Letter to the Editor: Support a New Crosswalk on Tedesco

To the Editor:

We are writing on behalf of a large group of residents in the Tedesco/Brookhouse/West Street area.

A year ago, a letter was sent to the Traffic and Safety Committee with over 100 signatures requesting a crosswalk be added on Tedesco Street, preferably near the Leggs Hill Road area to help the many people trying to cross get to the Y, as well as the many pedestrians, joggers, and bicyclists in this residential area.  

Through this letter, we hope to reach people interested in this initiative who may not have heard about our efforts. 

We have recently been told by Marblehead’s Consulting Traffic Engineer, Gary Hebert, Chief Picariello and Town Administrator Jeff Chelgren that a traffic study would need to be done before moving forward with this request.

They are unsure if there is really a need for this crosswalk/traffic study.

A traffic study was done when the Y first opened, and it was determined a crosswalk wasn’t necessary. However, that was when the Y estimated a membership of approximately 8,500. It is now almost doubled, at 15,000.

Mr. Hebert did say if he hears from enough residents requesting they move forward with our request, he will recommend a traffic study be done.  However, we believe pedestrian traffic will be significantly underestimated because it is so dangerous to cross Tedesco around Leggs Hill, people have resorted to driving the short distance to the Y.

We are asking residents who believe there should be an additional crosswalk on Tedesco to please e-mail Gary Hebert at GHebert@fstinc.com to help our initiative move forward.  Gary is also interested in knowing at what location a crosswalk would be most utilized, if it weren’t placed directly at Leggs Hill.  An interesting fact to note, a comparison of the number of crosswalks on other streets in town shows the following:  Atlantic has 16 crosswalks, Pleasant 15, Humphrey 13, West Shore Drive 9, Green 9, Lafayette 5, Elm 5, Tedesco 3. 

We hope you will consider e-mailing Gary Hebert at GHebert@fstinc.com to help us with our efforts.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Dara and Chris VanRemoortel, 135 Tedesco Street

Anna VanRemoortel, 135 Tedesco Street

Karen Byron and John Smarra, 206 Humphrey Street

Dan and Doris Hawthorne, 13 Mystic Road

Kim and Stephen Schillinger, 7 Florence Road

Scott and Laura Simpson, 15 Mystic Road

Brenda and David Dumais, 9 Emerald Avenue

Janet Lothrop, 12 Winthrop Avenue

Lyn Holian, 5 Mystic Road

Gary and Melissa Bouchard, 18 Westminster Road

Nancy DuMuth and Patricia Sullivan, 64 Tedesco Street

David and Maureen Kay, 14 Clifton Heights Lane

Tish and Kevin Burke, 10 Sapphire Avenue

Brett McCarty, 75 Clifton Avenue

Kathy Hempel, 9 Palmer Road

Tricia and Tim Gardella, 9 Florence Road

Elaine and Bob Purdy, 25 West Street

Heather and Jay Wager, 9 West Street

James and Maureen Morgan, 20 Elmwood Road

Tatiana Sloutsky, 129 Tedesco Street

David and Molly Healy, 22 Brookhouse Drive

Ellen and Alan Potash, 15 Sapphire Avenue

Christine Fernandes, 18 Winthrop Avenue

Cori and Todd Linsky, 3 Conant Road

Valerie Richardson, 7 Sapphire Avenue

Kim and Kent Wheeler, 13 Elmwood Road

Jill and Andrew Kaeyer, 44 Clifton Avenue

Norman and Sue Spinney, 50 Brookhouse Drive

The Korson-Silverliebs, 11 Mystic Road

Ed and Lynda Merullo, 107 Humphrey Street

Pete and Heather Kaznoski, 9 Sapphire Avenue

Jim and Ann Foley, 36 Ruby Avenue

Brian and Teresa Donovan, 12 Ruby Avenue
Mike and Sophie Piersol, 10 Winthrop Avenue

David and Alicia Bolognese, 43 Marion Road

Clayton Stead, 137 Tedesco Street

Matt and Ali Drayer, 2 Conant Road

Amy and John Doherty, 7 Ruby Terrace
Cheryl Lalonde, 231 Pleasant Street

Frank and Barbara Cagliuso, 7 Ticehurst Lane

Emily Andreano, 432 Humphrey Street, Swampscott