The Jamaica Pond Association (JPA) met virtually on August 1 to discuss parkway safety with the Massachusetts State Police, as well as talk about a new sign proposal for Rogerson Communities and committee updates.
Rogerson Signage
Ken Crisafulli of Rogerson Communities came before the JPA to discuss signage in two sites for Rogerson Communities.
“Through the years,” he said, “we’ve noticed…folks are referring to Rogerson Communities as Rogerson House.”
He said that they are currently undergoing a “branding study:: to see how Rogerson House relates to Rogerson Communities as well as how the organization can “upgrade and become more modern with our new logo.”
Crisafulli added, “we’re trying to upgrade the vision and Rogerson House and Rogerson Communities with this sign,” he said, which features the letters “rh” inside a maroon-colored shape of a house.
He said that “we have two sites,” which include the stone wall as well as the circular drive that sits to the left of the parking lot, for these signs. He said that the existing sign is about 81 by 30 inches, and the “total square footage” of the new sign is the same.
“I think they are handsome signs,” said JPA Chair Kay Mathew. The JPA voted not to oppose them.
Discussion With State Police Re: Parkway Safety
A captain and a lieutenant from the Boston state police barracks attended this JPA meeting to discuss various issues and concerns with members on roads such as the Jamaicaway and the Arborway, since those fall under the jurisdiction of state police. They talked about signage on the roads, and concerns about non-enforcement were also brought up.
“I really would like to encourage us and the state police on a quarterly basis to meet in a forum like this for 15-20 minutes as we did today and review what has happened over the last three months,” said JPA member Franklyn Salimbene.
Later on in the meeting, Salimbene suggested that the group advocate for a “portable sign” with a posted speed limit of 25 on the Jamaicaway and Arborway that would flash to let people know their speed.
The state police agreed to attend more JPA meetings so long as they are prepared with topics and are able to answer questions and address concerns.
JPA member Peter Steiger said he was “impressed and encouraged” by the attendance of the state police at this meeting and that they are :willing to engage in a discourse with us.” He suggested that the group be “well prepared for these conversations” in the future, and also suggested that the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) attend meetings more regularly.
The JPA also discussed having a working group to discuss details and topics for this issue, but Mathew worried the group would “be stretching ourselves too thin.” They decided that an existing committee, the Parks, Parkways and Open Spaces Committee, could probably tackle this and a few extra members offered to work on it.
Better Bus Plan
Franklyn Salimbene, who is also a member of the Arborway Committee for Public Transit, gave an update on the group’s discussion of the MBTA’s Better Bus Plan.
He said the committee had met a couple of weeks ago and came up with some bullet points to send to the MBTA regarding this plan.
“Any revision to the system should create an equitable system that provides service to communities, particularly those most reliant on bus service,” Salimbene said.
Additionally, he said that the system as it currently stands is “hub and spoke,” which means that “most of the transit groups run into the center” and require people to travel into the city to leave again. He said that adjusting this “hub and spoke” system would allow buses to “run cross town” instead.
Salimbene also said that the group is “realistic in our view in what the T would confront in coming up with a new bus plan,” and that in order to work out some of the issues, it would have to be implemented first.
Other things the committee discussed were “priority signalization along routes most affected by signalizations,” along with the implementation of bus lanes “along heavily trafficked routes” and a “system of dispatch of service according to schedule,” Salimbene said.
“The key here is any change in the bus service must result in better service and not just rearranged service,” he said.
The group also continues to discuss extension of the Green Line from Heath St. to Canary Sq., and the changes that would occur should that not happen, along with the proposed changes to the Route 39 bus.
He said a letter with these points will be sent to the MBTA and various elected officials and other groups as well.
Other Matters
The JPA continues to make an effort to reconvene the JPA Centre St. Business committee, as well as discuss what returning to in-person meetings might look like.
Aside from finding a suitable location, the group has to discuss what those meetings would look like and whether or not to offer hybrid meetings. Further discussion is expected at future meetings.