Traffic Calming – Friend or Foe?
February 8, 2008 - 5:48pm — Margaret
No, it’s not vandalism…that spray paint at the intersection of Griswold Street and Sunset Road was initially intended to mark new curb extensions to improve this dangerous intersection in the Cambridge Highlands neighborhood.
“It’s a huge intersection -- a complete free-for-all,” says Eric Welin of the Cambridge Highlands Neighborhood Association. “There are no stop signs, and the sidewalks in that area are a complete mess.”
Extending curbs is part of Cambridge’s Traffic Calming Program, which has both supporters and detractors. The goal of these traffic calming projects is to improve pedestrian safety and allow cars to coexist peacefully with other modes of transportation.”
Traffic calming involves the creation of physical and visual cues, such as speed tables, sidewalk neck downs, and roadway markings which slow the speed of traffic and increase safety. Probably the two most common elements of traffic calming projects in Cambridge are raised crosswalks and curb extensions. Not everyone is happy about these “improvements.”
On Lakeview Avenue, behind the Honda dealership on Fresh Pond Parkway, residents complain the traffic calming project – sidewalk “neck downs” -- robbed them of much-needed street parking.
“We already have to compete with the Honda dealership employees and some of the customers’ cars for street parking,” says one resident who did not want to be quoted.
“These fat sidewalk bulbs stick out into the parking lane and take up space that another six or seven cars could park in just in this one block, not to mention the other spaces we lost with the sidewalk bulbs around the corner on Worthington…and now have curvy islands in the middle of Concord Ave. I wonder how the snowplow drivers avoid them when they are covered by snow!”
The Cambridge Department of Community Development usually implements traffic calming streetscape changes at the request of community members and as part of other projects such as street repaving and sewer reconstruction. If you would like to request traffic calming projects in your neighborhood, start by submitting a traffic calming request form.
What do you think about these “traffic calming” solutions?
- Margaret's blog
- 335 reads
I think this is an interesting issue. Thanks for including the Request Form!
I actually like the traffic calming that was done in parts of East Cambridge. I remember my first lesson in raised intersections. It was a big wakeup call on how fast I was driving. That experience actually led me to become more involved in community issues.
I am not impressed with the lack of response I get from the traffic department when requesting to have traffic calming implemented on my street. I live on the corner of Gore and Fifth streets. I have a lot of trouble sleeping due to illegal truck traffic, speeding cars, honking horns, and people swearing out their windows to other drivers. My close proximity to a major park makes this intersection the perfect candidate for traffic calming. The traffic department has never responded to my written or verbal requests. It is something I am thinking of investigating and posting on my blog.
*Peace*
Hey thanks for reading. I agree with Will that his intersection could benefit from traffic calming, but LakeView and Fayerweather are one way streets and the feeling is that traffic is already calm, and the extra work on the bulbs and intersections just makes parking difficult.
Margaret Desjardins
NeighborMedia 02138
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