To the editor:
The Item editorial addressing the impact of recent road construction on our downtown businesses and residents (“A little warning would’ve been nice,” July 22) was on the mark. As hard as it is for me to say, you got it right.
The comments concerning communication to the public — or the lack thereof — accurately places the responsibility, which, for certain, is a shared obligation.
I agree that a common-sense approach would have been appropriate with city officials and agencies reaching out to the citizens.
The mayor’s office, Department of Public Works and those charged with public safety should all be involved.
Long ago, the city sought to “improve” traffic downtown. A series of plans were advanced until Scheme J was adopted. The Planning Department then went through plans like the National Weather Service goes through the hurricane alphabet.
When Scheme J, with its series of alternating one-way streets, was approved, a City Councilor observed that — God forbid — an ambulance was needed and dispatched from the (former Sutton Street) police station, it might never reach City Hall.
Much has changed downtown since then, but the traffic scheme has not changed.
It is time to address the impact of so many new residents downtown.
Success in putting folks in our core city — day and night — is working. They spend time and money on local businesses, and they should not be thwarted by an obsolete traffic pattern, inadequate parking facilities, and an ostrich-like approach where we keep our heads in the sand, hoping no one will notice.
If we don’t act soon, what will follow is another cluster stuck.
Darren Cyr
Lynn Ward 3 City Councilor Darren Cyr is council president and a candidate for mayor of Lynn.
