The Nantucket Select Board on May 21 unanimously approved traffic-safety recommendations to remove several on-street parking spaces and to relocate an accessible parking space at Church Court to improve emergency-vehicle access and turning clearances.

Town traffic staffer Drew (standing in for Mike Burns) told the board the recommendations grew from a review of existing conditions and post-sewer-project surface restoration. Drew said the group identified two on-street spaces on Liberty Street that create a “dilemma zone” where two-way traffic, parked cars and vehicles exiting Hussey Street force conflicts and impair fire apparatus turning radius. He also described a narrow sidewalk/parking situation at 6 Gay Street that makes it difficult for residents to exit their property and has vehicles encroaching on the sidewalk.

"The fire chief also expressed a concern about turning radius for our, fire apparatus when vehicles are parked there," Drew said. "Taking the right hand turn onto India from Liberty is incredibly difficult, because of the narrowness of India Street."

The board discussed broader sidewalk and parking trends, with Select Board member Matt saying curbside parking has drifted toward allowing cars to park partially on sidewalks and suggesting the town set clearer line markings or width limits. "Are we going to give our sidewalks away to cars?" Matt asked, urging renewed attention to delineating acceptable parking dimensions.

During public comment, Campbell Sutton raised separate safety concerns about the new Pulpus/Milestone Road intersection, saying the current geometry is "nearly disaster" and that the design has not clearly improved safety for motorists and cyclists. Brooke Gibbs urged posting an officer at the intersection during the summer and suggested moving the war monument at Upper Main Street to Prospect Hill Cemetery to reduce a traffic pinch point; Gibbs said a temporary officer could "alleviate all the bike problems and all the conflicts in traffic." Both public commenters were heard but the intersection concerns were not part of the traffic-safety motions before the board.

Select Board members voted to approve the traffic-safety recommendations, including (1) removal of the specified on-street parking spaces on Liberty Street, (2) removal of one on-street parking space at 6 Gay Street, and (3) designation change/removal of the accessible parking location at Church Court to improve access for emergency apparatus. The motions passed on voice votes; the meeting minutes record the outcome as unanimous (4-0).

The board asked staff to implement the changes and to continue evaluating sidewalk and parking widths townwide. No additional engineering alternatives for the Pulpus/Milestone intersection were adopted at the meeting; board members encouraged residents who raised safety concerns to submit details by email for staff follow-up.