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Council to hear testimony on traffic safety, traffic calming, and the Traffic Calming Petition
Members of the public are invited to attend and speak at a Public Hearing on traffic safety, traffic calming, and the Traffic Calming Petition submitted by the Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group and signed by approximately 350 people. The hearing will take place on Wednesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
The Traffic and Parking Committee of the Whole will hear testimony on the general topic of traffic calming, including pedestrian and bicyclist safety, driver safety, and other related issues. Testimony will inform both ongoing Council deliberations and City efforts around improving the safety of Somerville streets for all users including the development of the City’s Vision Zero action plan and decisions around the allocation of funding for traffic calming efforts. Written testimony will also be accepted, please see below.
The hearing is in response to a resident petition on traffic safety organized after the recent fatal hit-and-run on Powder House Boulevard that resulted in the tragic death of a Somerville resident and the injury of another. The petition makes many recommendations for traffic calming programs and action by the City, and was signed by residents, as well as by visitors and others who use Somerville streets. It can be viewed athttp://ow.ly/MwUE30o9JOv.
Committee Chair and Ward 5 City Councilor Mark Niedergang expects that the Council may deliberate on priorities, programs and resources for City traffic calming programs going forward at the end of the hearing if time allows.
Written Testimony: Public testimony at public hearings is generally limited to two minutes per person, but may be extended at the discretion of the Chair. Written testimony for the public record may be submitted to citycouncil@somervillema.gov and cityclerk@somervillema.gov through Friday, April 12, but Councilors will often read emails received after the official close of the public record.
Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contactNency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.
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Sadly the truth of the matter is these things are not going to work. Besides substance problems a lot of people are just so frustrated with getting around in this city they just get overly aggressive. Not saying this as an excuse but having to be on the road I can see it is increasing more and more. People are doing crazy things to get from point A to point B here. Going onto sidewalks to trying to beat out people trying to cross the street. Going through no turn on red and red lights like they are not even there. U turns at a seconds notice. One way streets the wrong way. I don’t understand how there are not more people killed here. I see a number of close calls just in one day. I don’t see a good answer here. I do think it will get much worse the more they try to control it.
Let’s also include pedestrian education. I see too many pedestrians just walk into traffic while wearing headphones and looking down at their phones totally unaware of their surroundings.
Nobody seems to do anything until someone is killed, which in many cases is too little, too late.
I agree with Old Taxpayer and TheoNa. People don’t want to take on their own responsibility when moving around the city, so I guess we shouldn’t expect the city to do it, either. But anything done is better than nothing done, so the city should set the example by making it more difficult for those who are irresponsible to avoid being so.
They want us to be a walk- and bike-friendly city, so the city should make sure that it can be by taking measures to ensure our safety, even if many of us are too stupid to do it for ourselves.