South Boston Pedestrian/Traffic Safety Update

Be informed.

It’s been almost a month since the tragic car crash that killed father of two at the corner of N + Broadway.  A community meeting took place the following week of the crash to discuss improvements to the dangerous intersection in addition to traffic/pedestrian safety in the neighborhood. You can read a recap here.  At the meeting, a representative from the Boston Transportation Department stated that residents would see some short-term improvements to the intersection of N + Broadway including lines painted and the installation of flex posts. As of Wednesday, July 14th, nothing has been done while this intersection continues to be problematic. 

City Councilor Ed Flynn – Southie resident and pedestrian safety advocate – has sent out an update regarding this intersection earlier this week. Please read below:

Dear Neighbors,

Please note I have requested another update from BTD and the city regarding short term and long term plans at N St & East Broadway, as well as M St & East Broadway, following a tragic crash there recently. I noted that our discussion at the meeting included steps that could be taken in the short term related to flex posts and paint markings for no parking on the corner of N St & East Broadway by the tree, as cars coming from N St have an extremely difficult sightline coming onto Broadway. I continue to also advocate for speed bumps, raised crosswalks, rapid flash beacons, and pedestrian islands similar to what was installed on Farragut Road. I have heard from too many of our seniors, persons with disabilities, neighbors and families with strollers about cars showing no regard for them crossing. I will meet with BTD again in the coming days on this and other areas in the community and provide any updates as I receive them.

Please note I have advocated for the city to scale up our infrastructure as we need speed bumps, or speed humps, and raised crosswalks on high traffic roads and corridors across the city. At a City Council hearing, I raised the idea of using a portion of the American Rescue Plan funding to address this issue in our city. In the recent budget, I was able to secure an additional $2 million in the supplemental budget for pedestrian safety infrastructure upgrades.

Over the last several years, I have called several City Council hearings on pedestrian safety, including declaring speeding cars a Public Health Emergency and lowering the speed limit to 20 mph. It is my position that we, as a city, must fully embrace infrastructure improvements to our high traffic roads; including all way stop signs, speed bumps, raised crosswalks, curb extensions, pedestrian islands with rapid flash beacons, and road diets to eliminate double threats- when the first car lets you go but the second one comes around and endangers the pedestrian. We cannot prioritize commuter trips over the safety of our seniors and persons with disabilities, families, children and neighbors.

I have recommended a number of South Boston Safe Streets 12 Point Infrastructure Plans to the city over the last several years, the most recent last fall that you may read here. 

There is much work to be done for the city’s infrastructure to catch up and keep pace with the development and population growth of the last 20 years. But there are positive steps now being taken, including at one of the most notoriously dangerous intersections in South Boston at East First St, Pappas Way & West First St. Through the advocacy of neighbors in the area, the South Boston elected officials and I, the City of Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and Public Works Departments recently installed an all-way stop sign to help bring traffic calming and improve pedestrian safety. 

This follows a number of traffic-calming improvements over the last few years: a pedestrian island and stop signs located in the middle of the road at East Broadway & Farragut Road, a road diet on Day Boulevard, blinking LED pedestrian crossing signs at several locations (outside Stop & Shop and Walgreen’s on East Broadway, F St & West Broadway outside the South Boston Community Health Center and Loco, St. Peter Academy & Senior Housing on West 4th St), speed feedback signs positioned on high traffic roads (L St, Farragut Road, Dorchester St outside Casper’s Funeral Home, Old Colony Ave across from Ironworkers Local 7, Preble St, East First St across from My Diner, East Broadway across from the South Boston Municipal Court), and loading zones on Broadway to deter double parking from delivery trucks.

There is a lot of work to do and we need to stay engaged and work together on this critical public safety issue. Please continue to contact my team and I here or at 617-635-3203.

Thank you,

Ed

The following was requested from South Boston Families For Safe Streets and Sidewalks back in 2018.  You are encouraged to reach out to our local elected officials for change to our streets. Enough is enough.

OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES THE FOLLOWING MEASURES BE UNDERTAKEN:

1. ENFORCEMENT: Immediate enforcement of speed limits and adherence to stop signs and traffic signals;
2. TRAFFIC CALMING: Immediate traffic calming measures (speed humps, stop signs, flashing lights, traffic lights) installed on L Street, Day Blvd, Farragut Road, Dorchester Street, and I Street to deter/slow “cut through” commuters.
3. IMPROVED VISIBILITY OF PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS: Place flashing yellow cross-walk lights and raised cross-walks on main thoroughfares like Day Boulevard and L Street. Crash data collected by MassDOT demonstrates that there is a higher crash rate during summer months and rush hour;
4. ADMISSION TO THE SLOW STREETS PROGRAM. In 2017 City Point was denied acceptance into slow streets program despite an application.
5. COMPREHENSIVE TRAFFIC STUDY: South Boston needs a comprehensive traffic study conducted by BTD that evaluates pedestrian safety into the overall traffic analysis, not the current study being done to facilitate MBTA bus placement.
6. LONG TERM PLANNING: Demonstrate a long-term plan for dealing with “cut-through” commuters such as congestion pricing or tolls for out-of-town commuters.

We are joining together to DEMAND action to make our streets and sidewalks safe.

Contact your local elected officials:

Mayor Kim Janey – [email protected]
Congressman Stephen Lynch – email him here
Senator Nick Collins  – [email protected]
State Rep. David Biele – [email protected] 
City Councilor at-Large Michael Flaherty – [email protected]
City Councilor Ed Flynn – [email protected]
City Councilor at-Large Michelle Wu – [email protected]
City Councilor at-Large Annissa George – [email protected]
City Councilor at-Large Julia Mejia – [email protected]

For a list of city councilors phone numbers, you can visit here!