Peabody board members discuss traffic safety

PEABODY- Speeding and traffic were the focus of last night’s meeting of the Municipal Safety.Committee members addressed several concerns from the community in regards to painting crosswalks and installing pedestrian lights, all in effort to get motorists to lay off the gas pedal and slow down.After months of coming before the Council, Felton Street resident Ana Ortins got her wishes granted, for now at least. The Committee voted to approve her requests to reduce the speed limit on Felton Street near Brooksby Farm from 30 mph to 10 mph and look into installing raised crosswalks on the corner of Richardson Road and Mount Pleasant Street, as well as removing the double-yellow lines that run throughout the neighborhood.The raised crosswalks she mentioned are similar to those used in the city of Cambridge, which she reports have been well received by the community. She said they are easy to install using hot top or concrete and plow-friendly.”They would cause you to slow down,” she told Committee members. “It breaks the momentum of cars.””There is quite a bit of speeding,” said Councilor at large Ted Bettencourt, Jr. “It’s used as a cut-thru to the mall and pretty active.”Bettencourt said he would like to try the raised crosswalks temporarily to see if it’s effective, and perhaps use them elsewhere in the future.”It’s a pretty cost effective way to make a positive impact,” he told the Committee.The second issue dealt with pertained to traffic in front of 75 Tremont St., where members of Community of Christ Parish fear their safety coming to and leaving from church each day.Members of the active parish came to support the placement of a pedestrian light to prevent one of their 80 children and teenagers, as well as several elderly parishioners, from getting in an unfortunate accident. Such was the case when an elderly handicap woman was struck and killed by a vehicle traveling past the church five years ago.Peabody Police Lt. Marty Cohan was present to offer his expertise on the matter. He suggested painting a crosswalk, posting signage of the crosswalk, and perhaps even using the radar board to enforce travelers to reduce their speed.Councilor Rico Mello made several motions: to conduct a cost feasibility study of a pedestrian light at Webster Street and Tremont Street, paint the suggested crosswalks, and place warning signs for oncoming traffic on both sides of the parish. All motions were unanimously approved.