Top 5 Melrose Headlines: November 2012

Check out the top five most read stories on Melrose Patch in November.

Here's a look at the top five viewed stories on Melrose Patch in November:

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Ravine Road to Re-Open as Two-Way Street

Dolan said the street would likely return to normal by Dec. 10.

Relief has come. Melrose Mayor Robert Dolan announced today that Ravine Road will be re-opened, pending some short construction slated to begin in the first week of December. If all goes according to plan, he said, residents should have the road back to normal by Monday, Dec. 10. Last May, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) made the upper section of Ravine Road from Woodland Road to Fellsway East a one-way state-controlled street, for a six-month trial period. Meant to increase safety at the dangerous intersection of Ravine Road and the Fellsway East, Dolan said the change caused more problems than it mitigated. The study wasn't a total wash, though: State Rep. Paul Brodeur said that a new median in the road …

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Chad H.

3:33 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hey Mark, Yep I remember and questioning why Stoneham was so reluctant to stop the trial. It ended up at the same result and I doubt very much that they (Stoneham or DCR) gathered any additional data by continuing the trial. Seems like they (Stoneham) could have saved folks a few extra months of hassle by just ending it back when requested by Mayor Dolan.   more ›

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Melrose Must Work With Stoneham To Solve Traffic Issues

Patricia Wright implores the mayor and city's state delegation to work with Stoneham regarding traffic problems in the area of the Pond Street, West Wyoming Avenue and Fellsway intersection.

Editor's note: A copy of this letter to Melrose officials on Wednesday was provided to Melrose Patch by the author. Dear Mayor Dolan, Senator Clark and Representative Brodeur, I headed to work this morning and the traffic lights at Grimsby’s were out. There were about 5 Verizon trucks parked on the property of the home owner across the street and not one police detail to direct traffic. I am well aware that this is Stoneham but understanding the love loss that exists at present between our fair cities it’s not hard to understand Stoneham’s lack of urgency to protect public safety. I called the Mayor’s office this morning and spoke with a man named John and explained what was happening. His first statement was "that’s Stoneham."  Shocker! I…

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You Ask, Patch Answers

Will One-Way Ravine Road Trial Continue?

A DCR spokeswoman said that the six-month trial will continue as planned unless both Melrose and Stoneham say they would like the experiment to cease.

You Ask, Patch Answers is a weekly column for Melrosians who have questions about something they've spotted around the city or wondered about. Submit your question to danield@patch.com. Regarding the one-way Ravine Road experiment, Chad asked, "Any idea if the DCR (Department of Conservation and Recreation), Stoneham or Melrose is doing anything regarding this issue or is the six-month trial just moving along as planned?" DCR spokeswoman S.J. Port said in an email that "DCR will continue the trial period unless we hear from both communities that they would like the trial to cease." That means, for now, the trial will continue. Mayor Rob Dolan wrote a letter to the DCR "imploring" the state to end the trial, citing "havoc" created at the …

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Ravine Road: Readers Speak Out, Offer Alternative Solutions

Melrose Patch commenters have spoken for and against the one-way upper Ravine Road experiment and offered alternative ideas to alleviate the traffic problems in the area.

Editor's note: Comments quoted in this article have been lightly edited for grammar and style. Melrose Patch readers have been debating the efficacy and wisdom of the one-way upper Ravine Road experiment. The six-month trial period began on Saturday, May 5, when the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) made upper Ravine Road one-way from Woodland Road to Fellsway East, forcing drivers on Woodland to take Pond Street to reach the Fellsway. The plan was originally announced in November last year. The change meant to increase safety at the intersection of Ravine Road and the Fellsway East, especially during rush hour, by preventing vehicles from exiting Ravine Road onto the Fellsway East or crossing over it. A little …

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Ravine Road Debate Continues on Melrose Patch

Mayor Rob Dolan's letter to the DCR has fueled a lively discussion in the comments.

Letters to the Editor

Letter: Ravine Road Residents Disagree with Dolan, Support One-Way Trial

Residents Kathleen McGourthy and Craig Schwarze wrote a letter to Mayor Rob Dolan disagreeing with his assessment of the DCR's one-way Ravine Road trial.

Mayor Robert J. Dolan Melrose City Hall 562 Main Street Melrose, MA 02176 June 12, 2012 Dear Mayor Dolan, We respectfully disagree with the letter that you recently sent to Michael D. Misslin, acting chief engineer for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), that the reconfiguration of Ravine Road “does not appear to be alleviating any of the issues where Ravine Road intersects with Fellsway East.” It is my opinion from my frequent travel there that it is indeed a much calmer and safer intersection with the reduced number of turning movements. There is less evening rush hour traffic at that intersection and it is now possible to safely turn onto Ravine Road from Fellsway East, and there is much less high speed …

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Chad H.

10:40 pm on Sunday, June 10, 2012

Good call on the taxes. If nothing else hit them in the wallets. I figure we are losing not just time but financially as well by sitting idling for longer periods now. Probably not good for the environment either....maybe there is an idea on how to get this reversed if we can show it is having a negative impact on the environment???   more ›

Ravine Road Debate Continues on Melrose Patch

Mayor Rob Dolan asks the state to cease the one-way Ravine Road trial period, citing "havoc" at the Pond Street intersection and a lack of impact on issues at the Ravine Road and Fellsway East intersection.

Editor's note: The headline for this article was updated on Thursday, June 7 at 10 p.m. to reflect the ongoing discussion in the comments below. Also, Ravine Road residents Kathleen McGourthy and Craig Schwarze wrote a letter to Mayor Rob Dolan disagreeing with his assessment of the DCR's one-way Ravine Road trial. A copy of this letter from Dolan to the state Department of Conservation and Recreation was provided to Melrose Patch by the Mayor's Office. May 29, 2012 Michael D. Misslin Acting Chief Engineer Engineering Division 251 Causeway Street, Suite 600 Boston, MA 02114 Re: Temporary Traffic Measures (Ravine Road - Melrose/Stoneham) Dear Mr. Misslin: I am writing on behalf of the many residents of Melrose who have contacted my office …

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Matt

12:42 pm on Monday, June 11, 2012

That is so great that we should also implement a new one way on Lebanon street where I live. The traffic on Lebanon street where I live is really heavy. Maybe Main Street one way to Malden and Lebanon one way from Malden. People just use it all day as a cut-through from Melrose to Malden and it just isn't safe for the kids. Sure I knew it was a busy street, and that made my house about $50k …   more ›

Poll Results: Melrose Doesn't Support Support Making Upper Ravine Road One Way

That's what we learned from last week's poll.

Last Wednesday, Melrose Patch asked you what you thought about the experiment of making Ravine Road one-way from Fellsway East to Woodland Road. Between then and Tuesday at noon, 155 people had voted in the poll.  The results?  Susanne Guirakhoo suggested that the DCR construct a rotary at that intersection instead of making Ravine Road a one-way street.  "There seems to be enough space, and rotaries are the best way to direct traffic in a civilized manner," she wrote in the comments section. "This intersection can be like feeding time in a lions' cage sometimes. I do think Ravine Road is needed to help alleviate traffic at W. Wyoming and Pond, especially during rush hour."  What do you think of the results of the poll? If you didn't have …

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Five Things You Need to Know Today

5 Things You Need To Know Today—Thursday, May 3

Take our Ravine Road poll; curriculum director and principal search committees forming; acoustic open mic night at Ab Fab.

Get Melrose Patch each morning in your inbox with our daily newsletter! 1) Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day: A chance of showers, mainly before 11 a.m. Cloudy, with a high near 53. Southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Tonight, a chance of showers, mainly after 3 a.m. Cloudy, with a low around 49. South wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. (Forecast by the National Weather Service.) 2) One way street: Ravine Road between Woodland Road and Fellsway East will become one-way starting this Saturday for a six-month trial period. What do you think? Take our poll. 3) I am not alone I am searching: The Melrose School …

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