That stinks. As a runner, I can say it's not my favorite place to cross the street. Does the intersection have no parking signs so people don't park too close to the corners? Just an idea. Good luck.

I do not think it is fair to blame the people parking on this street for the problem. My car was hit twice in 2 months, and it was not parked too close to the corner. The first accident involved a drunk driver plowing into 3 parked cars. Then last month a moving truck hit our car as he was doing a 3-point turn on Broad Street.

Yesterday's accident had nothing to do with the corner spot as well. A car turning left from Pickering St. onto Broad t-boned a car driving East on Broad St. The turning car also slammed into a car parked in front of our building at 19 1/2-21 1/2 Broad St.

I routinely hear and see cars speeding down Broad Street in front of our home. There is a speed warning sign near our house, but it's clear that it gets routinely ignored.

I have also found people routinely speed on the street that runs in front of the Post Office before turning right onto Broad St. It is clear that people are routinely using this route to leave downtown. This traffic pattern needs to be examined and steps need to be taken to reduce traffic (particularly speeding) and to make this street more pedestrian friendly.

Completely agree with the above comment, which is why I stressed the speeds as well. I think the accidents are a symptom of poor speed management on Broad St., but the issue goes beyond crashing into parked cars. A lot of kids live in this area, like my own, and people are just driving through it too fast and too recklessly at times.

As I said, no parking signs on corners was just an idea. Didn't blame anyone. Sorry for the crashes. It really stinks. I've been hit by a drunk driver before myself with the kids in the car. It was pretty awful. People are so irresponsible these days. Look at the newly painted crosswalks on Congress Street. I feel like those are easy to see and helpful for the school kids crossing. Maybe that would help. Again, just another idea. Salem Mass in Motion may also be of help. http://www.mimsalem.org/contact Good luck!

As the poster mentioned, it really seems like a lot of people hit Broad Street with their foot on the gas leaving town. You see this coming out of the Broad/Summer intersection when the light turns green especially. Driving through Salem can be slow going and when people hit this stretch it's like they compulsively speed up out of frustration. There has to be something that can be done to keep that from happening. Speed bumps? Slower speed limits? Both?

Parking issues, speeding on residential streets, cut-through traffic, etc........ all continue to be an ever growing problem in Salem. We realize that the police dept. as many issues to deal with, as does city government. However, something needs to be done to address these traffic issues. Some dept. within the city needs to begin to find ways to alleviate these problems.
Yes, streets are narrow, & there is a lot of traffic. But, certainly something can be done to address residents' concerns.
Our street is a constant cut-through (Federal St.), day & night, with cars speeding the majority of the time. The hum of traffic has become a regular backdrop of noise.
As Salem continues to grow, and tourists continue to come to visit, how about addressing the concerns of residents who live here year round? Or, are these issues & concerns not important enough to address, with changes made to improve the situation? It's gone from bad to worse.

To receive a police response to a report of an illegally parked vehicle, please call the Salem Police Department at 978-744-1212.

I think many are seeking some kind of magic solution with regard to traffic. It's all a result of poor planning. If you saw the article in Salem News about the plan by the state for Highland Ave you can see the planning is actually getting worse. Salem has outgrown itself. SSU is way to big for this city and the NSMC keeps expanding every year. The city stops at nothing to bring more tourist to Salem even though we have this massive traffic problem. Light cycles are a mess and people will do anything to get out of traffic. Get use to traffic using every short cut possible because it is not going away. Also, ask yourself one honest question with regard to cutting through neighborhoods, do you do it? I do.

Poor planning or not, overall traffic trends are what they are but there is no reason why we shouldn't look for solutions to speeding in residential areas given what we have to work with. Do I use whatever streets get me somewhere fastest (within the rules -- as in no thru traffic means no thru traffic, etc.)? Sure I do. But I drive at safe speeds and pay attention to the road. I think you'll find that, for instance, if speed limits are lowered and well marked, or speed bumps put into place, it will decrease speeding in certain neighborhoods, though I'm sure there may be less blunt solutions as well. Let's not give up trying please.

Also, I'm happy to see the Mayor's office acknowledging this thread, but it would be nice to hear that the reported problem is also being considered...which isn't illegally parked cars. Thanks!

I agree but keep in mind that no thru traffic signs are not enforceable only a deterrent and people do not pay much attention to speed limit signs. Speed bumps would be a disaster in winter. I am not trying to argue but this is a hard issue when talking about public roads in a city where the police are often too busy to even monitor traffic issues.

I'm sure it's not simple to fix, but what is? I have to respectfully disagree though with some of your claims. Of course many people pay attention to speed limit signs, they just don't stick to the posted limit, often banking on not being pulled over for say 10 over the limit. Those who don't pay attention to posted limits as much will also drive slower because they likely calibrate off of those sharing the road with them among other things. A lower speed limit will bump the average speed down even if people are still speeding. Speed bumps are not a plowing disaster. We live in the northern hemisphere and speed bumps are used regularly without much a do. Also, one can get creative and do, say, raised crosswalks instead of traditional bumps, or rounded smooth bumps that allow easier plowing. I'm sure there are even more creative yet effective bumps out there if anyone wants to do some research.

At the end of the day I'm no expert and maybe limits and bumps are not the best solution, but I just can't get behind the idea that something that matters to quite a few residents (at least in my neighborhood) would be so easily dismissed with these kinds of arguments.

Here's an easy idea. Remove the yellow line going down Broad St. I've always wondered if these lines don't have a positive correlation with traffic speed. See this..

http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/08/15/removing-center-lines-reduced-speeding-on-london-streets/

The only speed bumps in Salem that I am aware of are at Pickering Wharf and they are removed in the winter. I think your streets are in the historic district. Do you think speed bumps would be allowed? Good luck.

I believe that if Winthrop and Hathorne were made one-way streets (in opposite directions), this stretch of road would be a bit safer. Between speeders on Broad, left-hand turns from Pickering, and drivers turning onto and from very-narrow Winthrop Street, it's a recipe for disaster.

As for the speeding on Broad itself, there's a lot that can be done to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers. Visually narrowing the street by adding intermittent cones/stanchions, or removing the center line would help. Adding a protected bike lane (or two!) would help. Adding temporary rubber speed bumps that can be removed in winter would help.

I hate to think that we need to see someone die on this stretch before the city will take steps to make this area safer.

Broad Street used to have a single yellow line down the middle. The double yellow line seems to connote a highway and people drive faster. No line would be better as it reflects s residential feel. Rush hour traffic is horrendous. Speeding down Broad to get out of town at 3 pm is the worst time of day. Cars exiting from Pickering making s left onto Broad are being hit by speeders or have experienced near misses due to these speeders. I hope the city considers removing the double yellow lines and pinching the street at the intetestion of Broad and Pickering as traffic calming approach. Also consider deactivating blinking yellow light to Dalton to a red stop light might deter cars from thinking the street is the quickest way out of town. Speed enforcement at rush hour would be nice too.
Many children cross Broad daily, as well as adults, runners, bicyclists- the City should take these concerns seriously before someone is seriously hurt. .
Thank you to the person who began this thread. I think the entire neighborhood was thinking the same thing but you chose to speak out.

So true. You may want to connect with Gary Kinley from Chestnut St. He was very active trying to slow down traffic and volume on their street. Federal St has similar issues. My kids are 11 and 14 and getting independent. I get very worried when I let them walk together without me. The drivers on Federal can be fast and don't stop at stop signs. And short kids have a hard time seeing past oncoming traffic with cars parked along the street. I've earned the name "worry mom" from my son. Maybe we need a parents group that meets w/ the city to address downtown traffic as a whole?

Good idea, Cindy. Or perhaps a general group of folks who are willing to pursue the possibility of this issue being seriously addressed. Something needs to be done by our city leaders, rather than letting things continue to get worse than they already are. And, it should not be an issue easily dismissed. It's a serious problem, & there are experts who could address the traffic congestion & speeding problems - for the benefit of the city & its residents.
To throw your hands up in the air & say nothing can be done is like the proverbial ostrich putting its head in the sand.

We had lived on Federal Street from 1997-2009 and I appreciate CBs comments about speeding on that street. But believe me when I say that the traffic on Federal Street is nothing compared to Broad Street, which is a much wider street. Three major routes lead to Broad Street: traffic heading from North Salem directly from Chestnut to Pickering to Broad. And as I mentioned above, a lot of traffic flows from downtown through the street in front of the Post Office and then onto Broad. (Twice now I have nearly been plowed down crossing at the corner of Broad and that street in front of the Post Office.)

I work from home, and I need to keep my windows (facing Broad Street) closed when I am on a conference call because the traffic noise is so loud. The city needs an urban planner to examine this problem and devise solutions. Addressing this issue will help maintain the character of the historic neighborhoods of this city and make the city more friendly to pedestrians.

I fully understand the differences with Broad and Federal St. We often use Broad St.
Since 2009, Federal St. has become more of a convenient cut-through, & the traffic noise from speeding, passing cars, trucks, motorcycles is constant. We live close to a stop sign, which is more often than not, run through.It is definitely a much narrower street, and that poses a number of additional problems.
We work form home, as well, & have to do the same.

Yes, the city desperately needs an urban planner to address the traffic congestion problems. Salem will benefit , IF this problem is addressed rather than ignored. How to insure someone takes this seriously is the question.

What is an urban planner? We have a city planner ,city engineer, traffic department, police and so on. Much of this mess is a result of having outside traffic studies done by private companies that don't even travel these streets. How about some common sense. I watched a school crossing guard on Highland and Jefferson repeatedly press the pedestrian light even though he has a stop sigh in his hand.

Correction Highland at Jackson

There was just a fourth accident this morning. This was another one involving a person making a left onto Broad from Pickering hitting/getting hit by someone on Broad. This one was serious enough to have the Fire Department and EMTs out getting one victim who couldn't get out of his car and taking him away in an ambulance.

I think the area needs something comprehensive done, but as a minimum, fix things on the margins, the stop line on Pickering should be repainted, and foliage around the corner pruned back to improve visibility.

It's time to contact Stephen Lovely, our councilman to arrange a meeting with the Mayors office and police representatives.

I hope the person is not seriously injured. By the way the truck that hit him is not allowed on Broad Street.

Stephen@lovelylawgroup.com

Contact info for Councilman Lovely

978-745-8274

Phone number

I will take a screen shot of this discussion and send it to him. I will cc the Mayors Office. I encourage others to reach out if they wish.

I beleive Broad is on the border of Ward's 2 and 3 so you will also want to send this to Heather Famico if you can.

Heather Famico is the councilwoman representing the Federal St. area.

Sorry to hear about another accident.

Whether it's an urban planner, or whomever is supposed to address the ever-growing traffic problems here in Salem, it's long overdue.
Will anyone listen?

Nina Cohen (of Chestnut St) is also very active on issues like this and has partnered with WalkBoston to help bring positive change and improved safety for all to the streets of Salem.

We are not alone in our concerns and shouldn't feel that activism is a waste of energy -- making our city safer is essential to its continued growth and strengthening as a city and a community.

I want my kids to be able to walk or bike to school -- and I want that to be normative of all Salem kids.

We're a small city that calls itself walkable. What I see is a city that values volume (tourists, dollars... INFLUX) while refusing to implement structural changes necessary to accommodate it.

We have a long way to go.

Seriously? Chestnut St is a one way street 50 yards wide, recently paved and has always been given special attention. There is no comparison between Chestnut and Federal.

Irregardless of what street it may be -- and most if not all, have serious traffic issues, the quote above says it all:
'We're a small city that calls itself walkable. What I see is a city that values volume (tourists, dollars... INFLUX) while refusing to implement structural changes necessary to accommodate it.
We have a long way to go.'

It's time to organize & begin -- as more cars just continue to speed past our house & run the stop sign.

Mayor's Office assigned this issue to Salem Traffic & Parking

Mayor's Office assigned this issue to Display Name Blocked (1500677)

The Traffic and Parking Department is working with GESNA to address the concerns at this intersection through the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program.

No one from GESNA has ever attempted to contact any residents of upper Broad Street. So our input will not be heard until the City reaches out and better communicates with all of us not just a segment of our neighborhood. I appreciate the City’s attempt to reserrect this issue and possibly deal with the dangerous condition of our street but the entire neighborhood has to be asked to participate. Please make an attempt to reach out, we are willing to provide constructive ideas and perspectives.

Glad to hear it

Mayor's Office assigned this issue to Traffic & Parking

To submit a traffic calming program request, please visit the site below in order to download and fill out an application. Additional information about the program as well as examples of traffic calming projects can also be viewed at this site.

https://www.salem.com/traffic-and-parking-department/files/neighborhood-traffic-calming-program-application

To submit a traffic calming program request, please visit the site below in order to download and fill out an application. Additional information about the program as well as examples of traffic calming projects can also be viewed at this site.

https://www.salem.com/traffic-and-parking-department/files/neighborhood-traffic-calming-program-application