By CYD ABNET
Waltham Times Contributing Writer
The ongoing plans to reconfigure Moody Street stalled, as the Traffic Commission tabled discussion on the matter.
The commission had scheduled discussion on the Moody Street Pedestrian Mall Feasibility Study for its meeting last Thursday. It was the latest stop for the study, which has been a topic of multiple city meetings during the fall but without any resolution.
The study calls for a more pedestrian- and biker-friendly Moody Street between Pine Street and High Street. It also examines whether to change that stretch of Moody Street from being a two-way to a one-way thoroughfare or to being fully closed to motor vehicle traffic.
The Traffic Commission took up the study again at its Dec. 19 meeting, hearing a presentation of the study’s findings by Bryan Zimolka of Nitsch Engineering. The city had contracted Boston-based Nitsch Engineering to conduct the feasibility study. He highlighted parts of the plan, saying it aims to address parking and traffic concerns as well as formalize outdoor dining and improve infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists.
However, after the city’s housing and community development director, Robert J. Waters, suggested that more research was needed, the commission decided to table the matter.
Plympton Street traffic concerns
In other action, the Traffic Commission heard concerns about whether to place traffic calming measures on Plympton Street.
Ward 1 Councilor Anthony LaFauci introduced the idea, asking for traffic calming measures on Plympton Street between Hammond Street and Bacon Street in addition to already approved plans to install blinking red and yellow lights in that area.
Thomas J. Magno, the city’s parking clerk, however, expressed concerns about such measures, saying drivers may choose to take side roads instead of Plympton Street to avoid driving over speed bumps.
In response, Fire Chief Andrew Mullin noted that “we spend half our meetings here complaining about gridlock and then half our meetings complaining that everyone is driving too fast. We can’t have it both ways.”
Mullin added that since the ratio of square mileage to number of fire stations in the city is so high, speed bumps would slow response times.
He concluded by stating that he believes any speeding along Plympton Street is an “enforcement problem and not so much an infrastructure problem.”
The Traffic Commission voted to table the decision.
Food truck parking permit denied and other action
Commissioners also took up a request for a permit to park a food truck on Carter Street along the city common.
The commission denied the request, citing the lack of detailed information as well as concerns on whether approving a permit for a food truck in that location would be unfair to area restaurants and businesses who have higher permitting and tax requirements than a parked food truck.
The man who submitted the permit was at the meeting, but because he did not speak English and no translator was present, he was not able to make a presentation or answer questions.
In other action, the Traffic Commission approved
- a permit amendment for an Elm Street car wash to allow its employees to direct traffic on its private property during high traffic times;
- the extension of a sidewalk at the proposed new High Street bus stop location in order to meet MBTA standards;
- Watch City Steampunk Festival’s request to close Carter Street and use the Carter Street parking lot as well as the upper deck of the Central Street parking garage and Elm Street for vendor parking during its annual event;
- the installment of a handicap parking spot at 9 Barton St.;
- and the installation of a “Curve Warning” sign at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Sanderson Road.
Thanks for reading! We are a reader-supported nonprofit newspaper. If you value our reporting, please support The Waltham Times through a tax-deductible gift.