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Committee recommends adding ‘no right on red’ restrictions at multiple Salem City intersections
Summary
At its Sept. 18 Committee of the Whole meeting, Salem City councilors reviewed Traffic and Parking Commission recommendations to add or clarify ‘right turn on red’ prohibitions and signage at several intersections; staff were directed to check state DPW permissions before the items go to the full council.
Salem City’s Committee on Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs, meeting as the Committee of the Whole on Sept. 18, reviewed Traffic and Parking Commission recommendations to add or clarify “right turn on red” prohibitions and signage at multiple intersections and recommended the items be forwarded to the full City Council.
The committee said the changes are intended to align posted signs and the municipal ordinance, and to reduce pedestrian conflicts — particularly near schools and other high‑pedestrian locations. Committee members and staff flagged two recurring issues: several approaches already have signs but are not in the ordinance, and several intersections lie on or near state‑controlled roadway right‑of‑ways that may require Department of Public Works (DPW) permission for signs or enforcement changes.
Most of the proposed changes involve Highland Avenue and several neighborhood intersections. For Highland Avenue, the committee recommended clarifying directionality at the Jackson Street/Dalton Parkway/Essex Street intersection; adding a prohibition and sign at the Old Village Drive approach (where the southbound Highland Avenue movement remains allowed); documenting in the ordinance that the Salem Hospital driveway and adjacent Highland Avenue northbound approaches are already prohibited (those approaches currently lack signage); and adding ordinance language to match existing signs at the Swampscott Road/DiPietro Avenue approaches. The committee also recommended adding a prohibition and a sign at the Highland Avenue approaches at Wilson Street and Cherry Hill Avenue.
On Lafayette Street and adjacent streets, the committee recommended prohibiting right turns on red at the Lafayette/Harbor Street intersection for both Harbor Street approaches and for Lafayette southbound, and adding corresponding signage and ordinance language. Council members cited heavy pedestrian use near Salem Academy and sight‑line issues as the basis for the change. At the Lafayette/Loring/West Avenue area the committee proposed adding missing signage and making signed restrictions part of the ordinance so the code and posted signs match.
The committee also recommended formalizing signed restrictions at Loring Avenue intersections with Canal Street and Jefferson Avenue; committee staff noted the northbound and southbound Loring approaches are currently signed but not in the ordinance.
Committee discussion repeatedly returned to process questions: whether state DPW approval is required on parts of Highland Avenue that lie within state right‑of‑way, and who would be responsible for sign maintenance or replacement. Lieutenant Tucker said staff would pursue the DPW contact and bring any needed approvals or agreements back to the council before the full council takes up the ordinance change. The committee recorded the recommendations and asked staff to report back before the next regular council meeting.
No formal council vote on ordinance adoption occurred at the committee meeting; the items were recorded as recommended by the committee and will return to the full council with any clarifications about state approval and signage responsibilities.
