put on. So, I'll make a motion to deny the request for handicap sign at 105 Garfield. Second. Second. Second. All in favor? I
next is communication uh June 26, 2025 from councelor Giovanni recuper requesting the installation of a speed bump in front of 140 Essex Street. I would like to defer to the fire department to comment on this. Well, Essex Street is a a really common
street for us and as you're all familiar with, every other street's a one way. So I um it is a really common route for us and speed bumps there would would be a problem for us. So Emily, I know we've done have we done
a full traffic study? Now we put one obviously in the block before that. He wants it in the second block after closer towards his house. Have we done a full traffic study on that street? No, we're doing some work right now to look at all of the one-way streets in and around there, but not quite to look at
like traffic speeds, more to look at flow. I mean, obviously, I mean, until he either gets one or we somehow come to some other traffic calming measure, he's going to just keep asking for it. So, I mean, we, you know, we at least at least need to maybe try to do our diligence and just at least try to set up some
kind of something that'll at least uh check out the the if a speed hump will or will not work there. I mean I mean my hesitation so far has been that like I would love to be able to evaluate other things that are not speed bumps other traffic caling measures other
traffic calming measures myself included I'd rather do that too yeah and hope but with the with the an evaluation of that street we can find that hopefully yes the councelor Rubro as everybody knows has been here quite a number of times and has but then too then this is going to turn
into we're going to end up doing this on every street I mean it's something we want to do to make every the road safer, but we do also have a lot of streets and we also have other issues on some of those streets that we also need to deal with. So, you know, not not always the top of the like you said, it's not always the number one issue. Obviously,
speed is, but there are other ways we can limit the speed. So, Jimmy, is there a stop sign at the beginning of that block of Essex Street? So, there's a stop sign at every intersection going up Essex from what I remember. Okay. Hawthorne, Shortlift, Shamut, Lind
Street, and will uh Highland all have stop signs. Okay. So, like you said though about the speed bumps before, you can go over speed bump, you can hit a stop sign, and if there's another stop sign 500 feet away, you can step on it and do 60 to it and then stop again and step and go. You know, people do that constantly. You know, we see it everywhere in the city.
So, unfortunately, that's that's So, if we're going to put a speed bump here, it would need to be like speed bumps on the entire length of Essex Street. I would think if you were to do speed bumps on Essic Street, it would it would mirror what they did on Marorrow Street, which is technically what he wants and what he's been asking for. I wasn't involved with the Marorrow Street speed uh calming measures over there. I don't I don't think anybody on this
commission was. So, it was prior to my my stepping in here. So, I want to say that that's what he would like and that's to me is it does help, but is it also a nuisance? Yes. If a fire truck's got to get to the end of Marorrow Street, he's got to go stop go stop go stop the whole way up
Marorrow Street. whereas, you know, without that, they can just get to the fire or medical response much quicker. So, I just think we just constantly, sorry, we just constantly keep saying, "We're going to table, we say no, we say no." Like, I think we need And then he puts in a new order. Yeah. You know, you know, and which is
his right, but we also need to, like I said, we need to either just get a whole traffic study. And if you're doing one on all of those streets, then maybe we can try to Well, it's not really a traffic calming study as much as it is a traffic flow. But, okay, here's my question. Sorry, we're really putting it on the hot seat tonight because we're very happy to have you here. We just want to make sure you
know that um there are kinds of speed bumps that we can like bolt to the road that are supposed to be narrower than the wheels of a standard fire truck but wider than the wheels of a standard like personal use vehicle. Can you go back and have some discussion
with your fellow fire department folks about whether there's an appetite for that? Uh because that is one of the solutions that we've looked into and tried to like socialize. But like that's what I have been kind of mulling as the potential solution for Essex Street. Sure. If we could get dimensions for
whatever um device you're planning on using or thinking about using, we could certainly do some in-house testing with uh either a mockup or or a sample of what you were planning on using. U we're certainly not against everything
uh public safety related. It's just damage to the vehicles, slowing down responses. We're just trying to keep things moving. Completely understand this. Essex Street is just like, as you say, it's a bigger street to be trying this on than Pine
Street, right? Like the two require different treatments. Absolutely. And that's just what we want to be sensitive to. I mean, so like I mean I mean I mean obviously if we deny it, so you know, we're kind of if we deny, he's probably just gonna put another one in. But if we at least if we can kind of deny it with
the notion of of possibly trying to figure out another solution and that's part of it like you just said Emily. Well do we it kind of seems like this is the first one we maybe don't need to deny that we can just table it for you can well table. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deny but I'm just saying table it but just tableling it leads to the
next month and then the next month and then just keep Can we table this one for December? I don't think I'm going to have news in Yeah. say it could be a little. So, can we table this one for December and we can let councelor Rupo know that like there's no need to resubmit it for November? That's fine. Is that okay with folks?
So, what's your motion? Uh motion to table speed bumps on Essex Street for the December meeting of the traffic and parking commission. I'll second the motion. All in favor? I I I. Next is a handicap application from July
31st, 2025 for Sonia Morales of 136 Shammit Street. I think we asked for clarification whether or not she can use the driveway in her residence, which looks like it holds three in. Oh, no. She had a um Is that her? She had No, sorry. Someone else had a
letter from their landlord. Okay. She does. She doesn't, I I thought we asked for maybe clarification, but if not, I know I drove over there today. There are like four spots. There's a couple on Cottage, I think. Is that what it is? I want to say there's two or three at least, maybe even more.
They're on Chester and sorry, Chester. Chester and Shaman. Yeah, there's one right across from our house. There's one on Chester. There's one up on Cottage. I mean I mean I'm not against obviously saying no to you know people with with that need a handicap accessible parking but we're also going to think of the
regular residents that need parking as well. And usually to me just taking up four spots in a small neighborhood or two or three spots on a on one street is is usually where it's it becomes too much of a well there's also that she didn't provide some information about off-
streetet parking available or a driveway. Correct. So, she's not here to speak on it. Is this not a person who we had tabled and you followed up with or is this the first submission? So, we tabled it and
uh you guys told her to try to utilize the ones that are available. Oh, this is that one. Thank you. So, she might not have known she was allowed to park at a Right. She was and we did tell her to come back. I did send her an invitation to this
meeting as well. then I guess we deny and she can reapply if she has a problem with it at a later point. So I make a motion to deny this application. I will second the motion. All in favor? I I.
Next. Communication of August 22nd, 2025 from Alexander Genevese requesting to appeal the revocation of his visitor parking pass by the parking clerk. So before you go, I think Peter you gonna have uh city attorney speak first on behalf of this. This is a little
different. So um I'll clarify the process for the commission. I know that this isn't something that this board typically engages in. Um this is an adjudicatory hearing which is going to be held under um MGL 3A section 14. So what that means
is that someone will come up there has um in this case been an allegation that the resident parking pass program uh was violated by the individual the clerk had revoked the um the permit on that basis.
So how it will work is is the petitioner in this case the resident will come up they will present their case um the parking clerk will uh then come up and present their case. There's an opportunity for both parties to ask the other questions if they have any. Um any
documentation which is presented by any of the parties should be marked as uh an exhibit uh and will be given to the chair. Um and if anybody has any questions throughout the process, I'll be um right here. But that's uh
generally how it works. Um and then at the end you will make a finding that the or or not make a finding that the clerk had acted um correctly in revoking the path or not. Um and that is within this
board's discretion to do so. Um and I'll be right back there if you have any questions. Okay, perfect. Thank you. Um do does Mr. Genev need to sign in like our normal? No. Does Mr. need to I just don't know whether that counts in this case.
He should be signing if you wouldn't mind signing in. I was about to ask you and then I was like I've never done one of these. What if it's not relevant? Alexander, just state your name and your address. All right. Um, my name is Alex Alexander Genevies
and I'm a resident at One Park Street, Unit One in Chelsea. Um, good evening and thank you uh for letting me speak tonight regarding the revocation of my visitor parking pass. Um, and also thank you to Miss Quesada
and her staff for their flexibility and patience with letting me participate in this meeting. Um, I'm here to appeal the decision made on July 24th by the Chelsea Parking Department according to the notice of which the original was submitted to Miss Quesado. Uh, my permit
was revoked for alleged misuse. um specifically that the dates on my permit were um scribbled over in pencil and then erased um which the letter characterized as fraud. Um I want to make it clear that I've always strived
to follow um all parking regulations. Uh the photograph that was provided to me as evidence does not in my opinion uh clearly show any tampering or misuse. it was blurry, black and white, um, and couldn't show pen, pencil. Um,
additionally, I've submitted the original permit to, uh, Miss Quesada, which I believe shows no sign of alteration. Um, additionally, I found the revocation process extremely difficult. Um when I initially requested a more detailed justification of the
evidence uh over the phone, I was told initially that there was no specific documentation in the system. Um the clerk's office staff member also mentioned that the city had recently observed a small number of permit misuse cases and in his opinion had responded
by applying uh enforcement measures more broadly. I don't have any supporting evidence for that as it was over the phone um and with an unnamed city staff member, but I did want to mention this um as it raises concerns that my permit as well as possibly others um were
revoked without sufficient evidence. Um I respectfully ask that you uh review this revocation and reinstate my visitor parking privileges. I appreciate your time and consideration and I'm happy to answer any questions. Thank you.
Uh, I have a question. Um, I don't know who can answer it, but you you're a resident, correct? Yes. Um, so to the mic. Give one second. Yeah. So, why why do you need a visitor parking pass if you're a resident? Um, if I have guests staying overnight.
Um, so just an open parking pass for anyone who I applied through at the city and it's based on my personal parking. My car I have a permit for um and then the city has a program through their parking department that allows for guests of
mine to stay overnight in their with their vehicles um through a is that a common thing? Yes, twice a twice a week. Two different permits. Um, so it was brought to our attention through our parking enforcement officers that there was fraud being done or uh
the permit was being altered. Um, so each permit on the bottom says the instructions on how to use it. You fill in the blocks with black ink so it's not um erased. And so before they issue this ticket, they get out of the car, they have a flashlight, they can see the permit and how it's marked. Um,
unfortunately I don't have a color printer. So when I send out the letter, I send a picture but it is in black and white. Um but the person can see the picture themselves when they put their ticket number into the system. Um our system does not I cannot we don't have
it's not that sophisticated where I can scan this and put it into our database. Our database is really just for parking tickets. Um so on July 24th I sent a letter saying that um it was brought to our attention uh that there was fraud. Um, and so what I have here is, um, I
was able to get them color printed. Um, and so you'll see the difference with the picture taking taken at the time of the violation versus when he, uh, brought it to our office. You're going to see the alteration in itself. Um, and you're going to see that it's marked
more than once per week. Um, and then uh there's the pencil. I'm assuming I have to assume uh and the PEO wrote it in the uh ticket for the person to see is that it's they're using pencil and then you
can see from their actual permit and the uh pictures from that were taken the difference from the original Okay. Is it okay if I just multiple people atce So May 2025.
This is a picture of his past. It was supposed to be marked just once and he us Thanks to me. Um, has there ever been a sit or like possible that there is a situation where the parking clerk took a picture of someone else's pass?
No. No. Okay. It was tied to license plate and the pass. Thank you. The address is also listed on the permit that matches the one on file. I guess may I ask a couple questions,
Mr. Genevves? Uh, sorry, Jennese. Whatever. Jenn Okay. Um, how would you explain the difference between where the like the photograph of the pass that the parking enforcement
officer took, which has shaded in May 1st through 4th, and the one you mailed in, which has what looks like erased pencil marks on May 1st through 4th, but not colored in. And they do appear from other pictures taken to have the same
pass number and address. in the microphone though just so if you want you could you could take the I wasn't aware of that specific date range as the letter that I received initially showed just black and white so I wasn't pos sure about that specific
date range I will acknowledge that we've had difficulty in terms of miscommunications and understanding of the parking policy in general in terms of how long someone could stay and the switching of permits and we had gone uh to the clerk's office a couple of
times to try to get a better explanation and understanding of this. Um and the parking cycle um restarts following May, I believe May or June. And so this new cycle, we've
until the parking pass was revoked um been following that more closely. But my challenge initially was that the letter only stated about the pencil. And so I wasn't sure about that date range
date range until just now. So I don't have an explanation unfortunately. I do also want to ask you like it says on the bottom of the pass that you can only use it once per week and on the pass you mailed in multiple nights per week. Sorry. Is it just like is the parking system confusing and that's the
issue? You can come to the mic if you're going to speak. Yes. So, can you state your name and address for the record? Yes. Siobhan Devkin also at One Park Street. Um, in terms of the use of past, like for example, I going off the top of my head, I'm sure it might say like May 4th, May 5th next to each other.
Correct. Like something like that. Um, like in terms of like the days are consecutively next to each other. Yes. um lots of consecutive days. Yes, exactly. So, we were not informed that you have to shade for the range
that matches the sign on the street, which is I believe like 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. is the coverage of the pass. The instructions are on the Okay. Well, we I I also called the parking clerk multiple times. Every time I'm going to speak as the assistant. Uh every time we give these
out, we always explain and we like for the resident to leave um and to understand how to use the pass. That may be the idea, but that was not communicated. I can say for a fact too
that like for example before this year came, they never told us which streets we could have visitors park on even. So visitors that we had were repeatedly getting ticketed on like random streets and um in terms of this case too it like
for example the shading of like let's say let's the fourth and the fifth consecutively was in idea to um like cover the overnightish if that makes sense. Like if somebody was staying overnight, it would be like the
idea was that it would be covered for that like not the 12 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. through the night. If that makes sense. That's why they're on the plate. Emily, does it say to write in black ink? Because my curiosity is if you don't use black ink, my problem is like the knowledge aspect. By
using something other than black ink, it appears that something has been erased. So that's my only concern saying you have a lack of knowledge of how to use it. But if it says black ink, that eliminates the need to use anything to erase what has already been marked. So that's just for me it's
the pass does say pass valid within five blocks of resident address and fill in the box with black ink on the date of use. Date of use begins at midnight. So can I is there anything else you would like to say? Do you have a question? just if I wanted
to inter uh invite anything else you might want to say because I was going to make a motion. So I would like to make a motion to reinstate their parking pass privileges as a result of you know there are clearly some mistakes that were made
here in the use of the pass. But I think that from discussions with the clerk and just like we're all fine if you guys want to take another stab at it with a strong encouragement to read the instructions on the visitor pass. I mean I I mean I'm a little inclined to disagree with you Emily only because
like Joe said if states clearly in black gank it states how far you can park. It also states the times on it and and it's described to you when you pick the pass up. I mean, if you and if you don't understand it at the time or if you don't understand it after the first night of doing it, you come and ask questions. Some of these ones that they look like they erased was three months
after they used the pass. Another So, they knew how to use the pass back in March, no problem. And then it was only after that when they it seems like they were erased that they had an issue with it. So, I mean, I'm I'm inclined to disagree with you. Another point I want to make is that
there were several tickets given to uh the person using this pass. So, it should have been like a red flag. Oh, I I got a ticket. Let me see. Let me look into this. Why am I getting it? And usually the PEO writes a note on the
ticket. What was the ticket for? Like the ticket reason. Um I think resident like because of the improper use. Yeah. But I think it's for resident, right? Because they're being used multiple times.
One challenge that we've had since the since we moved in and filed all the paperwork to get the initial pass, I believe it was two years ago now, was that the corner that we live on has no street parking kind of within that
initial vicinity. So, we've parked on a side street about two blocks down. And so when we moved in initially, that street that we were just used accustomed to parking in has only the time restriction on the signs um for 12 well
actually no the street that we park on has time restrictions for 12 to 5 which is the night time as well as a 8 to 5 I don't remember the exact a daytime restriction 8 a.m. as well, which we weren't we were not aware of that there was that
distinction. And so we tried multiple times with the clerk's office to either apply for a day pass um which we were told where we weren't eligible for because the streets that were specifically on our designated block were all night even though there were like two spots and one of them was
handicapped. So we couldn't park on that kind of area. Um, and so there was a lot of disconnect in terms of who was eligible for a day pass versus a night pass, which cut is the reason for those tickets.
But once this new parking pass cycle began, um, I made an effort to go to the clerk's office in person and spent time with one of their staff members to truly understand kind of the zone and vicinity of what is eligible for a night pass
versus a day pass. Um, can we can you clarify what are residents allowed to get a day pass and a night pass? I believe they are, aren't they? Or does it have to be one or the other? So, some areas are daytime, nighttime. And so, what he's explained to you is
that he lives on lit on the line. And so, okay, he's saying that he got it was explained to him that he's um on the line of the side that's night only, midnight to 5, but he's along one Park Street is along um the 2 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. And then so
he would really need the permit uh and on the Broadway corridor from 2 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. And so past that, there is a daytime restricted, which the signs will tell you. Um uh they're they're different permits, but
like we said, we explain that all to everyone. Um but someone like his circumstance or even someone else where they have the day night almost, could they have gotten a day pass or no? No. So he doesn't qualify because he's and that list is online too for all the restricted daytime areas. Um but my concern is to your point
earlier is that in March and April it was it was Yeah. I mean Yeah. Yeah, I mean that's my only one thing with that part. I mean obviously like you said if he's you know and it's and parking's tough in the city. That's why I said it's also, you know, we don't want to we don't want to stop people from living here and parking here obviously, but we want them to
follow the rules when they're parking here. And that's why we started the whole residential program in the first place because we were having such mis uh such abuse of it whether it was on Park Street, whether it was in Prattville, on the border to Everett, whether it was on the border to River, we had just a lot of issues with it. So, it's been very helpful in keeping out the, you know,
the other especially once Everett implemented it, everybody started parking at Chelsea. So, then once we implemented it behind them, it kind of worked out pretty good. Um, I mean I I I do agree with Emily and such that we don't want to restrict people restrict people from parking, but we also want you to follow the rules. And if you didn't understand how to do it, you
could have came and asked. I know you say you came a few times and did ask, but I think clarification would have been given to you if you were properly asking maybe the right questions. Maybe it wasn't so much that I don't there was obviously some kind of miscommunication in there between the two of you. Maybe I don't know. I'm not opposed to the
reinstatement, but I want to be clear that there was fraud done. Yeah. You one of the dates is the first, the second, and the third. So, it's three days in a row. So, as everyone has noticed, the directions are on the bottom. Um, if there's an agreement that
it won't happen, again, I'm not looking to punish people. You should be able to have visitors. It's not that. It's the fraud or the altering of the past is the reason why I have to do what I have to do. Um, I gain nothing in that. And I'm not looking to punish anyone. Um, but
this is the process after we revoke it. Um, so could we better going forward if we decide to do that, could we better clarify with him where he possibly can and can't park because if he goes No. So you would that list is really if we could provide you with the list, but your signage is what's telling you where
which Yeah. But he's only limited to five blocks around that neighborhood that he can park his visit on a certain during the So his permit is at night. So it really at night is really when he has to um he really is using that permit. So
that would say to anyone that during the day his guests cannot park towards the waterfront. Yeah. With the courthouse, the line the imaginary line, they should park on the other side of the Broadway. So you're on the other side of that. Um and I think the the one disconnect and
challenge with us when we moved in was a lot of that those blocks afterwards are restricted for the police department. Um, so the only areas right near our apartment, there's one spot that's shared amongst four or five different units and then a handicap spot and then
the rest of the parking spots down. It's in front of the stations for the police. Correct. Yep. And then the rest of them are um metered and so we we weren't sure and because as she said we live on that line and we've moved in initially. I applied for both the day pass
is when is it w summit 12 to 5 Janette behind this behind Monday through Friday it's it's 12 to 5 every night but Monday through Friday is 8 to 6 during the day because of the courthouse on win 2004 uh half of yeah when a summit
okay so just for my own clarification this pass if you look horizontally Sunday through Saturday when it says fill in the box with black ink one use per week there should only be one number in black ink per per card. Okay. Do you understand that?
Yes, I understand that. Now, the challenge was because we weren't when I started getting ticketed for the day pass challenges, we like in the system and stuff, it doesn't say it's like we did had a disconnect initially, which is why we did it for multiple days because we
we're like we're trying to figure out why we're getting ticketed for days when we don't get a date pass. But when that since that's been all clarified with this new cycle and eligible parking spots because this is overnight like in front of Curies across the street from police station all along Broadway that's eligible. So
those metered spots but during the day as a resident with his sticker he can park it there. He can but his guests his visitors cannot. Yeah. Well he can park at the meter and pay the and pay the meter. Yeah. Correct. Outside of the daytime restricted area. I I think going I think going forward we
if if if if the clerk is fine with us ac accepting and reinstating it as Emily stated and the condition and if you have any questions reach out to ask reach out to the police so the police can also help you too or we can get you the answer you can reach out to me at DPW we'll get you an answer if needed we'd rather have we'd rather have you reach out instead of getting questioning it or
not to not knowing exactly what you need to do so we'd rather have you reach out. Yes sir. Okay. I will make a motion to reinstate on the condition that he does it properly and ask any questions if he needs to. Second. Seconded. All in favor? I. Thank you, Pete.
Thank you, Peter. Thanks, Pete. Next handicap application August 22nd, 2025 for Nidia Garcia of 36 Garland Street. There is I don't believe there is a where was the one is there a note does
this expire next month yeah you made a note now so can you explain why plet expires on 11 the handicap uh plaque card expires in November 2nd so if we were we were authorized it wouldn't this wouldn't go it wouldn't
get approved by council until after November second and her plaque would be expired so she hasn't that time until that time to renew it Now, is it up to us to reach back out to her to ask her to renew it before we approve it, or should we just leave it up to her to We've never dealt with this before.
I She's not here today. Um, if you want to just We have her contact. I mean, I'm more than happy to speak to her. Would you like to reach out? So, let's let's table. I'll make a motion to table if you can reach out to her and clarify that she's going to renew it. She is,
but she it hasn't expired yet. So we could grant it and if her but the way the process goes and remember council we won't it won't get approved until after November 2nd. Well but she doesn't have to wait for it to expire for her to renew it. What if she doesn't renew it? We need to have updated records. Yeah,
that's one of the But it's but like Emily said, it's updated now. So it is current. But it is current now and if it gets to council and it's not updated then they can decide not to approve it. But I just don't want to preemptively assume she's not going to renew it and delay the whole process a month. So also we unfortunately we need
you to follow up with with her still to make sure that she that she renews it. That's all. But like assuming that she agrees to renew it. I would like to motion to grant this one. I agree. No, I agree with you what you're saying. Yeah. We'll just else we'll just follow up to make see if she is going to renew it and then by the pro by the time she renews it, council will
pass it and they'll be kind of in effect. Yeah. So make a motion. Motion to approve. Second. I'll second. All in favor? Hi. Hi. Um, for this one, this next one, um, he
included a map that I found difficult to read, um, and like a picture. So, the folks over there have a print out of this in color and we do as well. We'll just have to share. Sorry members of the audience, I did not bring enough printouts. So, this one is uh the communication of September 4th, 2025
from Edwin Berentos requesting assistance on ongoing parking issues on Cherry Street. Sorry, yeah, the picture he submitted one and then he replied to that to submit another. Okay.
Um we have looked making Hawthorne one way before and I think that there was a public safety reason we could not do that. Oh, sorry. The first one's cherry. No, go ahead. Finish. What? First one's cherry. Cherry.
Sorry. Sorry. Please. Yeah. So, this is Can you just state your name and address for the record, please? Edwin Barentos 85 Chestnut. Thank you. So, I've owned this property for a while now, and uh on and off for a few years.
Uh this issue comes back where residents from Cherry Street uh a few that live on Broadway that park on Cherry Street that have their parking lot on Cherry Street. Uh they for
whatever reason tend to park on the sidewalk on Cherry on Cherry Street. So, there's no parking on Cherry Street at all. I know. Okay. I'm just I'm just saying. I'm just confirming. Y I know. Uh and they tend to block my driveway. So, my house is on Chestnut,
but my driveway access is on Cherry Street. Okay. It's one of three houses that has access to both streets. Uh I continue to call the police. Yep. Did they come out? They respond, don't they? So, it's a mixed uh action
each time. Really? So, when I call, they act like I'm disturbing them and then they cut me off and they say, "Oh, yeah. We'll send somebody." But they do answer your knowledge and send somebody. Okay. That's when that's when you call 911 to No, I have the act direct number.
Okay. I was given. Okay. Uh, so they either don't show up, they show up two hours, three hours late, or there there are times where I do have to go out, there's a car parked. No, you're speaking I'm just asking like
you specifically saying they're blocking my whole driveway or their bumpers in their front their nose. Like that's I'm just curious to how it's uh they block by entire access. So if you're only one of the three houses back there and there's nothing on Cherry, there's no businesses. Where are these cars parked? Where are they going? Do you know? You don't know. Okay.
Doesn't matter. I just meant there's no businesses there. There's no stores. There's no like I could tell you. But are people just parking and leaving their cars there for the weekend? So, it's mainly on the weekend during the day at night. Recognizing that you are not a parking
officer, so you're not necessarily keeping records of this. Are is like there like a car parked there Saturday night that's there until Sunday night? Like are they there for a brief trip on Broadway or like for the whole stretch of the week? think they because they can't find parking on Broadway, they
they tend to park on Cherry Street and because they've done it multiple times, they say, "Well, I'm just going to go there and leave it for an hour or two." Okay. And again, like I I said, I call sometimes they don't show up. They show up two, three hours late. I don't want
to bother the police like after a first. So very quickly though, make I just want to ensure going forward, make sure you call 911 so there's a record of your phone call to 911. Told me not to call 911 because that's I'm telling you as the chair to call 911 because number one, it creates a record
of your 911 call. Number two, it records your 911 call. Number three, there should be never a time where a 911 call is held unless we're dealing with a priority call. So all calls are important. If if there's something going on on a Saturday night where manning is minimum and there's more
serious calls that are being dealt with. Yes, that would maybe justify waiting a little delay in responding to your call because we may be dealing with violent crime. However, by you calling 911, there's a record of it. That call is just being held. It's in the queue and then we're going to get to it because we
do have a dedicated parking enforcement officer when they choose to work the overnight parking that takes care of it. I've owned this house for 15 16 years and this issue goes that far. I've had communications with at the time when it
started with Roy Aana who was the at large counselor. He and I had several meetings. He has come he came out as witness and he's called. He said this on the weekends as primarily or starting Thursday through Sunday
because unfortunately the only remedy is to call 911. I can't prevent people from owning cars, but if people got this expedited to the chief through Roy and through, you know, Judith Garcia, through uh several counselors, I sent several emails. I sent a couple
emails to her. Is it repeat offenders? Is it the same car over and over and over? Same. I could I could tell from the car is the same people. Okay. I know two are residents of Cherry Street and then the rest they're uh They
come to Carly's or the lounge next to Carly. Okay. Well, if you know who it is, we can discuss off and then I can contact them. I flag the police. They say, "Oh, we'll go look." But the problem is is that like you said, there's no parking on
Chair Street. There's signs everywhere on every resident double parking I think. Is that what they're doing? There's literally no there's no room for park. Sorry. There's no Yeah, it's not wide enough to park. But so but the problem is is the police they come but they don't move the car
there are times where I do have to go. I get you. I get you. And that's where and that's like where the chair said that's when you need to call 911 and say I got to get out of ask for a tow and they say well let me call the numbers but I need to go. What numbers are they calling? They may they may call it in and knock.
Yeah. So what what the practice is for police is mostly they like to knock on doors first before we tow because we don't want to just assume that you know we like to to to give a little bit of courtesy and see if we can get them moved before towing. Towing usually the last option I had to go drop off and pick up my
father at the hospital. He had uh an appointment at MGH and when I came back there was a car blocked. This was during the day. During the day. And how long did the car wait? How did you do when what happened? I I told him let's go do an errand and come back. Okay. So you didn't stay. Okay. I don't know how long that car was there.
So, like the chair said, going forward, you need to just call the police. I mean, of uh as as far as this commission is concerned, we deal with the parking of it, which we already know that there's already a sufficient no parking sign. I've spoken with the uh the parking people, meter mates, and I've asked
them, can you please send somebody over, give them the address, can you do something? Yeah, but like he said though, the clerks are not the clerks are not on call to come out and just do wherever there's a ticket needed. They have a they have a they have a system and they have a a route that they follow in. So that's the issue. That's the first
issue. The second issue is that police when they're not called, they do swing by because I see them, but they don't move the cars. Okay. So just to clarify too, off of Williams Street, you come Williams at Cherry. It's from it's Cherry between
Williams and Second Street. Yes. Okay. Um, well, upon being notified of your correspondence here, I will take it upon myself to ensure that anytime you call 911, I will inform the rest of my department that number one, that's a fire hazard anyway. A fire truck would not be able to go down that street
if a car is double parked there, which means that we would need to tow the car so the fire department could access that road. And that is a reason for us. It's a towable offense. So, I can assure you number one, a ticket can be issued, the car can be towed, but we would have no idea that a car is double parking unless
we come by in our random patrols or if you call 911 directly. When you call the OIC line directly, it's good. You're notifying us, but a call number still needs to be generated. So, the most efficient way is by you calling 911, giving your name and address, and saying, "My my my driveway is blocked or
there's a double car double parked." If there's no calls for service that involve violent crime that we're dealing with immediately, we'll respond in a reasonable manner, ticket the car, tow the car. But you just have to keep calling it like like anything because it's not like preemptively. Yeah. Because when I call the dispatch,
the direct number, like I said, uh they act like I'm disturbing their I don't know, their peace and quiet time. And I could talk supervisor to their supervisor to ensure that you know a more um they're not professional. Yes. Yes. which is a little off topic
from this. Just I want I want to ensure you that you're well that's the reason I stop calling as much as I do when I do have to go out and I just reschedule what I have to do and just wait until they leave. Yeah. The rudess I could I could take care of but you do need to call 911 just
continuously and I think after a car is um towed one time that owner of they'll stop parking there. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Because and I would encourage you to mention when you call 911 that it's a fire hazard. There there was one instance where the cop came within 10 minutes of
me calling and he was there blasting his sirens for 20 minutes which is an inefficient use of that officer. So I again I'm going to notify the rest of my department of the proper procedure of how to make a road more safe since the fire department cannot access it if a car is parked in that manner. So I do appreciate you bringing
this to our attention. I'm not sure how a motion will be made on this. I don't it's not something that I think the commission needs to vote on. Yeah. I don't think we need to vote on it. just that you are going we're aware of it. Hopefully the police will will will discuss it into amongst themselves to take care of it. And like I said, this has been ongoing for 15 years, maybe more. I've come to
this body before and asked for help, and they promised, even the chief has promised to send somebody uh on foot patrol every day. Doesn't happen. I'm new to this chair role, but this is the first time we've met each other. So,
I can assure you that my department will be notified and that all cars parked on Cherry Street improperly, impeding the fire department's access will be towed. So, the city has been put on not 311 tickets, too, with uh placards uh
that I've sent. Uh same story. I get the email. We'll take care of it. Just make sure you call please when you see it because again we're unless we have a directed patrol in there. Yeah. And going forward with the 311's if you put 311 someone's blocking your driveway. Unfortunately if it comes to DPW or comes to a different department that's not it's not going to fall like
that's why with Oh no. Like I said I I tried every avenue. I know. But I know but unfortunately enforcement is not DPW in that sense. The signage is there and that's all we can do. But I'm just saying you know like like like the chair said you need to you need to call 911. And unfortunately, it may sound like you're bothering them and they may not like it,
but that's at the end of the day, that's their job to report what your take your report and take it diligently and hopefully they'll continue to do that. Mr. Bartos, thank you for your diligence and persistence in bringing this issue to our attention. I hear that it's been a really long road and I appreciate you're sticking with it. Like Joe said,
he's new to this role. He has been phenomenal to work within it. So, I do think that you're going to see more responsiveness and additionally like it is an inconvenience for you and that is a reason to act. It's also a fire safety issue and that makes it like also very
natively our problem. So, like I said, thank you for your persistence. Yeah, there was a fire on that block about a year ago. It was a big scene. Imagine if the cars were still parked there. Absolutely. So, if you can return to calling 911 when you see that, that will
continue to be really meaningfully helpful to making sure that we really solve this problem. And don't just get one person to stop parking there, but we get everyone to stop parking there. Okay. Just want to clarify that don't call the direct number like I was told before.
You can call 911 first so there's a record of it and there's a recording of it. And then if you want to additionally call um the direct line, no problem. But I want 911 called first because they actually dispatch the units. And a lot of the times when people just call that direct line, I f with them to dispatch
because they have to dispatch the cops, not not the OIC. Okay. Okay. Um, next, if you want to stay at the microphone, you also have a communication requesting to make Hawthorne Street a oneway from Marginal to Park Street and the Central Avenue intersection.
Is that what this is? Do you want to Sorry. Yes, that is the email that I printed out. I printed out the picture. Oh, no, no, no. That's the truck room. That's the hillside and Crest A truck ban. This request is made by he wants you want to basically have a oneway coming up from marginal street coming up and
over Hawthorne stopping at Essex then going up towards Essex to Congress that that block. Correct. Correct. So the reason I submitted this is uh my I drop off my daughter uh and my
previous daughter attended the ELC. So it's been like backtoback years that I have to uh go to the ELC. Uh I for the most part I tend to walk only because it's a mess for drop off and pickup. Uh however this is more of a safety issue.
Uh why I submitted this. Uh even today I I know I sent a picture but uh even today there was a gridlock because cars were trying to access that street. Uh then one doesn't want to give access to the other. The other one doesn't want to
back up. So it creates a gridlock with the buses. Then you have everybody honking at each other. Everybody creating stress for each other, not paying attention to the road. They may back up. It's happened before. uh they almost hit a parent.
Uh so this is at least one way you can avoid this whole angry issue of road rage. Fortunately, creating that one way would only just bottleneck back towards Margin Street because as we know it's a school drop off. Everybody knows the ELC is tough. We we've already dealt with this in terms of the bus lane there. We
created a temporary bus lane that they use during the day to help some alleviate some of that traffic. Um, we also kind of leave it up to the schools to make sure that the ch the drop offs are coming in quick motion and the cars are not staying in double park like they used to. Um, it is a tough street to get
up and down, but it's also some it's also it creates easier access to get to Marginal Street. If you're coming up from Park Square, if you're coming up from Congress or you're coming up from Market Basket and you need to get down to Marginal Street, if you make that a oneway, it's just going to cause more traffic up in the the neighborhoods further up.
Um, can I chime in here? Uh, so my name is Emily Groff. I'm with the planning department. We've been working with the state department of transportation on their safe routes to school program for a while now, both for
the Mary C. Burke school, the high school, and for the early learning center. Uh, the state, the way this program works is that the state goes, they talk to the school administrators, they observe pickup and drop off over a number of days. They do traffic studies at pickup and drop off. and they have
just returned to us their recommendations for how to improve like it's a really focus it's a real focus on safety uh around the school for pickup and drop off. It's less about you know improving traffic flow. It's really it's focused on safe routes to school. It's focused on encouraging people to do
exactly what you're doing which is walking your kid to school to reduce that congestion and like make sure that everyone's being a little more aware we have fewer massive vehicles that could really hurt kids in the area. Um, so that is something that we have like DPW
and HCD have received those recommendations and we're working on reviewing them with school administrators and with you know our internal city engineers. We're going to be talking to our city traffic engineers about it. So what I will say is that I
think we have looked into making Hawthorne Street one way before and found that it was a public safety issue. We also are very much aware of the issue you're describing as Jimmy said and we're really actively looking at what can we do that we have good evidence will be responsive to the problem.
So what is the safety issue of uh keep or changing it to one way? I don't think that our friend from the fire department was here when that discussion happened. So I don't want to ask him to speak to it. Uh, so all I
remember is the headline public safety issue. I can get back to you once I look through my email. Yeah, because it doesn't make sense. Okay. It's I would think it's a safety issue now with having it two ways. It's more about emergency vehicles being
able to travel both ways on the street in the event of an emergency. Yeah. I mean, obviously, it's not it's not unsafe to have two vehicles traveling at each other. just a section between Essex and Congress. Unfortunately, I mean, it's it's I mean,
I don't I don't personally I don't think and I've driven down there multiple times. I've driven down there with a plow truck. I've come back and forth each way over there. It's not I mean, it's it's not conducive the way the streets are set up, but it's none unfortunately. Highland Street's no different. Highland Street's a little bit wider, but if there's cars parked on both sides, someone has to give coming up Highland Street, which is a wider
street than that. So, and when and this is this would be at like the peak drop off and pickup times for school that you see the most congestion. So, during the morning when traffic I only pick up and drop off. I don't stick around in the area much. Uh
but that's when the most congestion is once once school is in and the and the kids have moved on and the buses have moved on then it's then it's it's really it's really quite easily over the next which is the most maybe a sign that says some time too because you know you're having parents kids
do do we have any signs in Chelsea that say like you can't come down the street that do not enter from 7 to 9:00 a.m. None that I'm aware of. and then do not enter from 2 to 3 p.m. So, it makes it a do not enter from those specific times. I've seen those in other cities.
The problem with those is that you I've seen those in other towns and they don't work without enforcement. Without enforcement. Yeah, but you're not going to have a cop there every day unless pick up and drop off unless someone calls that time. We do impact patrol. So if there's a hot spot
in the area for parking, for violence, for it's called a uh impact patrol. So we make it a point to put an officer there so the public gets a point that this is not tolerated. Public annoyance, public drinking, homeless, um traffic congestion, violating do not
enter signs. Yeah. So I want to be persistent and still request this. I know you what you said I understand but uh I still want to move forward with this request at least for portion of again between Essex and Congress
I think if that's something to look into those signs because it will say in big letters do not enter and then in smaller letters from these times so that sign should maybe some people don't see the and just avoid it entirely and what I will say is I can take this back and include it in the conversation
about what we need to do at Hawthorne Street but for my part, I would not support making this change tonight while we're in the middle of ongoing discussions with a number of different parties to make this change without even informing them that this would be happening like talking to the school
administrators, talking to our city and DPW. I could not support. Is this true for the other side street that's by Poo Compro? Because I've heard that there's talks about changing that to one way. Currently, there's two ways. Uh Sarah, this is a public meeting so
that has to stay open. Um, which side street are we talking about? The street that looks like an alleyway that's behind Poo Compro I don't recall the name of that street. And are you asking if we can make that
one discussions in other meetings and this meet uh Ellsworth? No, Ellsworth was is always been a two-way street. No, I know that's what I said. There's been no discussions about making it one way and the planning and the ZBA is part of
their uh traffic and uh I forget the exact uh for the new development at the intersection of because they want comparison they're pushing to have that could be that could be in the designs but it hasn't been approached approach like they haven't brought that to us yet for any kind of approval.
Well, I'm bringing it up now. So that that hasn't come before the traffic and parking commission for approval. It hasn't come. Well, the only reason I bring it up is because I know how it goes. So, we'll just How is it that it goes developers they push something and it gets done.
So, stuff when the resident gets comes here. I'm not talking about you. I'm just talking about previous times. So, Edwin, when that comes before this committee, then you'd come and talk specifically on Ellsworth. So, but right now, we're going to stay and talk about Hawthorne. And the process for someone
proposing to make a street a one-way street is going to be the same no matter who's doing it. Like maybe it's something we've already had the opportunity to study before it comes to traffic and parking and we can make a faster decision. But in a case where we have not had the opportunity to evaluate
the proposal and work with internal stakeholders and our consulting engineers, I I am not comfortable making approving this. I I agree I agree with what Emily said. We're not we're not saying we're not taking into consideration. It could be something that we could change our mind next month and we could decide on, but
let us let us do our due diligence behind the fact and get to the get get with everyone all the parties involved. So, I'll make a motion to deny the request for now or can I actually if we if we deny it then it can't come back to traffic and parking. No, he can come but he can make a but it
can it can come up whether we you can I'm pretty sure we can't pick up the same issue again in a calendar year or we deny it. So, can I just table it? you can just table it and once you have information you can let me know. Hey Elsa. Um so we we don't need to put a date on it. So I'll make a motion to table it for
without a date though. We just we just table and I will come back to you when I have a proposal that has been vetted with all stakeholders to put before us for what we're going to do here. That's I would like to second that proposal. Second that motion. All in favor? I I thank you. Table. Thank you.
Thank you. So, next is communication September 8th from Emily Granoff requesting to reintegrate a dedicated left turn signal at the intersection of Modernal Pearl and William Street. Yes. So, folks may remember and I
attached the I didn't attach the original communication for this one uh but a number of months ago some folks came before us after we had removed the dedicated left turn signal uh from Marginal onto the Mardle bridge. uh and folks felt that that really was making
the intersection feel less safe for them to try and like get through on a lefthand turn. So, I would like to invite up Gary McNotton uh from Bowman, our traffic calming engineering consultant uh to talk to us a little bit about the work we asked them to do
looking at this traffic light change. Sure. Thank you. Good evening. Again, Gary McNottton with Bowman Consulting. And as Emily introduced, you know, the left the westbound left turn was removed back in the summer of 2024. So, we were asked to look at what would happen if it were reintroduced and what would it take
to reintroduce that. So, we had done a study looking at the Carter, looking at four intersections. We did counts back in the spring and April. Uh, putting the that protected left turnback does have some traffic impacts. They're fairly minimal in the morning peak hour,
slightly greater in the afternoon peak hour, but they're not, you know, significant impacts. Um, it does, you know, you are offsetting or trading off some of those slight increases with enhanced safety. Uh, and there are some specific measures that we looked at that
could help to offset some of those uh traffic impacts, specifically restricting the left turn off of Pearl Street southbound. It's a very light volume move. there's other ways to get uh to that in that direction that are probably a little more convenient, which is why there's so few folks doing it.
And then the William Street eastbound right turn lane could be extended to get those vehicles out of the queue. Those are a couple potential mitigating measures to offset some of those traffic impacts. I believe you have the report with the specific traffic numbers.
Does anyone have questions about this? Mike, yes. It's to turn from marginal onto the bridge. I don't have any questions, but I mean obviously I mean I know what the numbers you know what the numbers show. Obviously I mean it's just my only
concern is like I said I've you know the numbers may show this but I've been there where it's been backed up because the cars turning left prevent the trucks from going straight because of the the way the lane is set up. Um, but I'm not completely guessing. Like I said, I just know it was like that before and then mas dot decided to
change. Now, was that mas dot's changing of it when they uh Yes, we got a bottleneck reduction grant from Mass Dot which included the like new signal heads and the retiming and reconfiguration of the turning motions uh which
under that grant need to be optimized to reduce backups. So, so what so what led to them deciding that they didn't think that they need did they have their own commission come in and decide that they didn't need the left-h hand check? Uh they used another traffic engineering firm TEC which was our on call before
this most recent procurement also. Uh and for what it's worth my understanding of the data is that like it hasn't changed that the left turn signal does according to traffic counts and the data and projections slow down traffic. It's
just that that has not been the experience of people in Chelsea and we do have the option to change it using our own funds. Correct. I know one, you know, like you said, we have TUC who says we don't need it and now we have Bowman saying we need it. So it's, you know, it's just kind of
conflicting to me. Well, I don't I don't think that Bowman is saying we need it. I think that Well, it could mean they recommend that it could come back. We could we could put it back into effect. That's what they're saying. Yeah. And to to clarify, the intersection does work slightly better overall when you take the average
of all the movements. Yeah. You know, without that protected left without without it right now. Slightly. Okay. Putting that protected left turn in does help that left turn. So, it will reduce that left turn queuing. So, it does help that specific movement. I was talking overall there are a couple of movements.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I know. Overall, the intersection is slightly better right now. the left turning motion will be better with this protected left turn is what he's saying. The decision of whether we want to reinstate that is up to us. Correct. No, I get what you're saying, but now you just said that it it'll it's
slightly better now and you're going to implement it in and it's going to it's going to be even better when before it's going to be better for the for the people making the left turn for marginal just for that one lane going to the left. But that is the motion that will be improved by this change. the intersection as a whole is
but not not the cars going I don't mean to yeah just no I know but not the cars going straight up going towards uh say Beam Street and going towards Everett that way which is a majority of the cars I think but I mean that's just from me visually seeing it and driving down there u you know for 21 years um but you
know I get I get what you're saying my position here is that like we have traffic data that tells us one thing and I think that is not always more important than what people who actually drive through this intersection all the time are telling us. And we got some
fairly substantial outreach as this commission goes from people who really wanted to see that come back because we also have we also have a report from the TEC the company before that says we didn't the numbers don't justify it. So to be clear this these numbers also are saying that we don't it doesn't improve
the function. So if it doesn't improve the function why are we trying to put it back then? Because we got significant outreach from residents saying that it made the intersection feel less safe and I mean, I just I I question how significant the outreach was. I didn't think it was that many, but I'm pretty agnostic on this. This was
like this was something that I took back to work on after we got a bunch of outreach in the spring about it. Like at the time it felt like the feeling of this commission was that we needed to add this left turn back in. If that has changed, that is fine. I mean, it personally it wasn't mine,
but maybe the rest of the commission can speak on their own behalf, but to me, I'm not I'm not for it. I I I think that it should stay the way it is. Hi everyone again. Uh so I live in the area. I do a lot of traveling uh during the day. Uh so I do see from marginal
trying to take the left onto East Boston. I do see a lot of backup uh on Marginal Street because of that issue that you know that went away. Um and I'm for reinstating that light. Uh,
I know Ricuparo has been here several times. I I watch all the meetings. So, uh, I'm pretty informed. I know he came here several times and I do support the request to put that back on because it does get backed up quite a lot. I I
traveled that road last two years during the day and it's just crazy. So, my two cents. Thank you. Thank you. Any other members want to make a motion or share a point of discussion?
An opinion. Put your mic pretend. I make a motion to accept the left turn signal at the intersection of marginal pearl and Williams. So to reinstate it. To reinstate it. So Emily second it.
That was not me seconding it. I would like the commission to make this decision. I don't have a horse in this way. Any any what do you think? Okay. Sure. Second. All in favor? Iority. So
that is reintegrated. Uh, next on the agenda is uh, communication September 12th from Emily Granoff proposing a specific truck route on Hillside A from Summit A to Eleanor
Street and to ban trucks from Press A. Uh, and that is this handout that you all have. And for members of the public, there are additional uh, visuals on the table up here if you would like to come and take a look. It is uh, the one with the bright red lines.
Um, I would again like to invite Gary to talk to us about the work that you guys did for us on this. Emily, can you tell us what the current regulation is now for up there? Is there any truck crude or is there anything? No, no, there is no uh this was the result of a communication from Bernabay in like Yeah, the I was just curious what the regulations
were now. There is no regulation right now and trucks are going down crest and then like getting stuck and having to like back up. Was that because of the soldier home redevelopment? Is that how this came about? like the I think the trucks were going up there related to like also when the old sober home was there
and they'll be delivered from like I think it's a pretty consistent issue given the use of that site. So if uh just a quick question if if the if they are restricted access but if they are they exempt when they're making a delivery up there I believe they are. So I would like to invite Gary to talk to us about this because we have a plan
for that. Okay. Okay. Yes. So good evening again. Um, so it is the issue of trucks turning along Crest and Hillside Avenues and being able to make some of those turns. They can't turn from Crest uh to Willard Street or Clark Avenue. There is no signed truck
route up there. So, you know, they're kind of figuring out their own way. And I think a lot of it was related to the solders's home and the work going on there. Um, we did do extensive turning movement analysis. that's in the the handout that has shows where those
trucks are having the challenges. And there's the graphic in figure three that's probably the the cleanest one to to look at because it shows where signage would be where the truck route would run accompany some of the other graphics that were handed out and showing that those trucks would be
directed up Hillside Avenue and then down to Eleanor Street so that they would not be allowed to continue onto Hillside Avenue. They would not be allowed to enter onto Crest Avenue when they first turn off of Summit Avenue. So, they would be directed hillside down
to Eleanor as that designated truck route. They're coming in the opposite direction, kind of the same route. And that keeps them from getting into those areas where they can't make the turns and they're getting stuck and having to back up. Uh if they do have if there somebody's moving, there's a specific
need on those locations, they can always do that. Um to the question about deliveries for the soldiers home, the soldiers home loading dock is at the corner of Eleanor and Hillside. So they would come up hillside
and then kind of down Eleanor and back into the loading zone area. The upper part of Hillside. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, thank you. Any questions about this? Then I would like to uh make a motion to implement
the recommended truck route restrictions on Crest, Hillside, Willard, and Clark as shown in the attached figure. Second. I'll second the motion. All in favor? I.
Next. Communication September 12th from Emily Granock presenting the recommendations from the city consultant regarding a petition from September of 2024 to slow speeds on Winthre Road. There is no visual for this one.
Uh could I again introduce Gary? Sure. So uh this one was looking at speeding along Winthrip Road. Uh what we found when we went out there is I think since some of the original correspondents came in there's a stop sign installed on Winthrop at Meadow
that is actually helping some of those speeds. There are also stop signs at Bond Street Washington A. So that with that combination of stop signs we're actually seeing speeds that are below the citywide speed limit of 25 miles per hour. So we're not really seeing that
speed problem today. There are some areas for improvement. trimming some of the vegetation to improve visibility to the signs, freshening up some of the stop lines. Um there is normally there would be parking restricted within 30 ft of the stop sign that could be added in
to push back some of that parking. If things continue to be a problem, you could experiment and look at painted uh curb extensions, flex post, or potentially even longer term putting in those curb extensions. But currently the speed limits are below the average or
below the citywide speed limit. So thank you for that information. That's very helpful. Thank you. So committee members might remember that when that one first came before Jimmy suggested we could just put up a speed a stop sign while we evaluated. So that's helped that's helped. It seems like that has helped
substantially. It is worth noting our like our city regulations say that you shouldn't be parking within 30 feet of a curb or crosswalk and that is not posted here. So we could make a motion to post that to reduce that parking to improve
uh sight lines and visibility. We can also flag for BLAD and DPW the need to trim some foliage that I think might be on city property or just like communicate with those property owners about that. Jimmy, is that the sign no parking here to the corner? Was that the sign for the 30 ft?
No. No. I'm only saying like for instance a cross any crosswalk all stop sign. You're not supposed to be within 30. But unfortunately parking is at a premium in the city. Not so much on winter road, but in other parts of the city where that rule is not really enforced. So I don't know if I want to enforce that. Emily up there.
Well, if it makes the sightines if it makes the sightelines better and slows down the traffic for sure. Yeah. I mean the parking isn't such a premium up there. I'm pretty sure from what I've noticed there's plenty of spots that people park there also they there there's enough room there that they can park far enough away from that. It would be whether we want to like put
up signage to start encouraging people not to park there. Um you could I don't know I don't know if it needs it though Emily if it if it improves the sightelines though then you need it. So I mean that is like it's in our city
code for a reason. It's because it's a lot safer if you're not like trying to peer around a car as you're crossing the street. Uh, and it's also something that like I I I know. Unfortunately, it's it's also not enforced to the letter of the law. So, because there are so many people who need to park in Chelsea.
True. True. You know, so it's, you know, it's Yeah. I'm I'm I'm Either way, it doesn't matter. If you want to make a recommendation, that's fine, too. If not, I'm fine the way it's set up. Does anyone else have any thoughts they want to share first? Um, could we start with maybe trimming
looking and seeing if we could trim vegetation to improve sight lines? Uh, we definitely can. The only thing is that the trees aren't necessarily ours. So, we can look into it. We can Yeah. If they overhang the sidewalk and they over public, we can public way, we can we can trim them. So,
it's not necessarily the same visibility. Yeah. That you get from a car being parked on the street versus vegetation overhanging the sidewalk. Correct. Like I think that we should still do that and look into that. And if the appetite of the commission is not to remove that parking on the corner,
that's fine. But I am going to make a motion to put no parking here to corner or here to Wouldn't that be a separate motion though? Shouldn't it wouldn't be part of that their recommendation from Bowman, is it correct? It is. It is. It is a recommendation of Okay. Well, but I'm saying because Okay. All right.
I'm sorry. I got you now. Does anyone want to second that motion? Second. I'll second it. Second. All in favor? I I thank you. Next up, communication September 12th from Emily Grup presenting the
recommendations from the city consultant regarding a request from September 2024 to slow speeds and improve the safety of the Webster AB and Lock Street intersection. So folks may remember that Paul Nikki, the director of the Chelsea Housing Authority, came here uh I think
is here right now uh to share how dangerous it can be to try and get from Lock Street out onto Webster. Uh so I would like to for the fourth and final time ask Gary to take it away with the recommendations from the study they conducted in this area for us. Sure. So again, we were looking at
speeding at on Webster Avenue near Lock Street. Uh we did do a speed study. Uh we did also review crash data. Uh crash data is generally in line with the average. I would note I don't know why but in 2018 there was a unusually high number of crashes within the data that
we had looked at. But you know there there is evidence of crashes but nothing you know extremely out of line with um what you would expect at an intersection of that of this you know in this area. When we looked at the speeds uh the average speed is just exceeding the
citywide posted speed limit. it's at 27 miles per hour. When we look at the 85th percentile speed, uh it's up at 29 and 31 miles per hour depending on the direction of travel. So there's some speeding. It's not excessive, but there is certainly some exceeding of the posted speed limits.
Gary, could you explain what the 85th percentile speed is for the commission? So the 85th percentile um it's basically 85% of the cars are traveling at or below that speed limit. Um we still use it. It's it's actually how Masdot always used to set their speed limits based on
that speed. So that's why it's kind of something that's in our vernacular. So that 80 85% of the cars traveling at or below that speed. Thank you. Um so what we did see is the primary issue out here though is sight distance and that with the parking right up to
the intersection and actually even parking within the intersection is greatly reducing the sight lines for cars coming out. Uh, and you'll see there is a graphic that I believe Emily handed out that's showing the necessary
sight distance. Um, and that's the minimum sight distance so that you know vehicles approaching would be able to see a car turning out and conversely the car pulling out can see those vehicles approaching far enough away that that vehicle would be able to stop and avoid
a collision. But you can see with the parking that's existing there that those sight lines are restricted uh quite a bit below and they're they're at 60 and 100 feet look 60 feet looking right 100 feet looking left. So quite a bit below
those 190 210 uh stopping site distance requirements that are shown. So, what we're proposing is really a better solution, a better improvement to safety out here is to restrict that parking so that you're getting better sight lines
for those vehicles pulling out so that they can do that um safely, be able to make those make those turns and make those entrance onto Webster Avenue um with that proper sight distance. Uh there are some other measures to add some warning signage for the pedestrian
crossings and for the street ahead uh that are also in the memo. And just to quantify that parking uh it would be approximately 55 ft 55 ft of parking east of Lock Street and then approximately 75 ft of parking west of
Lock Street. Can I invite Mr. Noi to come up here and sorry Gary if you were I just wanted to invite him to speak next. Pauliki 28 Brickwater Cove uh work at 54 Lock Street. So, um what we have down there is 106
family units. We have uh 60 some odd parking spots that are always full and that's just our lot. As we know, Lock Street is always jammed with the resident parking. I did come up here back, it might have been around 18 or 17 or whatever to apply for um during the
snow emergency because that was also uh something that was very serious issue where the plows are trying to come down, people are trying to get out. Um and so for the snow emergency at the top of lock um that is um you know parking is
restricted. Um but the big concern is is that um um you know, three times a week we have the trash removal. We have that's our administrative office. So, we have 20 some odd employees there. We have multiple deliveries on a consistent basis. We have multiple school buses
that come down there on a consistent basis. Northeast Vogue is right there at the corner. They pick up a bus stop right there. Um, so as Gary mentioned, uh, you know, the, uh, pedestrian side of things, it really is tough to see
kids when they're trying to cross. That is a big concern uh that goes on there uh when you're trying to inch out. And he talked about the parking and I'm with Jimmy there. I hate taking away parking. You know, obviously being a lifelong resident in uh living growing up at 680
Broadway, but there was never any parking, you know. Um you hate to see that. My biggest thing is is that they consistently just block coming out of there. So it's not the parked. Yeah, that's a problem, too. I'm going to tell
you very, very rarely, and I've been coming out of there now for 15 years, do I bop out of there and there's not cars on Webster that are right either blocking the intersection, you got to give them, you know, they move up, move back, and then when you're inching out
and as as he mentioned, you know, cars that Yeah. I mean, he did the study. I'm not going to dispute. It seems like they're coming a hell of a lot faster than 27 miles an hour when you're trying to inch out there. And again uh um the um you know we have the school buses that are also trying to
get out there and they're the uh you know to come down there with the specialized schools buses. So that is the concern for us the you know the parking individual that absolutely is a problem. I hate to take away parking, but it really is
those cars that are traveling from Home Depot to Route 16 that just park right there and they block and they have very little consideration for us. And then when you're inching out, you can't see it and then those cars. So maybe it, you
know, like I said, they could be going 2730, but it seems a lot faster, you know. So that was my main issue is is really during that period, you know, thoughts were going through what was done on central a right at Shamit. You
know, do you put a stop sign there to stop cars on a consistent basis so that they don't block it? Still does not deal with the issue of the cars coming from the route uh north uh route one offramp
and from u route 16 down Webster. because those cars still come at a at a good clip, but at least those cars stop and it kind of gives us that was a thought. Don't know if that's these recommendations you think would help.
Yes. I again the biggest thing is is is creating that barrier that allows us to get in and out of allows the buses to get out of there and then that there is some sort of mechanism for those kids that are on Webster crossing over to get
the Northeast bus. um or those others that are just crossing over to walk, you know, whether it be down to the Sakaloski or up over to the other schools. So, um great. Yeah. Any question?
Yeah. Is there a crosswalk there? It's a little bit further down. So, it's not really It's not right at the intersection. Yeah. And that is our only egress. I mean, I went to city manager Ash and Joe Fod
back in the day and I said, "Hey, how about we come up with an agreement with the uh Parkside Commons and the people that own it that um uh to make a uh a second eress right there?" Yeah. Yeah. would have to, you know, pay a little money, but um it would make sense
because that really was inspired because of the uh I think there was about four alarm fire on Webster Rav and no one from work could leave. Oh, you're stuck. Yeah, we were stuck there for a good two hours after work just because we couldn't
leave. And then there was a time when granted it was one of our workers, but the bucket truck took down a couple of uh couple of wires and and again no one could leave. So you're sitting there so it'd be nice if we had a nice a second egress um that would come out on the
side of Burlington Co. Factory right by the uh Starbucks and then you can come out there. You can take the left to go to Route 16, you know, down by uh Chili's or you can take the right and go on there to take the left out of there. and then those that do have to come up
and take a right. So that would reduce some things, but I think that's a a bigger conversation. We should approach the subject again. Probably hasn't broached in a few years. That's what I was thinking. We should try to get back over there. When did when did Joe leave ago? 20.
I think if these recommendations were if you guys decided to implement it while that greater conversation is I just think that's a good idea in general. I don't know who would have those conversations either, but this I mean I it's probably me. So, I would love to talk to you about this. I can't promise anything, but if it's been a
number of years, that would be like a years away. Oh, correct. But it's still something we can even look at. Yeah. Oh, yes. And I am happy to have that conversation with you. It sounds like it would be a good idea for a number of reasons. But in the meantime, like increasing sight lines does seem to me
something that would like really improve safety at that intersection right now. And it's something we could do on a shorter term basis. And then for kids crossing the street, like if we're removing parking here to improve sight lines, we have the option to use some of
that space that doesn't have cars in it to bump out the sidewalk a little bit and make it a much shorter crossing from Webster onto lock to for those bus stops for kids crossing the street. If I understood that geometry correctly, it would. So
like from do other people on the commission have thoughts because obviously No, I'm I'm I'm all for what like Paul said about about not having to take out parking, but if it if in the interest of of of getting out of the intersection and making it safer for children to walk, then then I'm I'm I'm always willing to take care of signage. I do know going uh
westbound when you do come out of Luxury, we just recently hashed out and and put some no parking here at a corner for a little bit better sideline, but it's only one parking spot, so it's not the greatest. It might have helped a little bit, but but even even in terms of the box, I do know that this picture shows people parking in it. The
regulation I believe is for the box that they can't park there either, but there's no signage. So, and that's been like that since we put it in in 2021. I don't know why we never caught it. Yeah, because there's no signage. But I'm also not sure like it's do not block the box when you're traveling, but
is it do not block the box with your car when you're not moving? So, I don't you know, you know, so it's like but but we could put this like the signage should be up there, I think. You know, anyways. So, I mean, I'm for it, Emily. I like I like what you what what they came up with.
So, would that involve uh reducing the roadway? Are you talking about bumping out the sidewalk now? That's not on the table right now. It's I'm talking about removing parking within the area that is shaded purple on
the right hand side. Yeah, on the right hand side west. Sorry, I'm not great at directions trying to move myself around to understand which side is. So to if you're looking at the picture to the left is west of the water. And I'm talking about the right side as we're looking at the picture of Wester
at right is west east is left where it's shaded purple. Gary can you can Yeah. On the lock street side. Yes. On the lock street side adjacent to lock street where the truck where that truck is in the picture. Okay. Restricting the parking in the area that is currently shaded purple on the lock
street side of Webster A. We are not like I was putting that forward as a potential future thing. If cars aren't parked in that space, it would require a lot more discussion and engineering. As part Yeah. As part of, excuse me, we have to ask. I don't know if it's ever been asked. As part of that study, has there ever been any thoughts of of putting a traffic light there? Cuz like
as Paul said, you know, obviously you're pulling out of there. So, but unless people are are considerate and don't want to block the way and want to let you out and tell you that you can go and tell you that there's no cars coming like obviously a light would solve that problem, but I don't know if that's ever been would that just cause traffic. Would that just back up things? Would that We didn't look at it to whether or not
it meets the warrants for a traffic I mean going going back to the parkway if that were to back up but the traffic doesn't seem to back up that way. It seems to back up the opposite way. People leaving the city because that's that is an eress for this for the airport. So people come up through uh through Chelsea come up that way up
Stockton up Clark Avenue right down Webster to get to Route One. So the justification for traffic light would really be based on volume of cars coming out of Block Street. Okay. Or potentially there's which would block street might not meet it. Even though there's a lot of cars in there, there's probably not as many as
coming the other way. Yeah. Okay. So, I'm sorry. I just want to confirm. So, on the left, obviously, we got the exit no parking restriction on the left. That's that's blocked out with the red with the hashes, but it's also the pink on the right, too. Okay. That's what I'm So, blocked out in red with the hashes is what's the existing no parking
restriction that's just not signed or enforced very well. So, is it that is it that big? Because I thought it was just a no park and hit a corner, which was probably only about 20 15 to 20 feet. Might even be just a hydrant there, but I didn't real I know I just hatched it. Yeah, it's a little bit further than that. So, it's probably just going
and there might be a driveway or two in there, too. Might be. Yeah, it's probably looks like it's more like 70 ft. 7. I didn't even Oh, I didn't even think it was that big. Yeah, we would extend that side by 55 ft. Okay. And then the opposite side would have 75 ft of no parking. So, think about it as, you know, two parking spaces on one
side, three on the other, give or take. Okay. And three would be on the upper part of the picture. That's like sort of west of Lock Street. Yes. To to the right as you're coming out of Lock Street. Thank you. Kind of north, isn't it?
Was there any thought uh in regards to the the crosswalk as one of those uh uh devices where when the resident uh when a person does come up, they can actually press it to RFB. RFB.
RFB. Sorry, I was confused. Yeah. We didn't we weren't looking at that um as part of this. We were proposing to put in some signage so that you do have pedestrian crossing ahead and then pedestrian crossing signage at the crosswalk. We didn't look as far as you know whether or not.
It's also worth noting that those can be pretty expensive and it's part of like we would have to find funding for it and it's a longer term thing and we were trying to look at ways to be responsive on a quicker basis with this one. Sorry. Yeah, I'm just looking at the So, basically there's a there was a section
at the corner where cars did park. We hatched that out and and no park and hit a corner. Then there's a driveway. Then there's a fire hydrant. There's another driveway. So that's that's where the existing 70ish feet come. Okay. I mean, you would think just looking at a picture of it just and just being there, you would think that would be enough sight lines, but if it's not helping
people stop and not helping people get out of lock street, then I think more is warranted there. Yeah. And really what you have and you see in some of the pictures is when you get a larger SUV or a box truck, it's a regular car, it's probably enough. Yeah. But yeah. Okay. So, with all that said, I would make a
motion to approve the restricting of parking to increase sight lines as demonstrated on this diagram. Seconded. I agree. All in favor? I. I. Thank you. Thank you, commission. Thank you, gentlemen. Next is a handicap application September
13, 2025 from Brit Zapata of 135 Washington Avenue. There is a driveway though at that house I do believe. Uh yes, but her landlord Tener Garcia has attached a letter saying that none of those spots are available to Missata.
Um Jimmy, do we have any other signs near there? No. I would like to make a motion to approve. It's open. I will second the motion. U before you guys approve, uh this is a temporary um I think I wrote that on the notes.
This is a temporary handicap plaque card that she has. It's by next year though, right? But I don't know if you if I mean before Well, I would have liked to say this before you made the motion. Um that it would have been nice for you guys to
have her here before making the motion just so you guys can ask her like, you know, how long is she going to need it for? Oh, because it's just it's a knee injury. Well, I mean I mean to me sounds to me like she needs it just till then. Might she then you can start walking.
So, are we going to keep the sign permanently or So, isn't isn't it the isn't it the statute that when you expires or you move on, you're supposed to notify the clerk's office? Yeah, but supposed to. So, I would think it's no different for her if it expires, she's
legally supposed to notify you guys that it expires. So, then you can turn around and take the sign down. So, I would think but we can follow up with her after. if you would like the motion to be to do a temporary parking like that has the same issue that someone's going to need to like remember that that needs to come down in a year. So I figure
I I read that but I was figuring like the standard processes we have to take signs down when people no longer have apply. Another thing that maybe we should um consider is that people should really be here present stating their reason.
you know, maybe they don't know that they can use other spaces, but it's not a requirement, is it? Yeah. It'd be nice. So, yeah. Oh, sure. It'd be nice, but if it's not a requirement of the uh communication, then we can't force them to. I'm also a little bit of the opinion
that if you're submitting an application for a handicap parking space, it's probably not that easy to move around. Yeah. Especially if this this seems like an injury compared to a lifelong disability because that's maybe that's why it's temporary. I I don't think it's I don't think it's
something like Emily said, we can either do it temporarily till that date and then we can take it down or we can just leave it and and assume she'll do the right thing and notify us that she doesn't need it anymore. I think either way, I think we're fine accepting it. Emily, just whether or not we want to reach
I don't know if anyone wants to second that or if I should make a new motion about it being a temporary one. I'm fine with the the way you did it. That's fine with me. But All right. Anyone want to second it? I will second it. All in favor? I.
Next. Handicap application September 16, 2025 from Sarah NL Sanchez of 943 Broadway. I want to say Emily, I don't know if you remember, but she already she previously not her per se maybe her neighbor or I
mean her roommate her roommate. her roommate or something. So that's her roommate that already has it. She's informed she would be coming back for her roommates. I think she was with her that day, but she's not here now. Um, and this is the And obviously there is a handicap placard right there
because her roommate has one. Correct. So right now the roommate has one. So what happened there was Emily, they also put the bus stop in front of her house. Right. Bus stop. So we put the sign there initially. We approved it, I think, in front of our house, which is typically where we put a handicap sign to make it easier for her to get to her vehicle and
and whatnot. We actually only put it a driveway distance from her house as a driveway and then not her driveway. Then we put the sign there, which worked out. Um, but even in that area, Emily, there are no other signage. So, when Masdot reconstructed Broadway and finished it, they put handicap signs, if you guys
remember, up on each side of the street in different locations and took up a bunch of parking. We whittleled them down to what we needed. There was one across the street from that residence on the building side in front of 948, I believe. I'm not opposed to putting up another sign like this area. It could also be used by businesses.
Correct. So, there's a there's a dentist and then there's the restaurant. I forget the restaurant's name, but there's a dentist and a restaurant right 950 980 Broadway that they could use them even someone down in Walgreens or something if they wanted to. But yeah, there's multiple people that can get use out of that. But I would recommend putting it across the street. I wouldn't put it on the same side.
That makes sense to me. You want to make a motion? I will make a motion to put a handicap crosswalk, sorry, handicap plaque across from the residence of 943 Broadway in the area of 948 Broadway. The actual signage, the sign post may still be there. We just took the signs
off. So that'd be convenient. We can just not have second. Second. All in favor? I. Next communication September 26, 2025 from Emily Granoff presenting the vision zero. Chelsea, I would like to invite up Sarah Han from my office. Sarah.
Sarah. Sarah, did you sign in? My phone to get it. Does everyone have a copy? Thank you. Yes. Um thank you um traffic and parking commission members. Um, I'm pleased to represent the housing and community
development department for the city to share a high level overview of vision zero, what it is, and what the vision zero Chelsea safety action plan is. Um, overall it's a plan designed to
eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries across the city while promoting safe and equitable and healthy mobility for all users, whether you're a driver, a walker, someone who uses a stroller, a
wheelchair, you know, all the types of modes. Um, so if you're on the page that says what is Vision Zero, we can start off there. So what is Vision Zero? Vision Zero is um an international
street safety movement. Um it came from Sweden uh originally in the 90s and since um you know since it got developed um in that country um with this vision of eliminating traffic fatalities and
serious injuries on um all roadways it's uh spread to around 1300 communities worldwide and hundreds of cities within the US. And this vision zero movement is built on the foundation of a safe system
approach. The safe system approach is um driven by a recognition that you know even one fatality is too many on our streets in any city or town. And in Chelsea that's especially important as
we're developing this uh safety action plan. The next um row is about our process in developing this um safety action plan. So um for the past couple of months, our
department has been um working diligently with uh consultants with a team of consultants, working closely with community members and working across all different departments including DPW, fire, and police um to
produce a comprehensive safety analysis and policy review where we evaluate um specifically Chelsea's roads and risk factors. ERS and we've developed um really cool key tools um and counter measures to reduce uh traffic crashes,
fatalities, and serious injuries. So, turning to the second page of the handout is um is the question of what is safe streets for all? How did we get here? How how did we get to creating this report? Um
so our department received um a generous amount of funding, hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from the US DOT to create this vision zero plan. Um and like I mentioned earlier, this plan is responsive
to many uh diverse modes and community needs and concerns. Um, and as you can see in the wheel, um, it describes what, uh, the US DOT does to promote the safe system approach like I mentioned
earlier. So, what's unique about this approach is that it recognizes that um, humans make mistakes, safety is proactive, responsibility is shared among um, everyone that's involved on the streets. So in the one of the yellow
um wheel columns you can see that safer people is an element to the safe system approach. So people take responsibility in promoting safety by wearing helmets um putting on their seat belt and generally you know keeping their eyes on
the streets as they move um across crosswalks for example. The second um column in the wheel is safer vehicles. So you know as part of this plan we got to make sure that um vehicles have the necessary equipment
that are necessary to u move throughout streets safely. Three and this is one of the biggest components of u the vision zero plan is that cars need to go at safe speeds across our streets. Um it
takes um you know one fast car moving above you know 30 miles per hour, 40 miles per hour to um you know be part of a crash or um incident um on our streets. So uh reaching safer speeds is
super important in order for there to not be any accidents or crashes. And the next column is safer road. So it's important for infrastructure to be designed in a way that promotes safety. And the last column in the wheel is
postc crash care. So um you know redundancy is crucial and we want to make sure that um that there is an interdep departmental approach um when it comes to um there being a crash on
streets. So, um, overall, you know, we have done, uh, our department and our team, our vision zero team has done a ton of outreach, um, with the community, um, has run, um, a lot of data to
produce uh, these high injury network maps and, um, and yeah, have worked across different departments to uh, create this plan. and we're hoping to uh get your review on this plan and you
know move on from there um and seek council approval. So the specific ask would be to move it to a public hearing tonight. Thank you Sarah. Thank you. Thank you. I mean I know Emily just mentioned it but yes I think obviously this would
have to go to a public hearing. I don't personally see anyone after Sarah basically broke it all down for me yesterday. I don't see anybody from the public being not in favor of this. So, uh, a lot of good things in there. Um, you know, I'm in favor of for. So, I
will make a motion to accept. Second. I'll second. All in favor? I to move it to a public hearing. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. A motion to move it to accept to move it to a public hearing. Correct. And then after that, we second it. All
in favor? I. Thanks, Sarah. Thank you very much, Sarah. Thank you, Sarah. Yeah, thank you for clarifying. Elsa, we're very excited that we've come this this far. Last item on this month's agenda is a communication September 26, 2025 from Commissioner of Public Works Kate
Foxland providing an update on the downtown Broadway utility project. Jimmy, want that? Uh, she did not forward me anything, Emily. Did she? Um, no. I do have this. I'm just having trouble finding the email. Want to read it? Absolutely. Elsa's got one printed. The downtown Broadway utility project is
drawing to a close with the original 18th with the original 18month schedule. The last of the major utility installation around the city hall in Bellingham Square will be completed by mid-occtober. The contractor will then be moving to different locations on Broadway for 1 to three days at a time
to make final connections and adjustments. Beginning in late October or November, the contractor will be repaving several sections of the roadway to both smooth out the surface and reduce the puddles that form during rain events. As a reminder, the full repaving of the roadway and sidewalks along with
new street lights, traffic lights, and other surface improvements will take place during the second downtown Broadway project scheduled to begin in 2027. If you are a resident or a downtown business interested in learning more about these plans, please join us for a public meeting on October 21st at
5:00 pm at the Chamber of Commerce. Thank you. Thank you, Joe. And with that said, there are no other items left on this month's agenda. Thank you all for coming. We will see you next month. Meeting adjourned. Thanks, sir. Thank you so much.