dangerous intersection

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

So, there was Yet Another bad car accident on the corner of Powder House Blvd and Packard Ave yesterday. Including a baby in a carseat in the car that ended up on the lawn of 125 Powder House. This intersection, I believe, is too dangerous to have a blinky light any longer. People routinely cruise down Powder House at 45 mph or more and cannot stop for pedestrians or turning cars.

To whom does one write a letter about this? I really feel that a real, three light traffic light is finally called for there, at least so that one can push the button for a walk. Even a blinky light like they have on Rt. 16 so that you *can* push the button for a walk would be an improvement, but wouldn't solve the issue of people turning off or onto Packard, which people do pretty frequently.

Thoughts, dslj?

Comments

[intuition-ist.livejournal.com]

in theory, i understand the reasons why an on-demand light is a good idea in certain places, but in practice, an on-demand light is a *terrible* idea, especially if it's on one of those "30-mph-speed-limit-where-everyone-goes-40-mph" roads like Rt. 16. Drivers get habituated to the blinky light always blinking, and filter out unusual things like it actually turning red.

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Ditto! I live between two on-demand lights on Beacon Street (near Foodmaster, and Museum St.) and cars *frequently* run them. It's kinda like having a slightly enhanced crosswalk with no light. You still have to be absolutely certain all cars are stopping before crossing the street.

I used to live on Packard Ave, a block away from Powderhouse, and I agree that it's tough to cross... and it's way wider than Beacon Street, so the on-demand light would probably not help. Pedestrian bump-outs (like in Davis, where the sidewalk 'bumps out' into the street at crosswalks) plus bike lanes that push moving cars closer to the center of the road might help. And maybe a for-realsies traffic light (which could revert to flashing in low-traffic hours?)

BTW, any change in the flow of traffic must be approved by the Traffic Commission. You'll need to circulate a petition among all the people who would be affected by the change (which is a lot). You'll also want to get the support of the City Traffic Engineer Terry Smith. while he doesn't technically have a vote, his assessment is influential. Because it's a large intersection, they may need to do a traffic study (measuring speed, traffic volume, etc.)

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Sorry: And calling 311 or talking to your Alderman are good first steps to starting the process I mentioned above.