Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, February 1, 2019 ASKS | from page 3 out and enforce traffic, specifically, Monday through Friday, 8 to 4, to address some of the concerns of the residents. Q: I’m sure you are getting a lot of suggestions and feedback now, with the town manager encouraging people to speak out [on speed limits and other safety concerns]. What are some of the things that are just beyond your control, like jurisdiction on Route 1? A: Jurisdictional issues reLaw Offices of Terrence W. Kennedy 512 Broadway, Everett • Criminal Defense • Personal Injury • Medical Malpractice Tel: (617) 387-9809 Cell: (617) 308-8178 twkennedylaw@gmail.com 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 www.eight10barandgrille.com Kitchen Hours: Mon-Thurs: 12-10pm Fri-Sat: 12-11pm Sunday: 1pm-10pm Join us for the SUPER BOWL FREE Cheese Nachos during the game! Grilled Rib Eye Steak! Only $22.00 includes Two Sides Every Friday FRESH HADDOCK DINNER Only $18.00 includes two sides Facebook.com/ advocate.news.ma garding setting appropriate traffic rules and regulations; those are done through the Board of Selectmen. There are limitations within those depending upon on who has jurisdiction over those roadways, such as Lynn Fells Parkway, portions of Walnut Street, Route 1. Some of the things that aren’t directly under the control of the department that certainly we can provide recommendations for are signage that’s either been removed or has become somewhat obstructed because of overgrowth, vegetation, etc. When we see those, we try to bring that to the attention to the various departments to see if they can assist us in addressing it. We’ve gone out in the last couple of calendar years, and we bought portable signage for the pedestrian crosswalks and placed them in Cliftondale, Saugus Center and other areas to give advance notice to motorists. We’ll continue to do those things. Q: What would you consider the toughest intersection in Saugus that your department has jurisdiction over? A: I would have to go back and really mine the data. Nothing off the top of my head brings up any intersection. Obviously, the on-ramps and offramps to Route 1 – believe it or not – generate a large volume of our calls for motor vehicle crashes, some that require an officer-completed report and others that would consist of an exchange of information. Q: So you have jurisdiction with the state … A: We have joint jurisdiction on Route 1. We can go out and enforce the traffic rules and regulations on Route 1 for moving violations, stop sign, speeding, etc. … And if the state resources aren’t available, obviously we’re here to assist the motorists, specifically when it comes to motor vehicle crashes. They take up a large volume of our calls, specific to those on ramps. Q: How have traffic safety conditions changed since you became a member of the Saugus Police Department? A: Again, I think it comes down to the engineering of roadways and the way they were constructed. At the time they were constructed for that volume of traffic. I think the development in the neighboring communities and the town of Saugus have contributed; Saugus has become somewhat of a gateway for people in neighboring communities to get to another location. And if there’s any congestion or backup on one of the major thoroughfares, such as Route 1 or others, based on GPS and apps on phones regarding traffic and other navigation, Saugus then becomes a place for motorists to take a detour or shortcut through the community. I think that increases the volume of traffic. I think it also, in turn, the frustration of the motorist starts to contribute to that. Where a normal commute might have been 15 to 20 minutes, it’s now 30 to 35 minutes – and whether they planned for additional time in trying to get somewhere – I think that can add to some of the habits of motorists when they are operating. Q: In your opinion, what would have the biggest impact on improving traffic safety in Saugus? A: Again, I would go back to education, enforcement and engineering. I think all three of them are important together, but I think if you take away the enforcement action, you can put up as much signage as you want and you can put up as many traffic signals as you want, but if people are inclined to believe that they are not going to be enforced, they’re somewhat less inclined to follow those regulations. So, I think improving the signage would be helpful in Saugus. There are a number of streets that are lacking that signage, and people are not aware of what the posted speed limit is. There are a number of locations within the town where pedestrian crosswalks could be identified better, either through signage or signals so motorists approaching those would know that there’s a crosswalk and the potential for somebody to be crossing that street. But, again, enforcement is the key: If there is no enforcement, people are less inclined to follow the rules. Q: One thing I notice that grabs my attention quickly when I’m driving: those lights that flash the speed you are driving. I pass one every day on Route 114, coming or going, on my way to Saugus. A: There are a number of pedestrian locations within this community that would benefit from some type of signal separate from just a pedestrian sign that would give motorists advance notice, such as a flashing LED, yellow light for when you’re approaching a crosswalk or when somebody is actually entering into the crosswalk. I think also that radar monitoring – where it gives people notice that the posted speed limit is 30 or 25 mph when you drive by that location – it gives you an indication of what your speed is, so you can cross-reference that you are traveling over the posted speed limit or you are traveling within it. Q: This time next year, do you think the Saugus residents will notice a big improvement in traffic safety? A: It’s my hope that within the next year, we’ll be able to address some of the concerns of the residents. I’m hoping that we will have a reduction, hopefully, with the number of crashes, if not a reduction in the severity of those accidents or a reduction in the overall cost of property damage as a result of those crashes. What makes it difficult for us at the Police Department is the technology aspect of it. People who are distracted, inattentive or even impaired – I think is a large contributing factor to a number of these crashes within the town. I think over the last three years, we’ve had a reduction. I think we’ve gone from the mid-fives [500s] to the low-fives [500s] to the high-fours [400s] in the number of crashes within this community. If you take into account the number of motorists traveling through this community, and you take into account the miles of roadway in this community, and the different types of roadways, I don’t think the number of accidents is exponentially high, but I think we can do a better job in reducing those and, hopefully, reduce the severity of the injuries and the costs of the property damage. Those would be my goals. Over the next year, hopefully, we can address those and see a reduction in that. Q: Anything else that you would like to share about this issue, either speed limits or things to come for the Town Meeting? A: We’re going to continue to work with the other various departments and work with the manager’s office and continue to seek input from residents. I’ve spoken with a number of them over the last couple of months about their concerns to try to address all those and, hopefully, in the end we will come up with a long-term plan to address the concerns of the residents and have an overall effect in the reduction of the overall crashes within this community. And I think that’s a goal that’s accomplishable and I think we can get it done. It’s just a matter of doing it in a systematic manner so that we accomplish what we are looking to accomplish from the onset. It’s my hope that we look at both short-term and longterm to address the concerns within this community for the residents and the various departments. GO PATS!
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