PEABODY — The Municipal Safety Committee will discuss a $1.13 million proposal to repair Lynnfield Street and some of its adjacent side streets Thursday evening at 6 p.m.
The proposed project includes a long list of potential repairs and improvements, including the construction of sidewalks, signals, and repainted lane lines. If approved, the Lynnfield Street improvement project would be carried out by WorldTech Engineering.
Worldtech Engineering and the City of Peabody published a design and safety report for the project in May, which outlined potential improvements for safety, and ADL accessibility on Lynnfield Street, Lynn Street, Washington Street, and others.
“Lynnfield Street is a heavily traveled roadway, and the city is concerned about both the operations and the safety of the roadway,” the report said.
City Councilor Anne Manning Martin said that overdevelopment in Peabody has worsened pre-existing safety issues not only on Lynnfield Street, but throughout the city.
“We have several traffic and safety issues to discuss beyond the Lynnfield Street project you reference. These safety issues have been exacerbated by continued overdevelopment combined with more and more shipping businesses traveling our roads through residential neighborhoods,” Martin said.
Martin also said that her and her fellow councilors will discuss any safety concerns caused by a traffic onslaught.
“The areas to be discussed in the Public Safety Committee are located in Wards 1, 3, and 4, but affect the overall traffic and quality of life of residents across the city. My fellow councilors and I are looking to address and manage these public safety issues caused by this onslaught of additional vehicles consisting of both commercial trucks and passenger vehicles,” Martin said.
Among those attending Thursday’s meeting will be Cpt. Scott Richards from the Peabody Police Department. Richards said that during the meeting, he and his colleagues will likely discuss the prioritization of specific points from the report.
“I certainly know of the traffic report that they have done and we’re going to discuss aspects of that project, and prioritize things, I would think, to line up the financing and have those things taken care of,” Richards said. “I’m there to consult with the council and the city to prioritize what needs to be done first and to move in that direction.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected].
