Danvers planning board reviews transportation needs assessment; members prioritize pedestrian safety and downtown measures

Danvers Planning Board members on Tuesday discussed draft recommendations in a transportation needs assessment prepared with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council that they say should guide short-term steps and longer-term planning.

The board highlighted pedestrian safety and downtown needs as immediate priorities while asking staff and MAPC for more supporting data and a fuller draft chapter that could feed into a future master plan.

Why it matters: board members said an updated Complete Streets prioritization plan could unlock state construction grants of up to $500,000 for local projects, and residents urged quicker work on sidewalks and crosswalks in high-pedestrian areas.

At the meeting Josh Morris, principal planner for the Town of Danvers, described four headline recommendations from MAPC: (1) update the Complete Streets prioritization plan, (2) promote existing transit services that operate in Danvers, (3) consider zoning changes to reduce minimum off‑street parking for new development, and (4) develop a downtown parking management plan. Morris said the Complete Streets plan is five years old and that MassDOT recommends updating prioritization plans every five years. “Importantly, having an updated prioritization plan will enable the town to unlock up to…