SAUGUS — When the snow melts and the children go back to school, parents can expect to change their drop-off and pick-up routine.
The Board of Selectmen have ordered signs prohibiting cars from stopping, standing, or parking on the north side of Talbot Street from Vine Street to 100 feet from the Waybright Elementary School, and on both sides of Intervale Avenue near Veteran’s Memorial Elementary School from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. will soon be installed.
Saugus Police Lt. Arthur Connors recommended the changes, stating in a letter to selectmen that “traffic in the area of Waybright and the rear of the Veteran’s School continues to be an issue.”
Conversations about addressing the problem date back 15 years, Connors said.
“There is a concern about emergency vehicles that would have difficulty accessing Heritage Heights if an emergency were to occur during pick-up or drop-off at the Waybright due to the level of traffic and Talbot Street is only one way to access the school,” said Connors.
In previous years, opening up the Emery Street Bridge had been considered as a way to ease school traffic tie-ups, but police think doing so will only move the problem from Talbot to Emery Street.
Talbot Street resident John Cannon, who lives at Heritage Heights, a nearby senior housing complex., said many motorists abandon their vehicles on both sides of the street during school pick-up times, causing an already narrow roadway to become impassable.
He worries that if an ambulance or fire truck needs to reach the complex during that time, they won’t make it through.
The demographics of Heritage Heights include about a dozen people in their 90s, more than 40 people in their 80s, more than 30 in their 70s, eight people in their 60s, and several younger people with disabilities, said Cannon.
“Addressing the issue on Intervale Avenue is an easier fix as there is another way for parents to pick up and drop off their children at the front of the school building,” said Connors. “Intervale is a narrow, dead-end street. It simply does not support the level of traffic.”
Residents on Talbot Street and Intervale Avenue don’t want parking restrictions that would ban parking in front of their homes during summer months when school is not in session.
“In the summer months if my friends were to come and park in the street there may be a problem,” said Stephen Nicholas.
Gerard Distefano, who lives on Intervale Avenue, said his home is far from the school and he doesn’t have adequate driveway parking for the number of vehicles his family owns.
“I have a small driveway and sometimes I need to park on the street,” said DiStefano. “It’s going to affect the entire street and where I live way down at the other end of the street and have nothing to do with the school. I’m wondering if there could be a permit or something that could be issued so I could park all the way down.”
Selectmen agreed that the signs would only be posted from the intersection of Intervale Avenue and Stone Street to the school and would specify that the restriction will only be enforced when school is in session.
