The Traffic Commission is asking the City Council to put in no parking signs on both Ontario and Superior Streets.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Traffic Commission is hoping to improve the safety of children accessing Deming Park from the back entrance.

 

The commission is recommending that the City Council make 20 feet of Ontario Street and 20 feet of Superior Street no-parking to ease congestion.

 

The request was pared down from Ward 3 Councilor Nicholas Caccamo's petition that asked for no-parking to span from 108 Ontario to Superior Street to improve visibility around the corner near the park's rear entrance.

 

"I'm concerned with the overflow of parking from Deming Park onto Ontario. It's a blind, obstructed view," said Ontario Street resident Dan Miraglia.

 

"This is a safety issue for the children."

 

Miraglia said cars line Ontario during games and other events at the park leaving only a narrow roadway to drive on. Children and families are concurrently trying to cross the street to get to the park. Miraglia said he has seen multiple occasions when a car had to slam on its breaks to avoid hitting a pedestrian.

 

"I think the situation is exasperated a couple months of the year," said Chairman Guy Panesco. 

 

Police Capt. John Mullin, who also sits on the commission, visited the location and said he didn't have as much concern with sight line as he did with making sure pedestrians could cross. The city can't install a crosswalk there, so Mullin ultimately made the motion to put no-parking signs up around the corner at the 20-foot distance. The distance right at the corner itself will give pedestrians a better view of oncoming traffic as they make their way toward the back entrance.

 

"I could see how a crosswalk could be helpful," Mullin said, but without sidewalks the city isn't legally allowed to paint a crosswalk.

 

City Councilor Christopher Connell, who sits on the commission, said bushes near 108 Ontario should be cut back to improve visibility as well. Commissioner of Public Services Bruce Collingwood said the city is looking into whose responsibility those bushes are — the city or the property owner.

 

"I'd personally like to see a "slow children sign" at that corner. It'll be yellow and cautionary," Connell said as an alternative to a crosswalk.

 

The parking lot at Deming is particularly small and during games drivers park along Newell Street and on Ontario to attend the event.