2009-12-01
CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
BOARD OR COMMISSION:
SUBCOMMITTEE:
LOCATION:
DATE:
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Parking and Traffic Commission
MEMBERS ABSENT:
OTHERS PRESENT:
RECORDERS:
City Hall Conference Room B
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Chairman Richard Benevento, Bill Bent,
Richard Hutchinson, Tina Cassidy (at 9:15),
Sgt. Joe Shairs, Sheila Field
Bill Fiore
DPS Director Mike Collins (at 9:15)
Rich Benevento and Tina Cassidy
Benevento calls the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.
1. Approval of minutes: November 10, 2009 regular meeting and
November 18, 2009 site visits
Benevento asks if there are any corrections that need to be made to the 11-10-09
meeting minutes. There are none.
Hutchinson: motion to approve the minutes of the Commission's November 10,
2009 meeting as drafted, seconded by Bent. All members in favor,
motion carries 5-0.
Benevento asks if there are any corrections that need to be made to the 11-18-09
site visit minutes. There are none.
Field: motion to approve the minutes of the Commission's November 18, 2009
site visits, seconded by Bent. All members in favor, motion carries 5-0.
2. Discussion: City Council Order #131: Prohibition of On-Street Parking
on Haskell Street/ Councillor Judith Cronin and Sgt. Shairs
Bent summarizes the criteria used by MassHighway relative to accepted
minimum standards for travel and parking lanes. At a minimum, a parking lane
should be 7' wide. The minimum width considered "safe" for travel varies
depending on the classification of a particular road. In the case of Haskell Street,
the road meets the criteria to be classified as a "minor collector" road. For that
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December 1, 2009 meeting
type of street, AASHTO guidelines recommend that the travel lanes should be a
minimum of 12' in width.
Bent then explains the results of his review of the width of the existing pavement
on Haskell. It varies slightly from place to place but is generally 29' wide. He
then lists three possible options:
One option with a 29' wide layout would be to create two 11' wide travel lanes
and a 7' parking lane. This would result in travel lanes that were less than the
standard 12' in width. Another option would be to create an 11' wide travel lane
on one side with a 12' wide travel lane on the other side and a 7' wide parking
lane. Finally, two 12' wide travel lanes could be created with a 7' wide parking
lane on one side. These last two options would require significant construction
work on Haskell Street.
Members discuss the issues associated with each. Based on the existing right of
way and pavement widths of Haskell Street, the Commission concludes that the
roadway is not wide enough to support parking on either side of Haskell Street
for the stretch between #6 Haskell Street and the intersection of Haskell Street
and Rezza Road.
Discussion takes place between Commission members and several residents of
Haskell Street, who express their concerns about the resulting negative impact on
them if parking were prohibited to this extent.
Members then discuss what would be the best course of action at this point,
given that Ward 6 Councillor Cronin, who's been actively involved in this issue,
was unable to attend the meeting. Following the discussion, members elect to
table further consideration and a final vote of recommendation to the January
2010 meeting of the Commission.
Bent: motion to table consideration and a vote of recommendation on Order
#131 to the Board's January meeting, seconded by Field. All members in
favor, motion carries 5-0.
3. Discussion: City Council Order #145: Traffic and Safety Related Issues
near North Beverly Train Station (Laurel and Dodge Streets)
(Cassidy and Collins join the meeting at this time).
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December 1, 2009 meeting
Benevento distributes copies of a draft letter of recommendation that Cassidy
prepared following the site visit conducted by the Commission on November
18th. The draft letter makes the following recommendations:
. Install permanent vertical lane delineators on Dodge's Row, from the
intersection of Putnam Street (approximately at the location of the existing
speed limit sign) to the stop line at the train tracks;
. Install 2-3 additional permanent vertical lane delineators in a northerly
direction on Dodge's Row, from the crosswalk on Dodge's Row at Putnam
Street;
. Erect two (2) MUTCD-compliant "Stay in Lane" signs on Dodge's Row,
with one replacing the existing non-compliant sign currently affixed to a
telephone pole at the Dodge's Row/Putnam Street intersection;
. Investigate possibility of "retiming" the traffic signals at the train crossing
so that the green light defaults to Dodge's Row when the gates re-open;
. Support Public Services Director Mike Collins' efforts to get the
appropriate State agencies to modify their current operating procedures in
order to minimize the duration of road closures at the Dodge Street/Enon
Street intersection; and
. Conduct directed enforcement patrols in this area for several weeks once
the permanent lane delineators have been installed, at the rate of two to
three times per week.
Collins says that the street should be referred to as Dodge Street, not Dodge's
Row (Dodge's Row is the stretch in Wenham). He also reiterates that the
solution to the existing problem is getting the appropriate agencies to modify
their current practices in terms of the closure of the gates at the railroad crossing.
He agrees with the suggestion relative to retiming the traffic signals, but urges
members to reconsider the suggestion that the lane delineators be permanent.
He states that they would definitely cause problems with snow plowing during
the winter, and may well cause difficulties for school buses and similarly-sized
vehicles exiting Putnam Street.
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December 1, 2009 meeting
Members consider those comments. Benevento suggests rephrasing the wording
of proposed bullet #4 to say "so that the lead phase defaults to Dodge Street
following the railroad pre-emption" in place of "so that the green light defaults
to Dodge's Row when the gates re-open". Further, he suggests the City write a
letter directly to MassHighway's District 4 offices relative to that particular
recommendation.
Bent: motion to make the following recommendations relative to City Council
Order #145:
. Install temporary vertical lane delineators on Dodge Street, from the
intersection of Putnam Street (approximately at the location of the existing
speed limit sign) to the stop line at the train tracks;
. Install 2-3 additional temporary vertical lane delineators in a northerly
direction on Dodge Street, from the crosswalk on Dodge Street at Putnam
Street;
. Erect a minimum of three (3) MUTCD-compliant "Stay in Lane" signs on
Dodge Street, with one replacing the existing non-compliant sign
currently affixed to a telephone pole at the Dodge/Putnam Street
intersection; also add a trail blazer below each sign "$100 FINE"
. Investigate possibility of "retiming" the traffic signals at the train crossing
so that the lead phase defaults to Dodge Street following the railroad pre-
emption;
. Support Public Services Director Mike Collins' efforts to get the
appropriate State agencies to modify their current railroad operating
procedures in order to minimize the duration of road closures at the
Dodge/Enon Street intersection; and
. Conduct intensive directed enforcement patrols in this area for several
weeks once the temporary lane delineators have been installed, at the rate
of two to three times per week.
Motion seconded by Field, all members in favor. The motion carries 6-0.
Benevento asks if there is any other business for the Commission to conduct at
this meeting. Discussion ensues relative to the Commission's recent
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recommendation on the traffic signal at the intersection of Hale and Dane Streets
at the Library. The Commission's recommendation to change the green ball to a
green arrow was implemented but was reversed within days. Shairs and Collins
agree that the arrow misled southbound Essex Street motorists into thinking they
had the right of way to turn left when in fact the right of way belonged to
northbound Essex Street traffic. There were several dangerous "near misses"
when the change was made, so the decision was made to revert to the previous
configuration.
Shairs mentions that he has received a senes of emails relative to on-street
parking on Hale Street in the stretch between Neptune Street and the
"Chapman's Corner" development. He says he will forward the emails to the
members and it will be a topic of discussion at the January meeting.
Cassidy urges members not to start an ..email discussion" on the Hale Street
matter, since doing so would be outside the realm of a public meeting and
therefore inappropriate.
Benevento states that the next meeting of the Commission will be held on
Tuesday, January 5, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. on the third floor of City Hall. He asks if
there is any other business for the Board to conduct. There is not.
Bent: motion to adjourn, seconded by Field. All members in favor, the motion
carries 6-0.
The meeting is adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Meeting Minutes December 1, 2009 meeting
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