Description

The absence of a dedicated pedestrian signal cycle, along with the combined conditions of motorist gridlock frustration and the complete absence of traffic enforcement, is causing numerous auto/pedestrian near-misses throughout the afternoon. On Wednesday, 9/3, when this photo was taken, a police car with its lights and siren going sped north in the southbound lane to get through, and needed to swerve around a large SUV that had properly stopped part-way into the intersection (headed east on Market St and turning right onto Central St south). Ironically, the cop took the time to stop and berate the SUV driver who had done everything possible to pull out of the intersection, though boxed by cars behind and in front an unable to move anywhere else that wouldn't have completely blocked the intersection and rendered things entirely impassable. Immediately before and after the passage of the emergency vehicle, there were two different near-miss auto/pedestrian collisions caused by cars attempting to pull around other stopped vehicles, and encountering people in the crosswalks they didn't anticipate to be there. (The pedestrians were crossing WITH the lights as they should). This intersection is a catastrophe waiting to happen.