Fells Parkway-Melrose Street Intersection Targeted For Improvements

The busy intersection of Lynn Fells Parkway and Melrose Street has long been on the city's radar for safety improvements, according to Melrose Public Works Superintendent Bob Beshara.

"We've looked at it a number of times," Beshara said, adding that several years ago the PTO of nearby Melrose High School formed a committee to try and tackle the problem. "Nothing has ever been done. It's such a complex intersection, for one, and second, it's all DCR (state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which has jurisdiction over the parkway), so we couldn't touch it if we wanted to."

Fortunately, the DCR is aware of how dangerous the intersection is and is currently formulating ideas on how to make the intersection safer.

DCR spokeswoman Katherine Williams said that it's "very early in the process," so there's no timeline as to when any improvements to the intersection, which has no traffic lights, would be undertaken.

"This is a complex intersection, as you probably know, and DCR is looking at proposals to improve the traffic flow there," Williams said. "We don't have any draft plans or have made a decision or recommendation on what to do ... it's just very preliminary."

Beshara said that in his correspondence with the DCR so far, the state is examining not only the intersection itself, but the exit from the Foodmaster parking lot on to Melrose Street and the area in front of the Dunkin Donuts on the parkway.

"(The DCR) has crossing guards there and apparently this is their worst intersection in the district," he said.

Williams said once the DCR develops a recommendation for the intersection, a "lengthy public process" would have to take place, including public review of the plans and gathering public comments, before any work would begin.

"We're so early in the process that none of that is actually in motion yet," she said. "There's a number of different ideas about how to improve this intersection, but we haven't made a final recommendation as to what we'd consider the first option."

Mike Lindstrom, aide and community liaison to Mayor Rob Dolan, said that he's requesting that DCR representatives go before the Board of Aldermen once plans are in place, for the purpose of presenting the DCR's recommendation to the city.

"Obviously we want to know what they're doing and for the board to know, to make sure we're not adding traffic areas to other areas," Lindstrom said. "It's in their best interest and ours just to let everyone know what's going on."