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Laura Beretsky submitting comments re: #200639, a raised crosswalk at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.
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To the Honorable Board:
I am the parent of two children ages six and nine who attend the West Somerville Neighborhood School (WSNS). We always walk to and from the school, and regularly cross Powederhouse Boulevard in front of the WSNS as part of our route. We would welcome continued traffic calming on Powderhouse Boulevard. The recent installation of the stop sign and "popped out" corners at Packard & Powderhouse have dramatically improved safety since they were installed but more needs to be done.
We need to improve traffic safety right in front of the school as quickly as possible (e.g. bumps at the cross walks, or a raised tableau at Hardan Road & Powderhouse Boulevard). When the crossing guard isn't there, drivers often drive very quickly. The school building itself is tucked back from the street, so unless they live in the neighborhood, drivers don't necessarily realize there's a school there, so they don't see a reason to slow down. When the sun is high, drivers are blinded by it, and don't necessarily see pedestrians in the crosswalk right away, and they don't slow down. Also, in the evenings, Powederhouse Boulevard is not particularly well lit, so it can be precarious to cross in the crosswalk right now. I always go halfway, and try to make eye contact with drivers when I see them before proceeding across.
Next: focus on other child safety locations, especially North Street. The new North Street playground is fantastic and gets a big crowd of kids who cross mid-block on North. there is also a lot of church goers mid block. but North is very narrow, extremely poor visibility, and it is an accident waiting to happen.
Finally, a comprehensive pedestrian traffic plan around Teele Square more broadly is long overdue. The pattern in the Square (which many kids cross in the morning on their way to WSNS) is confusing and encourages bad behavior from all involved. In particular have recently been in touch with Katjana Ballantyne about the perilous crossing conditions at the corner of Farragut and Broadway, and a couple small measures have been taken, with more promised. Our neighborhood is looking forward to seeing those come to fruition.
So, take away -- quick action now, and a comprehensive approach rapidly implemented afterwards. Thank you.
Kind regards,
Laura Beretsky