Lynn city officials attended the Peabody City Council public hearing on Sept. 17 to voice their concerns about the Casco Road agenda item.
Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt kicked things off by commending the City Council. “You’ve really made a focus on public safety across the city,” he said.
He said the city of Peabody has conducted a traffic study and communicated with the city of Lynn and town of Lynnfield to address the concerns at the intersection of Lynnfield Street and Casco Road.
“I am in full support of the City Council’s action in order to implement delineator poles in that area to restrict left-hand turns as a 60 or 90-day trial period,” Bettencourt said.
The report from the commissioned traffic study outlined a traffic light, a rotary and delineator poles as possible solutions to the traffic concerns, he said. The report indicated a traffic light or a rotary would each cost the city between $1 million and $1.5 million.
“We wouldn’t be doing our job if we weren’t looking,” Bettencourt said, at options that were cost-efficient and effective before spending upward of a million dollars.
“We’d be doing a disservice to the public if we went right to $1 million or $1.5 million, without looking and doing a trial on something that could work for $5,000 to $10,000,” he said. “I’m going to try and find the best solution at the best value… that’s our job.”
“Our goal is to get people home safely, not to get people home a couple of minutes earlier,” Bettencourt said.
Jon Thibault, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson’s chief of staff, presented “Lynn’s opposition” to the City Council’s ordinance amendment regarding Casco Road. Lynn City Councilors also brought up their concerns.
“Ultimately, everyone wants the same thing. Everyone wants safety,” said Lynn Ward 1 City Councilor Peter Meaney. “I applaud the city of Peabody for taking the lead on this.” But, he pointed out that prohibiting left-handed turns from Casco Road to Lynnfield Street and from Lynnfield Street to Casco Road will “make Lynn already more crowded than it already is.”
“It’s not going to work,” Meaney said. “This is going to, 100 percent, end up being litigated. It’s time-consuming. It’s expensive. Frankly, it’s more productive to just come back to the table and let’s find a solution.”
“Something’s got to be done, and by the time that litigation is over, our trial period is going to be over as well,” Ward 5 City Council David Gamache said.
After other Peabody City Councilors spoke in support of the ordinance change, Ward 1 City Councilor Craig Welton said he welcomes feedback from Lynn and Lynnfield during the 90-day trial period when the ordinance passes.
“I know it’s not going to be a popular measure for everybody, but I think it’s incumbent upon us to put safety at the forefront and move forward accordingly,” Welton said.
The City Council decided to schedule an executive session prior to voting on the proposed ordinance change.
