Published March 12, 2019
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD — The Town Council last night approved six recommendations from the Traffic Advisory Committee related to parking on various streets. TAC Chairman Lt. Steven Skory of the Wakefield Police Department presented the recommendations.
The TAC recommended eliminating one parking space immediately to the south of the driveway at 894 Main St. and installing a “No Parking” sign 18 feet to the south of the driveway with an arrow pointing towards the driveway. Skory said that doing this would improve sight lines for drivers exiting the driveway and increase their ability to see approaching northbound traffic.
The Town Council approved the recommended changes.
Acting on a request from the DPW, the TAC also recommended “No Parking Here to Corner” signs on both sides of Pearl Street 20 feet from the intersection with Main Street. Skory said that the recommendation was the result of cars being parked on Pearl Street too close to Main Street, making turning onto Pearl Street from Main Street difficult.
The recommendation was approved by the Town Council.
For the same reason, Skory said, the TAC also recommended installing “No Parking Here to Corner” signs on Cutter Street, 20 feet from the intersection with North Avenue. This recommendation was also approved.
The Town Council approved the TAC’s recommendation to place “No Parking Here to Corner” signs 20 feet from the intersection of Chestnut and Emerson streets in all four directions. Skory noted that this intersection was made a “four-way stop” several years ago due to the high number of accidents. He said that recently vehicles have been parking too close to the intersection, limiting visibility for drivers on Emerson Street entering or crossing Chestnut Street.
The Town Council also approved a TAC recommendation for “No Stopping/No Standing” signs to be installed at both edges of the property at 307 Salem St. Skory pointed out that this address is next door to the Prime gas station/convenience store and Slice Pizza. He said that the homeowner reports that delivery trucks and customers park on the front edge of the property, damaging the lawn and limiting visibility when exiting the driveway.
The final TAC recommendation was to prohibit parking on the east side of Lake Street, from Maple Street to Albion Street. Skory said that the owner of the business at 9 Lake St. reported that delivery vehicles were having a difficult time backing into his lot due to the cars parked on the east side of the street. Skory said that due to the narrow width of this section of Lake Street and the number of commercial driveways in that area, the TAC felt that it made sense to prohibit parking on that section of Lake Street. He speculated that since that area has not had a specific time limit posted, rail commuters may have been parking there. The rest of the east side of Lake Street will continue to have a two-hour limit.
The Town Council approved the TAC recommended changes on Lake Street.
