Fall River committee tables Pine Street one-way proposal after residents and veterans raise safety, parking concerns

The Fall River City Ordinances and Legislation Committee on Tuesday tabled a proposal to make a portion of Pine Street one-way after residents, traffic staff and veteran-service leaders raised concerns about emergency access, parking capacity and unintended congestion.

Resident David Olivera told the committee he opposed a one-way conversion for the Pine and Robeson segment, saying, “I feel that that street right now is just too congested” and that changing the traffic pattern could worsen access near the gas station and truck turns. Audrey Poitras, who lives at 568 Pine Street, suggested trying “a 4 way or it's called all way stop signs” before altering parking or traffic direction.

Stephanie McArthur, director of traffic and parking, said the request originated with the Veterans Center and that the traffic board had recommended making Pine Street eastbound from Seabury to Robeson. McArthur said she received a note from Fire Chief Bacon requesting the opposite direction for emergency access, and she reported that the traffic board had approved “Pine Street East from Seabury to Robeson.”

Committee members discussed several alternative ideas: time-limited parking for Veterans Center hours; adding a four-way stop (which traffic staff said was denied because Robeson is a main thoroughfare with an incline); targeted no-parking corners to preserve turning clearance for emergency vehicles; and seeking off-street parking on nearby privately owned lots behind Pine Street.

Ken Leveque, executive director of the Veterans Center, and Talos Ferris, director of veteran services, described a potential back parking area accessible from Robeson that might be tapped for Veterans Center users. Ferris suggested infrastructure changes — “take down the curb, push the sidewalk further in, and then you could widen the street” — as one long-term option to improve vehicular clearance.

After discussion and a proposal to meet with property owners (including outreach to the mill property owner, identified in the meeting as Mr. Mero, and to VFW leadership), the committee voted to table the one-way item and send it back to the traffic board for further study and stakeholder outreach. The committee did vote to pass through first reading the remaining sections of the traffic ordinance package (sections 2–4), which address parking prohibitions and handicap parking changes.

The committee directed staff to pursue follow-up conversations with the Veterans Center, the VFW, the mill property owner and the traffic board and to report back with options that preserve emergency access and explore off-street parking solutions.