NAHANT — The Select Board discussed adding signage at the wharf, which would be up seasonally during the summer months, to indicate that no bicycles or motor vehicles of any kind would be allowed on the pier, to focus on pedestrian safety.
Chair of the Select Board Rob Tibbo spoke during the July 2 meeting to explain the background of the issue and why he felt it was important to address it.
“When we start the sailing program each year, that can bring a group of children, up to 25 of them, on the pier at any given day,” Tibbo said. “We add to that another, sometimes, half-dozen or dozen children who might be using the pier for recreational purposes — and it can be quite chaotic. … So, when people lay their bikes on the deck so that everyone has to step around them, it creates a problem.”
Tibbo continued, “When we have someone going out there on an electric scooter or electric bicycle — I’ve seen them myself — and they’re moving right along. … I’m very concerned that we’ll have a significant accident if we don’t do something to address this.”
He added that his solution would be to “create a sign reminding people that these vehicles are not allowed onto the pier.” It would be put out seasonally, while the town’s sailing program operates, with the hopes of “slowing things down a little bit,” according to Tibbo.
Board member Pat O’Reilly then asked Tibbo for clarification. “Just for my understanding, we’re not looking for any change to the existing rules and regulations regarding the wharf, just signage?”
“That’s correct,” Tibbo said. “I didn’t think this was broad enough to cover these concerns — the electric bicycles, the electric scooters, but it is broad enough. … It brings me to down to just making sure that everybody is comfortable with putting some signage out there to try and control the issue.”
Interim Town Administrator and Finance Director Alison Nieto then asked Tibbo how he’d like the sign to appear once everything has been finalized.
“My thought was that we’d create a sign, and it could be something as simple as the sign boards we have out there in town right now, which is a plastic board that fits into an A-framed style, almost like a bulletin board,” Tibbo said. “The police use them for parking regulation, and if we had something like that, which we could just place out on the wharf during the day, we could even have the kids from the sailing program put it up and take it down at the end of the day.”
Nieto said that she knows Director of Department of Public Works Zach Taylor often works with a company for sign design. “We can have a discussion with him on what his thoughts are,” Nieto said.
There was no formal vote taken on the matter, but Tibbo added that he’d be in contact with Taylor to determine the wording used for the sign.
