Concord Councilors, Cops Hear Concerns

A number of neighbors and abutters expressed their concerns about car and bus traffic, parking, parent drop-offs, and student safety at a special parking meeting at the Abbot-Downing Elementary School on March 25.

The meeting was hosted by the city's Parking Committee, a board of the Concord City Council, with police, school officials, other city officials, and residents attending, who raised their concerns about the problems around the new school.

Warren Runde of South Street noted that the problems had always been around for many years but had been exacerbated since the consolidation of the Conant and Rumford school populations at the new Abbot-Downing. He said that the increase in buses and parents had created additional traffic and believed that a better pattern for bus flow would improve movement around the school as well as the safety of everyone.

“We’re all concerned for the safety of the students,” he said. “It’s of the utmost importance.”

Chris Beauchemin of Conant Street said his biggest concern was enforcement of existing parking rules, like cars not parking in crosswalks. He said when parents are waiting to pick up their children, they line his street on both sides for 15 to 20 minutes. Often, Beauchemin said, a garbage truck or other vehicles can’t navigate the street due to all the cars.

“There is a lot of traffic at that end of Conant,” he said, pointing to an area on the map where traffic for both Rundlett Middle School and Abbot-Downing converge. “But I don’t see the enforcement.”

Beauchemin suggested having officers and parking officials visit the area once or twice a week, to politely make sure parents knew where the proper parking areas were. On two occasions last year, he added, children trying to cross the street were almost hit by cars.

“There are brakes screeching, people swearing at each other … it’s just a very bad stop to allow people to park,” he said.

Paul Halvorsen, a former city councilor, said there were also problems on Bow Street, across the street from the school, especially with parent drop-offs, cars driving on residents' lawns, and blocked driveways. He suggested banning parking during specific hours on the street. Halvorsen added that when there are events at Rollins Park or even evening events at the schools, “there aren’t any problems.” But in the morning, the consideration seems to be lost on the parents.

“It’s wicked dangerous,” he said. “You can’t see the kids crossing the street sometimes.”

Sherry Burbank, another resident who bought her home about 10 years ago specifically so her children could walk to school, expressed frustration by the lack of concern from parents as well as the initiative to just walk to school all the time.

“I completely support the parking ban,” she said, “in any way shape and form. This is a huge parenting and community issue … these kids’ shoes don’t touch the ground. (They) are driven from the door of their homes to the door of the school and that’s frightening to me.”

Burbank challenged safety concerns and other arguments by parents that they needed to drive their kids everywhere adding that children like to walk to school. She also suggested that cars park away from the school and parents walk with their kids to the school as well as requiring buses to stop a mile from the school and make the children walk. Burbank said it would be good experience for the children and allow them to “be a kid.”

Ward 7 Concord City Councilor Keith Nyhan chimed in saying that while he and his wife often walked their kids to school, the traffic around the school had increased significantly since consolidation with Ward 6 Councilor J. Allen Bennett wondering how many buses were now working at the school especially in light of consolidation. At-Large Concord City Councilor Mark Coen said the parking subcommittee would consider the request for parking bans and, if needed, would propose changes to the council.

School officials said they would look at the bus traffic and see if there were potential changes that could be made to improve traffic.

Police Chief John Duval, who was in the audience listening to the concerns of residents, said that enforcement would be immediately issued in the area starting today.