Haverhill motorists can look forward to some upcoming traffic safety improvements, including the restoration of two-way traffic on Margerie Street, and a proposed boost to speed limit monitoring.
A series of recommendations from the Haverhill City Council Traffic and Safety Committee were aired this week. Councilor Michael S. McGonagle, committee member, said residents in the Margerie Street neighborhood “talked some common sense” at a committee meeting over inaccurate one-way signage for the area off Amesbury Road and Interstate 495.
“ Putting that street back to a two-way street would be in the best interests of public safety. This will be done. The signage will be taken care of, and the police will monitor that area to make sure there are no issues when that’s put back to a two-way street,” McGonagle said.
Also discussed were speed issues on several city roadways, most notably, on Broadway, route 97. The council agreed to ask Mayor James J. Fiorentini, by letter, to secure funding to purchase two more mobile speed monitors for police. McGonagle said they would help increase driver awareness, and he reminded fellow councilors speed problems have been discussed many times over the years.
“We’ve had them on Kingsbury, and (route) 125 and Hilldale. And the recommendation, what the public safety folks would like to see, is us purchase a couple of the traffic signs, the speed control signs that are mobile and that we can move from place to place. Those are the ones that you see going up into Plaistow. I think they’re very effective, and the cost is about $4,800 each,” McGonagle said.
McGonagle said the committee also proposed an ordinance change to bring a more consistent speed limit of 35 m.p.h. to Kingsbury Avenue.
“There are some signs on the street that say 25, some say 35. But they’re going to make the recommendation that it should be 35 miles per hour, except for the last tenth of a mile heading into town, which will be increased to 25 miles per hour.”
Other traffic and safety recommendations heard included a proposal for increased driver visibility at the corner of Locust and Essex Streets. A proposed elimination of one parking space on the north side of Locust Street and another on the Essex Street side of the corner was placed on file for council discussion Dec. 30.