PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Several traffic requests were made at the City Council's last meeting, including a query about the deteriorating Dalton Avenue overpass and an ask to fix the raised crosswalk on Holmes Road.  

On April 14, the City Council handled petitions from Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren and Ward 2 Councilor Cameron Cunningham requesting an update on the current condition of the Dalton Avenue bridge overpass and rehabilitation plan, and a petition from Councilor at Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn requesting the "timely removal" or reconfiguration of the speed bump on Holmes Road between Elm Street and William Street. 

Parts of the Dalton Avenue bridge's concrete sides appear to be crumbling, exposing rusted steel supports and requiring a barrier in the eastbound lane. Warren and Cunningham's petition was referred to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which is leading the replacement. 

According to the MassDOT's website, the bridge replacement over the Ashuwillticook bike trail is in the preliminary design phase and will cost more than $9 million. A couple of years ago, a raised crosswalk was installed on the corridor as part of road diet improvements to slow traffic and foster safety.  

The councilors said they are understanding and supportive of the bump's intentions, but the current design and condition "present more significant safety concerns rather than effectively addressing them."  The petition was referred to the commissioner of public works. 

Wrinn said they have spoken to "many, many" constituents about it, and they feel the speed bump is pretty egregious. 

"It's causing more problems than actually helping people, and we want to explore other options with something similar to Tyler Street, a brightly colored crosswalk, more signage," he explained. 

Amuso's goal is to do some kind of reconfiguration, because as she has been told, it is up to code, but "when you're going up that street, and your car is coming off the road, that's not safe either."