Traffic Commission approves trial speed bumps on Rice and Lantern Avenues

By Barbara Taormina

The Revere Traffic Commission unanimously approved the installation of trial speed bumps on Rice and Lantern Avenues.

Julie DeMauro from the Planning & Community Development Office explained that the plan for the speed bumps was developed with the traffic working group. DeMauro said inflatable, temporary speed bumps would be installed at 2 Rice Avenue and Lancaster Street and at 136 Lantern Avenue. A third speed bump is planned for Rice Avenue, but the exact location was not clear.

Ward 5 Councillor Angela Guarino-Sawaya said the second speed bump on Rice Avenue should be placed right after the Whitten Avenue beach entrance.

“We’re going to test it out and see how it goes,” said DeMauro. “Then, we’ll figure out a permanent location for it.”

DeMauro said the Lantern Avenue speed bump is for a three-month pilot period. “We’ll decide after if the placement is right,” she said. “If it is, we’ll be able to put it down permanently.”

Other business

DeMauro also made a request for a public hearing to restrict parking on Everard Street from Cottage Street to Belle Isle Avenue. As part of the state’s Safe Routes to School program, which is investing $1.4 million for improvements, the sidewalks around the Beachmont school will be extended from four feet to 10 feet, which will not leave enough room for parking. DeMauro said the area is not a residential parking area but rather a drop-off space and there is room for student transportation at the back of the school. The Commission voted to hold a public hearing.

The Commission also voted to approve parking restrictions on the odd side of Bradstreet Avenue from Atlantic to Endicott Avenues and on the odd side of Winthrop Avenue from Broadway to Beach Street, to allow for snow plowing.

Commission chairman Chris Ciaramella said the proposal to restrict parking was developed by the parking department, the police and the public works department. “We thought this would be a beneficial change to the schedule to help with plowing. It is definitely needed,” said Ciaramella.

Ward 1 Councillor James Mercurio told the Commission he plowed that area for many years, the plows are getting bigger and he supports the new restrictions. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the new parking restrictions.

The Commission reviewed several requests to change the schedule for handicapped person parking. Commissioners voted to move the following requests to a public hearing: requests for handicapped parking at 27 Avon Street, 11 Waves Avenue and 59 Cooledge Street.

The Commission also voted to hold a public hearing on the plan from Worcester-based Commonwealth Electrical Technologies to install three on-street EV charger stations on McCoba Street, Hutchinson Street and Proctor Avenue. Steven Conte of Commonwealth Electrical said the planning was done with the city’s planning department and sustainability groups and the stations were being funded by grants from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. The only catch is the charging stations must be open and available to electric vehicles only for 12 hours a day, seven days a week. The Commission voted to make those hours 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.

Commission Chairman Chris Ciaramella said he is concerned about possible damage and maintenance of the charging stations. Conte explained that if a charging station were hit by a vehicle, a panel would be exposed to allow first responders to turn off the power. Ciaramella proposed that some of the revenue from the charging stations be set aside for maintenance.