By Tanya Andrade

The second meeting of the Mid-Dorchester Transportation Action Plan held this Tuesday night was packed with frustrated community members' concerns about speeding, traffic congestion, perilous intersections and the condition of Dorchester's streets. And the fact that there was no place to park at the John Marshall Community Center, where the meeting was held, didn't make matters any better.

"The hardest part of being here tonight was finding a place to leave our cars, which just reminds us of the problems the entire Dorchester community is facing regarding these issues," said Bill Schwartz, transportation planner with the Louis Berger Group, the consulting firm working to execute the action plan.

Ralph DeNisco, project manager for the Boston Transportation Department (BTD), recognized the legitimate concerns of community members, and reminded residents that the main objective of the evening's meeting was to determine the focus locations where the city could implement the action plan, with the hopes of eventually expanding the successful efforts in those areas to all of Dorchester.

"We want to get folks to come to these meetings, from the individual neighborhood associations, to get together and realize which issues they have in common and what efforts have already been put forth so we can learn from one another where the major concerns are," said DeNisco. The approximately 30 people in attendance agreed that Topliff Street, Hamilton Street, and the intersection at Washington Street and Bowdoin Street are the areas where the initial implementation of the action plan should begin.

"It's not that these streets are more important than others in Dorchester, but they are the areas of most concern for the most people, so it makes sense that we focus our initial efforts in these places," said DeNisco.

Other issues on the agenda included traffic management, pedestrian and bicycle issues, public transportation, and the lack of parking in the area.

The kick-off meeting of the action plan, held this past June, has resulted in stop sign installation in at least eight intersections, conversion of two-way streets into one-way streets, crosswalk painting, and relocation of bus stops in an effort to alleviate traffic congestion.

But time-consuming traffic delays, subpar roads, and a tin ear offered by City Hall have vexed Dorchester residents and area commuters.

The city has promised a necessary area-wide traffic circulation plan including an overhaul of the main streets in Dorchester to cut down on residential area "cut-through" traffic, according to Schwartz.

"If the main streets in the neighborhood, like Dorchester Ave., Bowdoin Street, Washington Street, are in good condition, traffic should not flow into residential areas, causing the congestion that we currently have. With the revamping of the streets will also come sidewalk reconstruction as well as pedestrian walkway improvements to connect with public transportation access," said Schwartz.

Still, locals are concerned that the more pressing issues are not being addressed as urgently as they should be.

Barry Lawton, of Mt. Ida Street, expressed his concerns with speeding on his street, and raised the issue of speed bumps being installed to slow down traffic into the bustling Ronan Park area.

"I'm afraid to take my twins out of the car when we get home, and I'm always yelling at people to slow down, which I don't like to do. Signs don't do anything on the street, they don't even look at them," said Lawton.

Representatives of the Boston Police Department assured attendees that preventive measures are in effect, including speed traps and citations, but because of the large area being covered, they sometimes go unnoticed by residents.

State Representative Marie St. Fleur was also in attendance at the meeting, and summed the reasons why some area residents are frustrated with current conditions in Dorchester.

"I think what you hear is frustration from years and years of the same discussions, that studies are being conducted, yet we don't know the beginning and end time of the studies. We would like to know that definitive steps are being taken toward resolving the issues we are concerned with, and what we can do to assist in addressing the issues," said St. Fleur.

Vineet Gupta, Director of Policy and Planning for the BTD, assured the group that instead of "analyzing and analyzing" existing developments, the action plan is designed to put into effect new projects that the community agrees should happen, and that there are a "host of techniques" the BTD is implementing to have the plan underway by spring of 2004.

"I just hope that more members of the community will be able to attend our next meeting scheduled for December or January," said DeNisco. "What we will continually need throughout this project is community input and initiative to make sure that all issues are addressed and incorporated into the action plan. This initiative is for the people of Dorchester, and involvement through your neighborhood committees is what will make this plan a success."

The complete Mid-Dorchester Transportation Action Plan is available online at www.cityofboston.gov/MidDotTAP. Maps of the project scope, completed projects, and focus areas will also soon be available online, along with community input boards.