Traffic and Parking Commission Meeting

NOTICE OF MEETING

Thursday, June 25, 2020 @ 6:30PM

Notice: Pursuant to Governor Baker’s March 12, 2020 Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law, G.L. c. 30A, §20 and the Governor’s March 15, 2020 Order imposing strict limitation on the number of people that may gather in one place, this meeting of the Traffic and Parking Commission will be conducted via remote participation to the greatest extent possible. Specific information and the general guidelines for remote participation by members of the public and/or parties with a right and/or requirement to attend this meeting can be found on the city’s website, at www.salem.com. For this meeting, members of the public who wish to watch, listen or provide comment during the meeting may do so in the following manner:

• Please click the link below to join the webinar:
• https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85938123430?pwd=a1BqdWt5Y2ZTRXk4c2hnTXNZWWJHQT09

Password: 972245

• Or go to the website link www.zoom.us/join and enter meeting ID# 859 3812 3430. The password is 972245.

PLEASE NOTE: Providing public access via a telephone number is not currently functional. City IT staff are working with Zoom to address this issue.  If the problem is resolved prior to the meeting time an updated agenda will be issued which will include the phone number(s) to dial in.

Members of the public attending this meeting virtually will be allowed to make comments if they wish to do so. The Commission Chair, with the assistance of City Staff, will provide all participants in the Zoom meeting an opportunity to speak and indicate whether they would like to provide public comment. If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function on Zoom or dial-in participants may press *9 on their phone when directed to do so.

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Zoom can be found here:

https://www.salem.com/home/news/zoom-teleconferencing-tool.

No in-person attendance of members of the public will be permitted, but every effort will be made to ensure that the public can adequately access the proceedings in real time, via technological means. In the event that we are unable to do so, despite best efforts, we will post on the city’s website an audio or video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting.

MEETING AGENDA

1. ROLL CALL
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS (15 min period of no less than 3 min per person*)
3. TRAFFIC AND PARKING DIRECTOR UPDATE: Traffic and Parking Director will provide an update on the recently completed restriping of the Church Street East and West parking lots, status of the city’s bike share program, the ongoing work at the Museum Place Garage and matters the Commission has referred to the City Council Subcommittee on Ordinances, Licenses, and Legal Affairs (OLLA).
4. NEW/OLD BUSINESS (each item limited to 3 min per person*)
   1. Transportation and Systemic Racism – The Commission will have a discussion on the general role of transportation policies/planning in systemic racism.
   2. Outdoor Dining – The Commission will discuss the City’s ongoing efforts to work with local restaurants to create outdoor dining spaces that are compliant with new state and local regulations.
   3. Shared Streets Pilot Program – The Commission will discuss the City’s efforts to implement “shared streets” concepts in neighborhoods where traffic calming requests have been made or identified this will include a discussion of  areas where sidewalks have been extended to allow pedestrians to maintain safe social distances.
   4. Request for Traffic Ordinance Recommendation
      1. Hampton Inn Hotel Parking and Traffic Circulation Changes – As part of the Planning Board’s Decision approving this project there are certain traffic and parking regulation changes which will require adoption by the City Council.  Commission will discuss and provide recommendations for or against the following items, which were tabled at the last meeting:
         1. Amend meter zones along portions of Washington St and Dodge St adjacent to new hotel
         2. Convert Dodge St Court between New Derby St and Dodge St from two-way to one-way southbound
         3. Establishing Stop controls on Dodge St Court for both the northbound and southbound approaches at Dodge St
      2. Hawthorne Boulevard Service Zone Request – As part of the Planning Board conditions for the project at 13 Hawthorne Boulevard, the developer is required to seek City approval to designate two (2) on-street parking spaces in front of the building as a pick-up and drop-off zone. This requires a change to the ordinance and would constitute a “service zone.” This item was tabled at the last meeting.
      3. Lafayette Street Resident Sticker Parking – Through Ward 7 Councillor Dibble, the residents at 410 Lafayette Street have requested to be included in the resident sticker parking area on Lafayette Street. Their property had previously been owned by Salem State University and so was excluded from the resident sticker parking area.
5. OTHER BUSINESS THAT MAY LEGALLY COME BEFORE THE COMMISSION
6. MEETING SCHEDULE
7. MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL
8. ADJOURNMENT

*Per person comment period may be longer per the Chair’s discretion

Persons requiring auxiliary aids and services for effective communication such as a sign language interpreter, an assistive listening device, or print material in a digital format or a reasonable modification in programs, services, policies, or activities, may contact the City of Salem ADA Coordinator as soon as possible and no less than 2 business days before the meeting, program, or event.

Know your rights under the Open Meeting Law M.G.L. c. 30A §§18-25 &
City Ordinance Sections 2-2028 through 2-2033