The Committee on Public Safety convened on September 12, 2023, to address resident safety concerns regarding speeding on Northeastern Avenue and Bedford Street, an item previously tabled on May 31, 2023. City Administrator Seth Aiken and Chief of Police Paul Gavin provided updates on enforcement efforts. Since May 1st, traffic trailers on Eastern Avenue recorded an average of 6,000 vehicles per day southbound at 38 mph and 4,000 vehicles per day northbound at 41 mph, with peak speeding activity observed between 10 PM and 4 AM. The police department issued approximately 100 monetary citations, totaling $11,000, in addition to verbal and written warnings. Residents Andrew Bozo and Natalie Mello, who live in the affected area, shared their perspectives. Ms. Mello noted an improvement in driver behavior due to new speed trailers equipped with flashing blue lights, while Mr. Bozo highlighted continued issues with drag racing between 10 PM and 1 AM and dangerous speeds near the rotary. The committee discussed the jurisdiction of Northeastern Avenue, confirming it is Route 6 but the city is responsible for local enforcement. The committee decided to continue current enforcement strategies, adjust tactics to focus on late-night hours, and maintain patrol presence. The resolution was subsequently tabled again by a unanimous vote, with a view to revisit the discussion in the future, and the meeting adjourned.
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Council
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Public Safety
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0:35thank you
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1:32meeting Laura any person may make an order with video recording of this public meeting or may Transit the meeting through any medium attendees are therefore advised that such recordings or Transmissions are being made whether perceived or run perceived by those present and are deemed acknowledgments and permissible um we'll call the roll please here here I just would like to say that
2:01Council Washington is running late she had a family emergency and I hope it's not that serious I had to involved her mom and dad so I hope everything's fine all right so this is input anyone sign up for citizen simple tonight number two we have the minutes of May 31st entertain a motion motion to approve motion proof I am second all in favor aye so voted item number three motion uh please
2:34deliver from the table motion to lift from the table a second all in favor aye so voted so item number three is a resolution uh discussion regarding ways to improve resident resident safety regarding speeding in northeastern Avenue and Bedford Street um it was tabled 531-23 and after our discussions uh last time with some neighbors and with the chief of police we all agree that this should be tabled and we
3:05would uh would you know bring this back and entertain to see if there's been some improvement down there hopefully there has and so I would ask the chief of police to come down please and Mr Aikens if you'd like to come down and Laura please and this is the only item on this agenda uh tonight and I know I pretty show this to me pretty good deal of City investment please have a seat oh I'm sorry
3:36there's been some City investment Manpower that's been occurring down there from what I'm going to say I mean I identify for the record please for people listening Seth Aiken City administrator Paul Gavin Chief of Police
4:03so since May 1st uh we've had traffic trailers up in the Eastern Avenue area and the southbound lane average 6 000 vehicles per day average speed of 38 miles an hour a majority of our speeding issues are tend to be cluster between 10 p.m and 1 a.m northbound lane the average speed I'm sorry 4 000 vehicles per day average speed 41 miles an hour and the majority of the speeding clusters there
4:35are between 10 p.m and 4 A.M since that time we've issued citations monetary citations approximately 100 in the form of eleven thousand dollars in citations that's not counting verbal counseling and or written warnings um so that's kind of where we are with the enforcement side uh we'll continue to monitor the trailers that we still have there and try to hit those hot spots so the court uh one question I have are
5:08the uh some of the trailers you're able to detect how many cars pass correct that's where we're getting all the data from and how about any data Chief with regard to when school opens at Diamond and school closes both Diamond Head Jersey so it'll lay out I mean I can do through the data search if you have any particular time periods but the bulk of these speeding areas are late at night
5:31and early early in the morning prior to work okay so we if you want a particular hour set you know of data mining we can do that for you yeah because I would think um that most since schools are open now and that's one of the reasons I chose to put on the agenda tonight to have the meeting because I you know I don't want to see an increase of of complaints
5:51there and I know traffic is a city-wide issue it's not just Eastern Avenue that is having major problems Stafford Road Easton Avenue so I mean so the data that I have is strictly from the motor vehicle unit those approximately 100 citations are uh you know that's just only the sum of 600 that they've given in that total time so we're talking about 15 16 during that same time period in that area
6:27Council team so the last time you were here um the data you received from the speed trailers versus now did you see a decline in the speed do you feel um I feel like there were different hours of the day the in the last discussion correct in that lane there was a little difference in the hours but it still seems that it's clustering late at night and the percentage of excessive speed I
6:52believe was somewhere in the eight percent range maybe less I could be wrong because I'm doing it for memory um you still find that to be the case the system is still consistent yes okay thank you that I yield so we're going going forward are we going to stay consistent up there with the uh what's there correct and I think what we're going to change up some of the tactics
7:15and try to hit uh some of those difficult hours and incorporating our Patrol uh during those late evening hours part of the issue is that you know the the numbers the numbers of Travelers across those roadways at night it decreases so you could have if you put a sting out you could have two or three guys sitting out there for an hour and see one motor vehicle out there albeit
7:39you'll get a citation out of it but it might not fit the risk reward for the Department in that time period understandable okay so um we have anything from uh one thing I've noticed that in the last week the speed trailer now flashes police lights if you're going over the speed limit so as I travel that road every day and what I've been noticing is when they see they're going over the
8:08speed limit the blue lights come on I you see them breaking and trying to slow down so that's something new and it seems to be working you know letting people know you're going well it'll allow people once it calculates that speed the problem is it's already it's already picking up that data so we're not getting data after the site we're getting data at the site thank you thank you that's okay
8:35no just that we we did get a couple new speed trailers and spoke to an officer today he was really impressed with how they work the data they collect you can see that there's just a lot of information being gleaned from those so it it does seem like there is an improvement but I think Improvement happens uh slowly and incrementally in the police department's doing a phenomenal job trying to enforce uh speed there so
9:00yeah I was just um I know that at the last meeting we had some neighbors that were vocal and provided some information for us and I would be interested to see the people living there how they feel if these Trails have had an impact if things have improved or not if they are so inclined yes we'll we'll have them down in a second okay the question I had with regard to data collecting
9:24and I have no idea if this is just a throw throw out their question is there technology to determine or cite people or give tickets without an officer well that's a Massachusetts issue I know um sure Rhode Island Rhode Island does uh something similar to what you're talking about but Their audience is different where um see here we're we're actually citing the operator so it goes against their
9:55driving record in Rhode Island I think they have a different mechanism where they're charging like an ordinance for for the speeding and it goes to the vehicle owner so there is no RMV issue for the for the actual operator there so it's a little bit different so it would be up to the operator to show up to traffic in Rhode Island yes and would have to explain somehow that I wasn't
10:19operating it was someone else operating or I don't think that matters in Rhode Island I think Rhode Island it's it's the car your car was going x-speed and that's it um so no that's true well technology is advancing advancing and um you hit people in a pocket wallet or a pocketbook I think um you see results that way when insurance rates go up and things like that so just something to think about I guess um so
10:49as Michelle suggested we'll um council reposo is a resident on the corner of News Boston Road and Eastern Avenue so as a as a person there a neighbor there not a city councilor I would invite you to come down and I would invite Miss Mello whoever wants to come now and I I would excuse Seth and and Laura dismissed skus is nicer
11:31so once again just like to stressed Mr raposo's down here as a someone who lives on the corner Andrew Bozo 1166 New Boston Road and uh Natalie Mello 510 North Eastern Avenue so do you feel that there has been Improvement do you feel the trailers are effective have you seen a difference from the last time you were here until now so I'm going to go back to you I'm going to answer you in a minute when
12:05you said uh Chief when you were saying how far back does that trailer grab the uh Speeders if that's how you want to say it there's I think it's pretty far back right yeah I don't know what the point of uh right because I think the way whoever set up this speed trap betrayal has them only going up to 40 so it catches you if you're going 40 already the flashing room lights I already tell
12:34you at 40 that you're going over and they slow down so where that track that trailer is it really is working okay yeah everybody is working down the corner of Dunbar and uh Northeastern Avenue it's right there so we all see the light flash all night long all sometimes in the afternoon where else out there or Donald and others see it I haven't seen 62.70 I haven't seen that but maybe Mr Tino because some of them
13:04from New Boston Road on they fly but when they see that blue light go they know they have to slow down so they slow down from where uh 720 Northeastern Avenue it may be before that as soon as they see that flashing light they stop and that flash they slow down I shouldn't say stop but they slow down that's exactly our tactic right now which is obviously we have the trailers
13:27out there doing that but we all know human behavior which is there are going to be people who who learn that it's just a light and they're going to challenge that light and just go as fast as as they want so that's why we have to continue to have intimate enforcement and some stings out there during those same time periods now other neighbors might see it different I think um our neighbor across from you
13:52um he sees them fly sometimes at 80 and 90.
13:55um it could be later at night um I sometimes you catch even big trucks you know that they'll be flying business trucks as well um but and what I've seen even when they had the trailer closer to um the Assad's there they would they actually miss it in front of their house because they like counting that many people were flying so they were kind of jealous it was on the corner of Dunbar
14:24and Northeastern Avenue so um so anyway so we're we're at I see a difference but others don't see a difference and then of course we all invested into science 40 means 40. you know uh no one we had an accident I messaged Laura um there was an accident I think it was Thursday and there's still debris there yeah and there was one in June and the sign was never put up so there's been
14:54signed there's been accidents and some of them are not reported so they are people that are crazy driving but like you said it's throughout the whole city how can we stop all this because it's dangerous no we can't they don't have to say because I believe we can if everybody you know if you can't this some of the some of the the some of the the speed that they're going on on uh
15:17Michelle it's not good oh I I understand that I agree with those people I'm just saying I don't believe you're ever going to stop 100 I mean that's yeah I agree with that the point is making a big impact and doing you know you know I just don't like that with never sorry but anyway so that's what you know what we've been seeing uh I feel bad for a lot of the neighbors down
15:40further because now they're getting slammed you know they then they see that flashing light but it's it's what I've seen I'm not gonna lie it's gotten better with that machine being wherever it's at no please don't like tell the truth yeah especially if it's getting better yeah you know me I I'm I I'm blunt yeah if I'm wrong I'll be the first one to apologize thank you so much for being so
16:02active you always have been it's all of us I mean I think yeah oh God I mean Kathy Assad yes yes yeah we have to keep moving we have to keep help it's our city we pay taxes we care about the people you know we care about the neighbors that are there um I care about this man who's seen it for years and years and years we need to rebuild his faith in our government
16:27a lot of those people that live in that they need to regain the faith in our steady government and it kind of went out the window so we need that back I did talk to Carol of uh Viola and she was looking into maybe possible uh flashlight she was going to call that correct and uh they're going to look into maybe a flashlight in between Northeastern Avenue and maybe where it's
16:56going to affect both sides I have a picture because I have a nephew who lives in southern mass and they have it in those roads and it's not active roads like these are and uh I guess it's a little LED lights or whatever or the Sun uh makes recharges it um so maybe that could be added into that I mean I can send you a picture uh maybe that in between where
17:22the kids from the schools and whatever drugs or whatever see that flashing light um and then some you know we thought that the signs that we put up was going to make a difference we thought the signs that we made was going to make a difference you know but that what that really is it's almost like they're catching them and they're already seeing it as they're coming across in uh Bullock
17:46Street they're already down like next to uh 720 Northeast they're already seeing that blue light flashing and those blue lights really make a difference it's good so if they can add that to all the trailers that's a big plus I just want to offer two comments um the first to the chief um the between 10 pm and 1 a.m time period it's typically where I'm seeing just looking out my window now
18:14um they're stopping at the intersection before you cross New Boston Road at the red light going Southbound and that's the drag race strip from that light Crossing North Boston Road to just about the church about the Baptist Church is usually the Dragway there and that's where a lot of the excessive speed I'm seeing with my own eyes they're blowing down the street from that way the second comment I'll offer
18:39is in regards to the rotary which is obviously State Property more than anything else but usually when people are coming around the bend and then coming onto Northeastern Avenue to then hit the lights there's very little often a Slowdown there they're coming right off and going and if they can beat the light they'll try to beat it so maybe to the suggestion of some sort of flashing light coming off the rotary onto
19:03Northeastern Avenue may be a deterrent to slow them down a little bit because if if they see green they're going if they see yellow they're going exactly it's very often in the neighbor who lives next to me will often say over the years he's been there for like 20 years he has said that there's been many accidents of people beating the light and the light on New Boston Road switches they're going and they're
19:24hitting each other so that may be something how many times there's been a flip overs right in front of your house correct it was three I've been there five years three correct and then last year and you know this year beginning of June uh at three in the morning there was a turnover my husband had to go out okay three in the morning so like you said it's a lot of speed at night so
19:43there's a lot and then a lot of times it's from four o'clock to about maybe eight o'clock we do have a lot of speeders but I haven't seen I've seen 160 so I've seen 162 but I've done although somebody else is out there they're like like they can't believe how fast they're going but I think the way they they put that trailer there and flashing that 40 I believe that's making a difference okay where I'm at
20:09but I have a question is this we need to figure this out we all need to be on the same page is this a stapled or not it's a state road is Route Six are we sure about that because if some Engineers from town said it don't believe it absolutely it's absolutely room six before they built 195 before my day um they group sex goes from East Providence I believe all the way through Fall River
20:37all the way up to Cape all the way to Provincetown right it's part of Route Six this is me thinking and others okay
20:59so it's as well okay so what just because you're not on the microphone Miss Ferrera a traffic person stated that it is Route 6 but we're responsible for um the maintenance and activity and all that stuff the the speed and all that good stuff that's what I understood so that's why they were saying it wasn't and then then people say it isn't and then that may make more sense I'm just
21:30saying well this was from an engineer sorry well it is it is fruit sex right but we're responsible and if the state the state through our Representatives Viola wants to uh right entertain something that's that's her jurisdiction right right okay um well I think it was an important issue and if we any more comments here thank you just hit them in the pocket so um we need more money we'll keep the
21:59enforcement up and we'll change the times and hopefully that helps things I I you know I think I think you're seeing uh the police officers out there uh yeah sporadically you know enforcing Bullock Street yeah there we see a lot so and I know I I know uh Sergeant Louis Duart who's uh you know does does a lot for us uh you know we have a conversation all the time and I can tell
22:21you that he's hearing Northeastern Avenue from me quite a bit at least once a week so uh he reminds me yeah we're on it well uh councilor I mean I'm sorry chief governor you I know I have a very good relationship with you I mean you pick up the phone right away when I call you when I I know you have a good relationship with the with the city council and um
22:41so I'll entertain a motion we will table as I would think or what's the pleasure of uh you and I here do you well I think I think we accomplished our goal to I don't think it would hurt down the road to uh have this discussion one more time because it seems like we've made it from point A to point B but yet there's a little bit further to go okay so I
23:06would entertain a motion to table okay thank you Council Dan second all in favor aye so voted and motion two adjourn adjourn second thank you very much