During Tuesday night’s meeting, the Chelsea Traffic Commission voted 4-1 to recommend converting the Broadway business corridor from one-way to two-way traffic, marking the end of more than a year of deliberation.
The sole dissenting vote came from Commissioner Carolyn Vega, who supported the overall initiative but advocated for implementing a six-month trial period before full adoption.
The other Commissioners opted to move forward with recommending the two-way configuration without a trial phase.
The proposal will advance to the City Council for final approval, scheduled for the Sept. 10 meeting, though it may be postponed to Sept. 24.
The plan drew both supporters and opponents. City Manager Tom Ambrosino noted that “fblikebutton_button” if the two-way system proved unsuccessful, reverting to one-way traffic would be straightforward.
Business owner Rick Gordon expressed a preference for maintaining one-way streets, arguing this configuration would better serve local businesses.
Fire Chief Leonard Albanese endorsed the two-way plan, asserting it would improve safety for both pedestrians and drivers while benefiting Fire Department response capabilities.
Councillor Roy Avellaneda questioned the necessity of the change and its safety benefits, requesting accident data to substantiate claims about vehicle-pedestrian collisions.
Resident Bruck Black contended that abandoning recommendations from an award-winning consultant team after two years of study would be counterproductive.
Consultant Kevin Dandrade from TEC expressed confidence that Chelsea could successfully implement the conversion.
Beyond Broadway, the Traffic Commission recommended comprehensive circulation modifications affecting Fay Square, Chelsea Square, Bellingham Square, and the City Hall front area, where Broadway will also transition to two-way traffic.
The proposal incorporates intelligent traffic signals at all Broadway intersections, operating via Wi-Fi to enable real-time traffic management and signal coordination.