NEWRA Holds Monthly Meeting

The monthly meeting of the North End Waterfront Residents Association was a chance for residents to air their concerns about issues in the neighborhood to city officials.

Boston Police Captain Robert Ciccolo from Area A said that the North End is “one of the safest neighborhoods in the city.”

He said that between 4-8 police officers have been added to help keep the traffic moving on the North Washington Street Bridge. He also told those in attendance that there will be two lanes added to the going out after the curves that should help keep the traffic moving.

However, on the issue of bicycles, he was less optimistic. After hearing how several people had almost been hit by bicycles, scooters and vespas, he related how difficult it is for police in cars to catch those on these two modes of transportation in congested areas. These alternative vehicles do have the right to use the bike lanes, but they must follow the rules that presently are under the state’s purview.

Ciccolo pointed out that the police have impounded several of these vehicles. He also that pedestrians still have the right of way above all other motorized traffic.

“There are rules for these vehicles, but they are not following them,” Ciccolo said. And he urged residents that if they see an issue to call 911.

The outdoor dining issue was another matter for residents as Clara D’Amico found out. Many residents claimed that the new regulations that the city is planning “seems like a done deal.” D’Amico pointed out that there are two regulations for two outdoor eating spaces. One set of codes focuses on permanent areas where the restaurant has outdoor space on their own land like a patio. The other set of codes is for temporary outdoor dining that takes up parking spaces. And this is where there may be some confusion.

Some residents noted how some outdoor public space was being taken over for part of the day by restaurants and how the residents’ parking time on Hanover and Salem Streets decreased by restricting the residents parking from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.

D’Amico urged those in attendance to write letters to the city officials to hear their concerns on outdoor dining.

The possible development of a 700-foot tower being built in the Bulfinich Triangle was also brought up at the meeting. While there still has been no formal application submitted to the Boston Planning and Development Agency, members of the committee promised to alert residents at the first sign of the proposal.