Mayor Carlo DeMaria is pleased to announce that the City of Everett in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) conducted a Roadway Safety Audit of Revere Beach Parkway (Rt. 16) in Everett on Wednesday, August 25.
“Revere Beach Parkway is an exceptionally busy roadway in our community that needs to be improved,” said Mayor DeMaria. “I am grateful to MassDOT for visiting Revere Beach Parkway to conduct this audit to assess the improvements that are needed. These enhancements would help our community safely travel throughout the City.”
The audit was conducted between Lewis Street and Everett Avenue to formally identify and document safety issues with the roadway as it pertains to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians. It involved approximately 20 transportation specialists including planners, engineers, and public safety (fire/police) officials.
This is the first step towards making short-term improvements to the road including traffic signals, crosswalks, and sidewalks as well as potentially long-term improvements to the entire roadway. These improvements would enable safer for all users of the road.
The City of Everett received notice that the potential project to reconstruct this section of Revere Beach Parkway has received approval from MassDOT’s Project Review Committee. Because of this approval, the City may be eligible for up to $15 million in federal funding to make the improvements. This is an important step in the right direction.
The proposed improvements on Revere Beach Parkway are crucial to maintaining safety and functionality in the City of Everett. This road has a long history of accidents at its major intersections involving both vehicles and pedestrians. One cause of these accidents is the roadway geometry at these major intersections. It is substandard and conducive to speeding and crashes.
Sharing the road with non-automobile modes of transportation has become an issue. Pedestrian accommodations such as sidewalks at intersections are of poor quality or do not exist at all. For cyclist, there are no designated bike lanes for a safe ride.
As developments occur and new properties come to the area, Revere Beach Parkway will require safer and cohesive conditions. These enhancements to the road are necessary to accommodate new members of the growing community. This will accommodate future traffic and transit needs such as the anticipated expansion of the MBTA Silver Line to Everett.