City Councilor: Medford Square Intersection Like 'The Berlin Wall'

At least one Medford city councilor thinks the city should focus on improving the intersection in the heart of Medford Square rather than concentrate on constructing a new parking garage down the street.

During a meeting Tuesday night, City Councilor Michael Marks said improving the intersection could create a more pedestrian-friendly space and improve parking at a fraction of the cost of a garage.

Referencing a presentation made by the transportation planning group Nelson/Nygaard last year, Marks said improvements could be done to the intersection that would improve it as a community center and increase parking.

“It would almost create a gathering area, it would really be nice," Marks said Tuesday.

Improvements to the intersection would cost an estimated $1.5 million, Marks said, and would include re-angling parking spaces and widening curbs. That's far less than the projected cost of a garage on Governors Avenue, which is estimated to cost $7.5 million, he said.

As it is now, trying to cross the five-way intersection intersection where Riverside Avenue, Forest Street, Main Street, High Street and Salem Street meet is like walking across a highway, Marks said.

“It’s almost like we have the Berlin Wall running through the heart of Medford Square,” Marks said.

By making the intersection easier to cross, exisiting spaces on the east side of the square would be a more suitable parking option for patrons of the west side of the square, making a garage unnecessary, Marks said.

Marks, along with Councilors Breanna Lungo-Koehn and Robert Penta, have opposed a proposed $7.5 million parking garage on Governors Avenue in Medford Square that would provide about 175 to 200 new parking spaces.

Mayor Michael McGlynn has previously said that business owners need the garage, but the three councilors have put their foot down in recent months, questioning whether the garage is necessary and demanding a city-wide parking enforcement plan be implemented before a garage is built. Five votes from the city council are needed to approve a bond for the garage.

Lungo-Koehn said Tuesday she agreed the intersection needs to be addressed, but she didn't want to lose site of the need for parking enforcement.

"I think we still need to push how important parking enforcement is," she said. "We can’t lose site of the fact this this council has pushed so hard toward implementing parking enforcement in this entire community."

Penta said supported Marks's idea, but he believes McGlynn won't enterain ideas from the council.

“Eight brains are better than just one,” Penta said.

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