A group of about 50 Riverview business owners and residents gathered at The Daily Ration Nov. 9 to discuss possible infrastructure improvements to the area's business corridor.
The Daily Ration co-owner Matt Skudlarek said that since the restaurant moved into the space formerly occupied by The Farmer's Daughter, he's noticed a lot about the surroundings, including when and where traffic and congestion occurs and safety issues concerning pedestrians, which prompted him to host the meeting.
Though the effort to improve infrastructure in the business corridor is being led by area residents and businesses rather than the city, Skudlarek asked city transportation engineer Bert Kuyrkendall to attend the meeting to hear the businesses' and residents' concerns, take notes and answer any questions. The changes proposed aren't massive in scope, said Skudlarek, and mainly involve additional parking and making it easier for people to cross Hixson Pike. Possible parking solutions may include adding on-street parking on Dorchester Road as well as on Hixson Pike in front of Tremont Tavern and The Daily Ration, Skudlarek said during the meeting.
"If you do on-street parking, it's going to slow the traffic down naturally," said meeting attendee Chuck Pruett.
A resident pointed out that 75-100 new residences are going in on the north end of Dartmouth, and the resulting additional traffic will all be dumped out where the road meets Hixson Pike next to The Daily Ration.
The city has already agreed to changes such as increasing the amount of time pedestrians are given to cross the street at the crosswalks on Hixson Pike and making improvements to Tremont Street. Kuyrkendall confirmed a traffic study has been ordered in which city employees will monitor the corridor's traffic flow, where people are coming from, where they are going and where they're turning, said Skudlarek.
The study is expected to begin within a week or two, and should give city officials and area residents and business owners a good idea of what the impact of the changes would be, which Skudlarek anticipates to be relatively low.
"Everyone had their own feedback," said Skudlarek, adding that he asked for anyone at the meeting who disagreed with the ideas discussed to contact him, and no one had as of Friday, Nov. 18. "I think everyone realized it would increase the face value of the corridor and make it safer to cross the street."