Taking Your Life in Your Hands in Waltham
Taking a walk in Waltham should not be like taking your life in your hands.
In my opinion, at least, it has become far too dangerous to take a walk through the city. I was nearly run over recently while crossing (in a crosswalk) Alder Street as I walked up Moody Street at around 9 p.m. When I was about halfway across the street, I noticed an oncoming sedan, with Virginia plates, stop only 25 feet in front me. Too close for comfort. I moved out of the way, but not out of the road. I was furious and turned toward the driver (a older man with a female passenger) and yelled at them for a minute. I can’t recall my exact words, but they were along the lines of, “watch out for the crosswalk.” Finished screaming, I continued up Moody Street.
Thankfully, I wasn’t struck or hurt, but others like Scott Coxall, (who was in a crosswalk) Vivian Lin and Alex Cabrera (both of whom were not in crosswalks) are examples of how dangerous being a Waltham pedestrian has become.
To their credit, the Waltham Police Department, noting the string of pedestrian incidents, has increased enforcement patrols of sidewalk regulations, but they can’t be everywhere all the time.
The answers to stopping such incidents are pretty simple – pedestrians should cross in crosswalks, and motorists should follow all of the traffic rules. No scientific study is needed here, just some common sense, caution and attentiveness. I don't want to report on you getting hit by a car.
For a little refresher on some of the laws about pedestrians, see below.
- Blocking a crosswalk is punishable by a $100 fine (State law)
- Drivers must yield to crosswalk when an intersection is not controlled by a signal (State law). Punishable by $200 fine.
- Drivers are prohibited from passing a vehicle that has stopped to allow pedestrians to cross. Punishable by $200 fine.
Alice H
1:24 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
In Citizens' Police Academy, we were taught that you must stop for a pedestrian IN the crosswalk. We were expressly told that the law does not mean stop for pedestrians AT a crosswalk. That means the pedestrian must step into the crosswalk and make the intention to cross known. Although, with the way drivers are today, I would caution the pedestrian to be in the crosswalk as close to the curb as possible.
Saul Blumenthal
1:45 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
My approach, that has worked well (so far): Step into the crosswalk, far enough so that oncoming drivers can see you and can see that you plan to cross. Look intently at any oncoming car (it's hard to make eye contact from such distances). But don't step so far into the crosswalk such that you are not safe if the driver does not stop.
More often than not, if a driver does not yield, he or she is yapping away on the phone.
I don't need any scientific studies to tell me that talking on the phone while driving definitely reduces a driver's awareness of his or her surroundings.
Karla Vallance
5:47 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Darkness also reduces drivers' ability to see, it's often hard to see pedestrians at night. Every time I'm out walking in dark clothing at night, I have started assuming drivers won't see me. Only if I'm wearing screaming neon yellow (not bad fashion sense, just my biking outfit) or white, do I feel more confident that I will be seen in a crosswalk or otherwise.
Maria L
8:48 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
I don't understand the walk light at the Moody/High Street intersection. If we get the walk light to cross over High Street, the cars also get a green light. There have been a number of times when I go to cross, with the walk light, to have someone take a right from Moody to High. Tell me how that makes sense? Especially with the foot traffic on that street. A driver sees green and goes. A pedestrian sees a walk light and walks. If the city is that concerned about pedestrian safety, why not make all lights red during a walk light? Is this a common thing? Does this happen anywhere else in the city?
Saul Blumenthal
9:29 am on Thursday, August 9, 2012
That's how pretty much all walk signs work in New York: pedestrians get the walk signal when drivers on the parallel road get the green. The type of driver who does not yield to pedestrians when turning at a light is probably the same type to not yield to pedestrians in any crosswalk.
Robert G. Logan
10:49 pm on Thursday, August 9, 2012
This is atypical for Massachusetts. Most signalized intersections have an exclusive pedestrian phase where traffic is stopped in all directions. The only signalized intersections in Waltham that lack an exclusive pedestrian phase are Wheeler Square (Moody/High/Maple), Moody & Carter, and Central Square (Moody & Main). I have been working to have an exclusive pedestrian phas to these intersections,
Robert G, Logan
Councillor Ward 9
Renee M. Boudreau
12:15 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
While walking up Moody to Cross to get to (right side) ofAlder St. on the left side of Moody; that crosswalk signal doesn't seem to work? I now just go around the corner and use the crosswalk shortly before the main intersection....
Robert G. Logan
1:43 pm on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Renee,
I just sent an e-mail to our Transportation Department to look into that. Thank you for reporting that.
Robert G. Logan
Councillor Ward 9
myopinion
11:34 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I drive North on Church Street several times a day and witness people running the stop sign on School Street at Church where the pedestrian was killed a few months back. 90% of the time people run this stop sign and they just don't care.