A working group involving community members has been proposed as a way to address address traffic-safety issues in the Mt. Gilboa neighborhood following a fatal car accident April 17 on Westminster Avenue. Here is a summary of an April 26 meeting that details neighbors' concerns. It includes a statement of purpose and a petition:

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A community meeting was held on the evening of Thursday, April 26, to address traffic safety concerns of residents in the Mt. Gilboa Neighborhood of Arlington. The organizers planned the meeting, in particular, to focus on speeding hazards on Westminster Avenue.

The meeting was held at 7 p.m. at the Covenant Church, 9 Westminster Ave. According to the organizers -- all neighborhood residents -- the Covenant Church’s own commitment to this issue was expressed by its very generous donation of space, including microphones and other presentation equipment, as well as refreshments.  The organizers estimate that there were at least 100 attendees.
 
David Levy, a resident of Westmoreland Avenue and Town Meeting member, opened the meeting with a brief introductory statement. He introduced town officials and thanked them for attending and addressing the neighborhood. Representing the Board of Selectmen were Chairman Annie LaCourt and Selectman John Hurd.

 

Representing the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) were Edward Starr, the chair, and Elisabeth Carr-Jones. Ms. Carr-Jones has already dedicated much effort to studying traffic issues in the Mt. Gilboa neighborhood, as project leader for the TAC’s study of the Downing Square intersection.

Others representing the town were Town Manager Brian Sullivan, Police Chief Frederick Ryan and John Bean, the new director of public works. Mr. Levy concluded his introduction by summarizing the focused agenda that had been provided to attendees. He then turned the microphone over to Owen Callaghan, a Westmoreland Avenue resident who presented a purpose statement for the meeting. The statement began by describing the history of traffic accidents on Westminster Avenue, based on both “anecdotal and town-sponsored data stretch[ing] back as far as 1978.”

The most recent severe incidents include two cases in which a car hit a house; both were attributed to speeding. One house, 42-44 Westminster, was hit last Nov. 2. The April 17 crash involved the house next door, 40 Westminster, and resulted in a fatality.

Mr. Callaghan said that “in the insurance industry, underwriters consistently speak to the fact that ‘frequency of losses breeds severity of losses.’” He said that the meeting had been requested “to ask the town’s assistance in seeking improvements," while acknowledging that “a uniform solution ... cannot come from this meeting tonight.”

Rather, as Mr. Callaghan explained, “our objective tonight is simply to gain TAC’s commitment to working with a representative group from the Mt. Gilboa neighborhood … toward both a short- and long-term solution to prevent any additional tragic outcomes.”

Specifically, Mr. Callaghan proposed a working group to be the liaison with TAC and the neighborhood to “develop and implement realistic, immediate solutions.” The working group expects to hold its first meeting May 3, at a time and place to be determined.

Mr. Callaghan then introduced Diane Stansbury, a resident of Westminster Avenue. She presented a petition signed by concerned residents of the neighborhood and other supporters. She said that, in a single Saturday afternoon, more than 200 signatures were collected by a team of volunteers canvassing the Mt. Gilboa neighborhood. She also acknowledged Gabriella Lawrence, another Westminster Avenue resident, for having written the petition.

Concluding, Ms. Stansbury stressed that “This issue is not only about 'our' street, but the Arlington community as a whole.”  She mentioned that, along with the petition, town officials would receive written testimonials from several residents describing their own experiences with traffic hazards in the neighborhood.

Ms. Stansbury then introduced Susan Doctrow, a Westminster Avenue resident and Town Meeting member. Ms. Doctrow introduced the other members of the group who, along with the four who were speaking, had planned the night’s agenda. These were Westminster Avenue residents Alisa Pascale-Rines, Brenda Kokubo and Anne Ehlert, all in attendance. In addition, Ms. Doctrow thanked Caroline Walters and Betsy Surratt, Westminster residents who could not attend that evening but had also worked hard on planning the event.

She further commented that these nine individuals would form the nucleus of the working group proposed by Mr. Callaghan in his opening statement. She expressed the hope that some others would want to join this working group and that the broader audience would freely give their input to these neighbors. At that point, Ms. Doctrow turned the podium over to Town Manager Brian Sullivan to begin the presentation by town officials.