Residents and Transportation and Parking Commission members discussed persistent safety problems on Day Avenue on June 17, with homeowners urging street redesigns, and police presenting collision and speed data to inform next steps.

The discussion matters because neighbors say repeated parked‑car strikes, near misses and pet fatalities have reduced quality of life and will likely increase after a nine‑unit development at 39 Day Avenue adds vehicles to the block.

Police Chief John Cartledge summarized the data the department collected: “A five year collision analysis … found nine collisions reported” between 2021 and 2024, and covert speed data from June–July 2024 measured 11,062 vehicles with an 85th‑percentile speed of about 29 mph on a posted 30 mph limit. “Between 30 and 35 miles an hour, there was 1,279 vehicles,” he said. The count also showed daily volumes ranging from about 935 vehicles on Sunday to 2,167 on Friday for the sampled week.

Resident Nancy Mihavic, who led a neighborhood survey, said documented parked‑vehicle impacts were concentrated: “We had eight households report their vehicles being struck while parked on Day Avenue, and that accounted for 22 incidents total.” She told the commission the damage ranged “from under $100 to one car being totaled while they were parked.” Mihavic and other residents asked for physical traffic calming, including speed humps or tables. “Installing several speed bumps or tables … would likely succeed in reducing speed,” she said, while also noting the street’s narrowness means humps would not eliminate risky passing maneuvers.

Resident Katie Wright described the lived experience: “It’s terrifying to live this way … I’ve personally witnessed two of the collisions” the chief referenced. Erin Irvin, who lives on a parallel street at the new development’s access point, warned the new driveway already is creating additional cut‑through movements that could increase conflicts.

Commissioners and staff discussed options. Planning and Sustainability Director Carolyn Mich and others noted that converting the street to one‑way would require a larger network analysis and is often costly; Mich described chicanes — alternating curbside parking that forces drivers to weave — as a lower‑cost test used elsewhere. “One of the things the commission could entertain … is a sort of chicane solution where we move parking around,” she said. Commissioners agreed the chicane or alternating‑side parking could be a near‑term, lower‑cost experiment. The commission did not vote on an ordinance or capital project at the meeting.

Staff committed to next steps for residents: Director Donna Escalia said the city will post the resident study on the Transportation and Parking Commission webpage and urged residents to follow up by email for details. Commissioners noted that any permanent parking regulation changes would require ordinance amendments and a formal vote at a future meeting.

The commission signaled support for further engineering review and community engagement rather than immediate installation of major vertical deflections; residents asked staff to return with cost estimates and draft parking patterns for public review. The record shows discussion and direction to staff but no formal decision at this meeting.