Council To Consider One-Ways for Locust and Almont Streets

By Adam Swift

The Town Council is taking steps to move forward with a years-old recommendation from the Transportation Advisory Safety Committee (TSAC) to make Locust and Almont one-way streets.

“We had a TSAC recommendation back a handful of years ago discussing Locust Street and Almont Street, and the potential one-ways, and traffic congestion and parking and such,” said Council President James Letterie at Tuesday night’s meeting. “We had a recommendation that the council never voted on at that time, and I have received, as we all have, a few other emails concerning that, and I thought it would be good to bring it up again. I think it is something the council needs to discuss and take a serious look at.”

Public Works Director Steven Calla said it is an issue TSAC has taken up numerous times, and each time has come back with the same recommendation to make Almont Street a one-way street between Revere Street and Cross Street traveling in that direction toward Cross Street with Cross Street remaining a two-way street, and with Locust Street a one-way in the opposite direction.

“Neither one of those roads, neither Almont Street nor Locust Street, accommodates two-way traffic with the condition they are in now,” said Calla.

Fire Chief Scott Wiley said it can be difficult for emergency vehicles to travel down the streets, especially in the morning when there is traffic trying to back up on the roads.

Letterie said the recommendations will go before a joint meeting of the council’s public safety and rules and ordinances subcommittees before coming back to the full council for a public hearing.

“It’s a small town, and the streets are very narrow,” said Letterie. “There are a lot of potential changes that need to take place, and I don’t think we have to take them in a group. I think we have to look at them individually.”