THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, June 28, 2019 Page 17 ASKS | FROM PAGE 16 gether and try to get this accomplished. I’ve had a number of people across town kind of roll their eyes when they hear the 25 mph speed limit, but the fact is that pretty much is a default speed limit for smaller roads that don’t have a speed limit. A 25 mph speed limit wouldn’t necessarily apply to roads that are already designated as 30 and 20 mph or whatever – if they have a designation for a speed limit now – the smaller roads would be determined to be 25 mph, but there are over 200 roads and streets and avenues within the town of Saugus. There are a lot of smaller roads that have absolutely no designation for speed limits. Consequently, they have no signs. Like I said, the Board of Selectmen have the power to have signs placed in areas where there is a designation. Essex Street has got a 30 mph speed limit. They should start off with the main roads and then work the secondary roads and keep on proceeding until they get to all of the smaller roads – kind of a trickle down thing. I’m disappointed that the selectmen seem to be waiting for this study like it is going to be the answer to all of our concerns. It’s not going to be the be-all and end-all. It’s going to be the starting point where we are going to create a discussion, and I’m looking forward to that discussion. Q: Has your group had any discussion with Mr. [Robert] Hoffman, who lost his wife [Judith] to serious injuries she received when they were both hit in the crosswalk while crossing Central Street last year? A: I think that one of our members has reached out and talked to him. I don’t know for sure, but I haven’t myself; I can’t speak for somebody else. Q: There were some comments made over the winter and the spring – some of them by one of your Town Meeting colleagues – that what you were doing with the Citizens for a Safer Saugus was politically motivated and that it was just an effort to stick it to the town manager. What do you have to say about that criticism? A: First of all, it’s not the manager’s fault that the roads are in the condition that they’re in: with no signage on them. This is a problem that he had inherited over the decades. Other administrations have seen this problem and done nothing about it, and now it’s coming to a head with all the traffic that comes through this town. The traffic seems to have picked up, and this town seems to be a go-between for people passing through – of where they want to be and where they’ve been – and they want to get through this town as quickly as possible. Some of the residents of this town, myself included, tend to want to drive a little fast. I don’t doubt that it’s difficult for the police to hand out a ticket to these individuals. The police have a really tough job. I wouldn’t want to have to pull a car over in the middle of the night because it’s speeding. You never know what’s inside of it. Q: One very positive thing coming out of Town Meeting: Town Meeting members did approve three new police officers with the intent of creating a traffic enforcement unit. A: I’m certainly hopeful on that. Q: You’re optimistic that this unit, once it’s been established, will address some of the issues that concerned your group? A: Yes. According to the town manager, these three individuals’ sole responsibility will be traffic regulation, and that includes going out and passing out tickets when necessary. But some of the simple things that you can do is just hang signs on designated roads, and the police could park an empty cruiser on the side of the road someplace. When people see a cruiser, they slow down. 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Anything else that you would like to say about the Citizens for a Safer Saugus? A: I just hope that they all stick together and that we are able to achieve what we think is best for the town: to work with the town administration and see if we can get something accomplished. Q: In response to your colleague’s comments and criticism that it’s politically motivated … does your group run the spectrum politically in town? A: I have no idea on some of them. I know a lot of them … Well, there are two or three Town Meeting members that are with me and we tend to think alike, but as far as my fellow Town Meeting member – looking back at it, I find it amazing that he was so critical of us. But within a hundred yards of his front door, there were four fatalities; there’s been four fatalities, so I would think that he would be at the forefront of trying to get something accomplished to stop that. Q: He also accused us of “wasting the selectmen’s time” by publishing stories about citizen concerns about traffic safety – like it was some kind of contrived issue. I told him he was way off base – that the people who had expressed concerns about traffic safety had family members or friends who had been victims of traffic accidents. I also told him that the town manager had repeatedly invited citizens to express their concerns to his office. So, I’m puzzled how this person could cast aspersions on your group being “politically motivated.” A: You know, the problem with this town, sometimes, is they look at this town – and the slogan is “One Town, One Team.” Well, if it’s “One Town, One Team,” then it can only be one brain or opinion and one idea, and that’s a sad state of affairs. It kind of stifles any kind of independent thinking, and I like to look at independent thinking. Many a time, I have been in Town Meeting and gone in there with an idea, listened to the argument, and I changed my idea on it. That’s what independent thinking is all about. Well, I’m just hopeful that we can all work together and see if we can’t achieve a safer road system for the town of Saugus. ~ OPEN HOUSE ~ Sunday, June 30 * 11:00 am - 12:30 pm 63 HARVARD ST., CHELSEA PRATTVILLE SECTION NEW PRICE: $549,900.
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