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Chelmsford Residents Upset Over Yellow Line On Scenic Road

CHELMSFORD (CBS) - Some Chelmsford residents saw some double lines that made them do a double take.

"We were on vacation we came home and I couldn't believe I saw lines on this street," said Christine Sartori. "I was shocked."

A July paint job on Robin Hill Road and High Street left yellow lines in the middle of a designated scenic street. The lines ended up dividing more than the street with neighbors disagreeing on what was safer.

"I believe they don't give pedestrians any space at all," said Sartori. "Before when there were no lines they would at least veer to the other side of the road."

"I feel safer when I'm on the road," said Steve Incorpora. "It's hard when you turn these corners. I think we have a lot more to worry about in this town like building a new fire station instead of using money to erase lines that I think are safe."

WBZ-TV's Alana Gomez reports.

Town officials say the stripes came as a surprise because subcontractors slipped up.

Work crews painting part of Robin Hill Road were supposed to stop at a bike path, but kept going for nearly three extra miles.

High Street resident John Tubridy said he and about 150 of his neighbors signed a petition to get the road back to black.

Tubridy said they ruin the feel of the neighborhood and cause drivers to treat the road more like a highway and driver faster.

"It's about safety," said Tubridy, referring to pedestrians and bikers. "Less people are out because of the danger."

The petition worked, and the board of selectman ordered to remove the lines before winter.

They're now looking at the most cost efficient way to erase the mistake. It cost $2000 to paint the lines in the first place and it will take at least a couple thousand more to take them off.

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