Chairs: Jennifer Deabler, Dianne Lescinskas
Minutes: Doreen Miller
Guests: Amanda Curley (Chief of Staff for Councilor Fitzgerald),
Madison Foley (Community Liaison for Mayor Wu)
# in attendance on Zoom: 35
Construction Projects in Savin Hill – Updates (Amanda Curley)
- There are currently 4 projects going on simultaneously in our neighborhood.
- Eversource: Underground high voltage line to a new substation at Dewar Street
- National Grid: New gas lines along Savin Hill Avenue
- Boston Water and Sewer (BWSC): New water main along Savin Hill Avenue up to Caspian Way
- Morrissey Boulevard: New sidewalks
- Councilor Fitzgerald received many calls on the dangerous traffic conditions and inability for cars and pedestrians to navigate safely.
- Councilor Fitzgerald spoke with Eversource and the Chief of Streets.
- Eversource will pause/stop work until the Boston Water and Sewer work is complete.
- BWSC seems to be the main culprit in the traffic mess as it gave residents no notification of the work and time schedule, and it failed to coordinate with other projects in the area.
- BWSC is running behind schedule. Eversource work will resume once BWSC is done. Amanda will try to find out the projected end date for the water work.
Resident Concerns, Comments, and Questions
- Who is coordinating these multiple projects? – Someone in the administration, but unsure who – the Department of Public Works?
- We are a major cut-through neighborhood with only two ways in and out of Savin Hill. With roads blocked, non-residents do not know where to go. Detour signs are few and confusing, leading many to drive down one-ways, which is dangerous due to blind bends in the road. If this continues, there are accidents waiting to happen.
- Police response to cars going up one-ways has been apathetic citing a lack of resources.
- They claim they cannot always get officers to do detail work.
- They claim police are there to protect the workers, not direct traffic.
- Resources are poorly managed as evident in there having been two officers each at two sites and zero at the third the other day.
- Workers claim that sometimes the police don’t show up at all and/or leave early.
- C-11 was invited to the meeting, and we were informed someone would be there, but no one showed, which is very telling.
- We need police to direct traffic safely and properly, especially when one-ways are suddenly being used as two-way streets.
- Many feel the police details are not doing their job or paying attention as many have seen them preoccupied with their cell phones. Residents are encouraged to take photos of officers on their phones, post them to Facebook, and send them to our city councilor.
- Residents are encouraged to call the C-11 non-emergency number to report cops not doing their jobs
- If no appropriate safety measures for traffic are in place, there should be no work, and streets should remain open.
- It is dangerous for pedestrians, especially those with strollers, to walk along the park area.
- There is no safe area for pedestrians to walk along the boulevard while they are installing new sidewalks.
- If Savin Hill Avenue on the north side needs to be two-way temporarily, there should be no parking and there needs to be a cop stationed on either end to direct traffic safely.
- Who reviews and coordinates the traffic flow plans submitted by utilities for their projects?
- Who permitted four major projects to be going on simultaneously in our small neighborhood? Traffic havoc has resulted due to miscommunication in the permitting process.
- Why are 311 calls and calls to City Hall Department of Transportation going unanswered?
- There seems to be a severe lack of overall management and coordination of these projects, endangering the residents of this area.
- The Fire Department was not notified of street closures here, putting any timely emergency response in jeopardy.
Suggestions to Address the Problem
- Assign cops to do detail during their normal shift as opposed to in overtime.
- Residents here demand a response to this safety problem. If there is no detail available, work and street closures should not be allowed.
- Can the utility companies provide/hire their own traffic management people?
- Years ago during some street construction in the neighborhood, a temporary traffic light was installed to manage two-way traffic on a one-way street. Something like this would work.
- Place clear detour signs throughout the neighborhood to safely direct traffic.
- The various projects should be coordinating with one another on safe traffic management.
- Bill Walczak in conjunction with the Safety Committee chairs will send a letter to City Hall with a cc to the Dorchester Reporter outlining the safety issues brought up in the meeting and demanding an appropriate response.
Speed Humps 2026
- We are a major cut-through with cars exceeding safe speeds endangering those who live here and use our parks. We need speed humps sooner rather than later.
- Eversource has agreed to install a speed hump and cross walk by the tennis courts once the work is complete and the roads fully repaved and concrete sidewalks installed.
- Some have heard that they have to wait a full year after the work is done for the street to “settle” before the final paving.
- People are encouraged to reach out to Councilors Fitzgerald and Erin Murphy to push for speed humps sooner than 2026.
Updates from Madison Foley, Community Liaison
- Madison emphasized that the Eversource work has been put on hold until the BWSC is done.
- She will drive through the area tomorrow with her deputy to document the issues. Public safety is of utmost importance.
- The boston.gov website has a timeline for repaving and installation of speed humps.
- Residents have requested
- A timeline for all neighborhood construction projects be posted somewhere online for people to access.
- We be given a contact person overseeing the projects in this area.
- She agrees there needs to be a better system.
- Please reach out to Madison with your questions and concerns: Madison.Foley@boston.gov
Other Community Concerns
- Large trucks (18-wheelers), which are not allowed on our narrow, thickly settled streets, have been seen traveling through our neighborhood between 5 and 7:45 AM. They are putting undue stress on the bridge over the expressway. What can be done?
- There used to be a sign coming into the neighborhood restricting/prohibiting trucks over a certain weight.
- It is also a matter of enforcement.
- Amanda Curley and Councilor Fitzgerald’s office will look into getting appropriate signage in strategic places via the Boston Transportation Department.
- The expressway bridge should have a weight limit sign posted as well.
- The Beach and Park Issues
- The parties are smaller but still persistently loud into the wee hours of the morning.
- There has been blaring music at 5:30 AM in the morning.
- There was recently a loud party on Caspian Way until 3 in the morning.
- There is daytime drug activity with needles being found on the beach and in park areas.
- Every summer we seem to have the same problems. We need to come up with a strategy in preventing them from recurring and in effectively dealing with them when they do occur.
- Abutters to the beach would like to see a gate installed to deter late night parking/partying.
- We should reach out to Madison to voice our concerns and ask for a separate meeting to address the beach issues.
- Ask the Deputy Superintendent to make changes that would discourage disruptive gatherings at the beach overnight.
- We need coordination and support from both C-11 and the state police, who oversee various sections of the beach, to do their part in patrolling the area at various times and in responding in a timely manner to 911 calls about disturbances.
- Residents have noticed that often after making a 911 call, the groups suddenly disperse before the police arrive, making them wonder if someone has a police scanner.
- The parties are smaller but still persistently loud into the wee hours of the morning.