Selectmen Send Parking and Intersection Items to Traffic Study Committee

The sent to the Traffic Study Committee several thorny parking issues.

Residents on Pittman Road, a dead-end street with four houses, complained that  park on the road, where parking is free, and walk through to board the train.

They said cars are parked to the maximum on the small street, allowing no place for the residents to park and making it impossible for a fire truck to navigate down the street.  

Selectman Glenn Kessler said when the residents have left notes asking the commuters not to park on the street and block their driveways, the commuters have responded by leaving notes telling the residents "to get a life." 

It was suggested that most of the commuters are not residents of Swampscott.

Also, Cherry Street residents asked that the town allow parking only on one side of that small street.

Town Administrator Thomas Younger said he planned to conduct a comprehensive study of parking issues in areas close to the train station and the beaches.

The Selectmen also referred for consideration a complicated intersection at Banks and Walker roads. It is currently a four-way stop that is often ignored by drivers who do a "rolling stop" at the intersection.

Judy Kazunas asked if the Selectmen would consider placing a traffic light at the intersection. Younger said it would not qualify for one.

The Selectmen complained that one of the stop signs was "not ideally placed," as Kessler said.

Director Gino Cresta agreed that the sign was placed too far back from the intersection, causing some driver to miss it. But he said it is placed there because it had been knocked down many times when it was closer to the intersection.

Chairman Richard Malagrifa said he has spoken to about increasing their presence at that intersection.