LYNN — The City Council heard a presentation from Principal Planner Aaron Clausen and Police Chief Chris Reddy on alternative solutions to improve the intersection of Casco Road and Lynnfield Street at its meeting Tuesday.

The Peabody City Council recently voted unanimously to ban vehicles from taking left turns between Lynnfield Street and Casco Road. However, the ordinance, under Massachusetts General Laws, cannot legally go into effect without the approval of Mayor Jared Nicholson or Lynnfield Town Administrator Rob Dolan, as the intersection falls under the jurisdictions of all three municipalities.

If Peabody’s proposal were to be accepted, vehicles heading northbound on Casco Road would be unable to make left turns heading onto Lynnfield Street, and vehicles heading westbound on Lynnfield Street would be unable to turn left onto Casco Road. Clausen said it is the understanding of Lynn officials that Peabody’s proposal has expanded to prevent left turns onto Lynn End Road as well.

“One thing we do share between the two communities is that safety is a preeminent principle that we think about in designing and retaining our streets,” Clausen said.

Reddy said he has had conversations with the other municipalities’ police chiefs regarding the intersection and has come to the conclusion that any benefits Peabody would reap by restricting left turns in that area would result in “significantly increased hazards for the City of Lynn and particularly the people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods there.”

He said without the ability to use Casco Road as a means of egress, all vehicles will have to use the Goodwin Circle rotary to either access Lynn or head back onto Salem Street in Lynnfield. He said this would increase the traffic on Lynnfield Street, which he described as already significant.

“There’s a significant risk, in my opinion, of increased crashes because of the crossover that is necessary to occur as vehicles are coming out of Lynnfield Street, and Lynn in particular, to get onto the rotary,” Reddy said.

Clausen said city officials have discussed some alternative solutions to improve the intersection with officials in Peabody, such as adding lane stripes to organize lane assignments approaching the intersection or adding a traffic signal, which was recommended by the transportation firm Tighe & Bond.

He added that another method to improve the intersection could be adding speed-feedback signs.

“These are relatively low-cost solutions that could help make that intersection far safer than it is now,” Clausen said.

He said the communities could also do a comprehensive study involving the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to examine the traffic conditions of the area.

“We’re looking forward to continuing the conversation,” he said.

In a July 26 letter to Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt, Nicholson asked him to meet with Tighe & Bond or another transportation-consulting group to determine the feasibility of installing a traffic signal.

“Given the urgency of safety concerns, there are many low-cost, quick-build countermeasures that will provide a safer driving environment, and urge the City of Peabody explore these types of solutions,” he wrote.

Councilors made it clear they were unsatisfied with how the Peabody City Council approved the ordinance without coming to an agreement with Lynn.

“It is pretty unacceptable for the City of Peabody to dump their traffic problems onto Lynn,” Ward 1 Councilor Peter Meaney said.

He added that if Peabody feels strongly about fixing the intersection, it is “universally known that you can put in a signal and redo the intersection.

“The problem is that they don’t feel like paying for it,” Meaney said.

Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre said he thought the Peabody City Council’s vote to approve the ordinance was “irresponsible,” considering it did not come to a clear conclusion with the City of Lynn.

“We understand that that is a very dangerous and unsafe intersection, and it has been for decades, just like several others around our city that we are taking steps to remediate,” LaPierre said.

Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug echoed LaPierre’s concerns regarding communication, adding that Bettencourt attended a Select Board meeting in Lynnfield but declined a request to attend the Lynn City Council meeting.

LaPierre said Peabody’s decision to vote on the ordinance without consultation with Lynn was “the straw that broke the camel’s back,” and said that Lynn had been willing to work collaboratively with the other relevant communities.

“I hope this does become a legal battle and the day they start to implement that, I would like to see our city, our mayor, this council take affirmative action and make sure that this goes absolutely nowhere until we start thinking about collaboration,” LaPierre said.