Once again, the citizens of Salem and Lynn have to work together on a problem that affects all of us: the traffic nightmare on Highland Avenue, aka Route 107.
As anyone who uses this roadway is well aware, at peak times the road is so congested a person can sit in traffic for 20 minutes or more. The City of Salem is planning on developing a large residential complex on the north side of Highland that promises to create more traffic, without addressing the problems that already exist.
Highland Avenue is a major thoroughfare that connects not only Lynn and Salem, but also intersects with streets leading to Peabody and Swampscott. Currently, it is frequently more like a parking lot.
The amount of traffic also affects public safety. Several times a day, ambulances travel north on the road with sirens blaring and there is no place to pull over to allow them to pass. Just as dangerous is the inability of fire trucks to navigate through the cars. This problem must be addressed, not ignored.
Christine Beote
Beverly
