ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
New paving will be installed on Humphrey Street in Swampscott beginning June 13 through June 30.
It will get worse before it gets better but there are several reasons to think Humphrey Street paving work slated to start on Monday will yield improvements for drivers, business owners and merchants and property owners along the busy street.
There is no question traffic lane and parking restrictions necessitated by the work will be a pain in the posterior through the end of June as reconstruction work takes place. Reconstructing a small side street is an inconvenient but tolerable experience. But repaving a major thoroughfare like Humphrey that serves as a commuter artery is going to be an experience demanding patience and positive attitudes from all concerned.
Humphrey sees steady small town foot traffic that intensifies in the summer months when walkers, joggers and restaurant-goers clog the sidewalks. Even moderate traffic can slow to a crawl as drivers turn off Humphrey or stop and parallel park.
Humphrey has seen its share of new building construction in recent years and it makes sense to match property improvements with an upgraded roadway. New street features will include sidewalk curb extensions designed to slow traffic.
At first glance, the sidewalk work seems to not make sense on a street already experiencing heavy traffic. But the extensions along with repainted crosswalks will enhance pedestrian safety once the road work is done.
With the Hadley School located a short distance off Humphrey, it makes sense to include pedestrian safety as one of the project’s intended improvements.
The Humphrey Street road project underscores the glaring need for more state money to be spent on Lynn area roads. Humphrey is the perfect example of a busy road doing triple duty as a commuter route, access road transitioning into a scenic parkway (Lynn Shore Drive) and as a neighborhood street that is home to local residents.
Other roads across Lynn, Revere, Saugus and other communities play similar multi-purpose transportation roles. But state commitments to spend money and map out project schedules for local roadways are maddeningly slow.
Building a new bridge across the Saugus River between Lynn and Saugus took years. Planning and construction on the Broadway-Wyoma Square-Lynnfield Street reconstruction is also stretching over a several-year time period.
It’s worth noting that Western Avenue in Lynn and Lynnfield Street are state-designated (routes 107 and 129) roadways that deserve elevated state attention and spending and completion commitments.
Repaving work on the Lynnway and Lynn’s inclusion in the North Shore scenic byway road network are positive improvements, but the region needs to see more projects like Humphrey Street get off the ground.