APPT-2025-3 : Appointment of Jonah Chiarenza, 515 Lebanon Street, Apt. 2, Melrose MA 02176, to the Traffic Commission.

Transcript (~8 min @ 19:36)

Speakers identified by voice; unnamed voices are numbered within this recording. Auto-caption text — verify against the video.

▶ 19:34 Kimberly Vandiver: Wonderful. So, um, then I will introduce the, the first order before us is appointment 2025 dash three. Um, to discuss the appointment of Jonah Za five 15 Lebanon Street, apartment two, Melrose, mass, uh, 0 2 1 7 6 to the Traffic Commission.

▶ 19:51 Jen Grigoraitis: Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I'm pleased to be joined tonight by Jonah Za to serve on the Traffic Commission. I believe you all have Jonah's resume in your packet. He brings extensive planning experience about the municipal, state, and federal level. He currently works for the US Department of Transportation. He's been an active community member on equity and access issues as it relates to the use of our roads. Um, and also is raising his family here in Melrose. I think he'll bring an incredible depth and breadth of experience to the commission, and I look forward to having him appointed.

▶ 20:26 Kimberly Vandiver: Um, are there any questions from the counselors? Uh, councilor Hamilton?

▶ 20:34 Speaker 3: Thank you Madam Chair. And thank you Mr.

▶ 20:35 Ward Hamilton: Chair Enzo for being here with us this evening. And thank you for, uh, serving on the TRA Traffic Commission and the important work that takes place there. Uh, on September 5th, I sent an email to the mayor and the chief of staff, um, indicating that I had a question for each of our new appointees to the traffic commission. And you were kind enough to, uh, respond and I really appreciate that. But for the benefit of your council, um, and, and others here in attendance, I just want to reread that and it'll be the same question that I asked the other two appointees. The issue of overnight parking has been a hotly debated topic in the city of Melrose in recent years, in October of 2019. Then City Solicitor Robert Van Camp, and opined that the Traffic Commission has exclusive authority to amend or repeal the parking van. As the city continues to encourage new development to meet housing needs in our region, parking space requirements are often reduced and have been eliminated in some instances. While the intent is to reduce congestion and sprawl and to make housing development more affordable, it could have the unintended effect of bringing new residents into the community with no place to park second, or even first cars upholding the overnight parking ban will be essential to ensuring that the increase in housing opportunities and the resultant increase in population density does not simultaneously create additional congestion by adding motor vehicles to the community. During your term on the Traffic commission, you may be tasked with the prospect of amending or repealing the so-called Overnight Parking Ban. Please be prepared to discuss your position on the subject.

▶ 22:23 Speaker 6: Yeah, thank you for the question. I'll give you the same answer I did in email, which is that, um, on basis, um, I am in favor of maintaining the overnight parking ban as it states, uh, or as it exists today. Um, however, I think as a member of the Traffic Commission, I would approach each decision with thought and consideration for the specific circumstances. Um, while I'm not in favor of a total ban or removal of the ban, um, if there were suggestions for amending that, um, and I know there are some, sometimes exceptions to the overnight parking ban granted to certain, um, residents who may need to park a vehicle on the street overnight. Um, I'd be open-minded and, and consider those on the merits. Um, but in, in general, I think that the overnight parking ban is, um, something that contributes to our quality of life. And I think it's part of the tools that we have at our disposal, as you noted in your comment or in your question, to encourage the people that move choose to move to Melrose, to have the option to move here, um, on their own choice to not have one or more vehicles, um, and not expect that they can just park them on the public rights of way in, in any location. Um, but that we do have a, a mechanism, um, to approve overnight parking as needed.

▶ 23:45 Ward Hamilton: Thank you. And, uh, the only other comment I have is as it relates to, uh, speeding issues in the various, so-called cut throughs in Melrose, in the, I guess, uh, eight months that I've served on the city council, I've been, I've spent more time on meeting with constituents that have cut through speeding concerns. And they're all, they all appear to be sort of an isolated islands where they don't know each other exists, but they all sort of have the same problems. Um, so I would ask that as you embark on your work with the commission, if you would be open to those, the current, the concerns of those citizens who live in those cut through areas and maybe coming up with creative ideas and solutions to those problems. Yeah.

▶ 24:27 Speaker 6: I happen to know you live on the corner of, um, two cut through areas, right? And I live down the street, so, um, I think they're, they're all over the place. And Yep. Cut through is a, it's probably a loaded term in some context because sometimes it's just our neighbors cutting through on the way that makes the most sense for them to travel. And other times it's Google telling people, oh, you're gonna beat the light by 15 seconds, so take this route. Right. And I think, um, making sure that we prioritize safety is gonna be my number one priority, um, for all road users, particularly our kids and seniors and other what we call vulnerable road users, uh, in the business. Um, but frankly, people driving and making sure they have ample sight lines and can react, um, in, in due course to avoid crashes. Um, of course people on bikes, people accessing transit.

▶ 25:16 Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Yep.

▶ 25:20 Speaker 6: Happy to answer any other questions?

▶ 25:22 Kimberly Vandiver: Uh, councilor Karen Chetty,

▶ 25:25 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you so much for being here and being interested in the traffic commission. I will say that I feel like you actually gave a couple of the answers that I was wanting to ask you about. So I'll just ask you more generally, um, just what do you see as sort of some of the biggest issues Melrose faces that you hope to learn about and think about and perhaps advocate for on the traffic commission?

▶ 25:50 Speaker 6: I mean, I think when we talk about Melrose, it's, it's, every other phrase statement about Myers is like such a wonderful walkable community. And I think that's very true. We have a pretty incredible sidewalk network. We have a lot of things to walk to and from. So there's a lot of reason to walk where a, a small community. And so geographically it's easy to be able to walk places. Um, and I think identifying where the gaps are in that network where people don't feel safe or where, um, parents don't feel safe letting their kids go out and walk to school or walk to soccer practice. Um, some of the trips that frankly like contribute to congestion, these short, like sub one mile trips, which I myself am guilty of doing on occasion, uh, with my kids, finding ways to make those weakest link points in the tra in the transportation network for people walking, um, stronger so that people feel confident and comfortable that they can do so safely is, is gonna Be something I'll be looking out for.

▶ 26:45 Manjula Karamcheti: Thank you. I so appreciate you saying that. I think the most, uh, emails I get are people trying to cross streets in Ward one and the speeding and the lack of attention to folks trying to cross the street is sort of what I get the most. So I'm happy to hear you speak about that. Thank you.

▶ 27:04 Kimberly Vandiver: Are there any other questions? Councilor Repe? I

▶ 27:06 Speaker 3: Was gonna make a motion to recommend to the full council

▶ 27:08 Speaker 1: Second.

▶ 27:10 Kimberly Vandiver: Okay. We have a motion, uh, made by Councilor Repe and a second by Councilor Rum Chetty to recommend, uh, I believe this is a roll call vote.

▶ 27:19 Speaker 7: This is, uh, yes or no vote. Okay.

▶ 27:24 Kimberly Vandiver: Uh, uh, we'll have a voice vote. All in favor?