I sincerely hope the city will take this issue more seriously! Accidents are accidents because they are not planned! Painting the crosswalks, responsive signaling indicating people are crossing, better signs around schools are needed. We understand it takes time. But crossing guard is needed NOW!

As I've stated before on seeclickfix in my own issue, my son on numerous times has had near misses with cars speeding through the crosswalks or passing cars on the right for those cars who have stopped. We need a crossing guard until the traffic department can fix the issue. We do have issues all along high street, but this section is very wide and allows cars and drivers to not abide by the laws.

Something must be done!

Agree that a crossing guard is something they can put in place NOW. Also something I'm requesting from Chief Sacco is a police officer during morning school hours. As I walked my 5 yr old to school the past few mornings, many drivers were looking down at their phones as they drove through the school zone. It's a problem everywhere, but drivers need to know that we won't tolerate distracted driving in a school zone, and that Medford police are enforcing the law.

I've seen so many near misses after 4 years of watching middle schooler's cross for the bus at this intersection. I even had a near miss once crossing in front of the stopped bus (there are bus stops at that corner), by a car speeding around it. I watched with Loren this morning as the girl in the photo had cars stopped in one direction, but not in the other.

This intersection is so dangerous, especially this time of year when the sun is low in the sky, blinding morning drivers approaching it from the direction of W Medford Square. We need a raised crosswalk and/or a pedestrian crossing light, similar to the one at St. Raphael's.

It is the same at the intersection of Sagamore Avenue, High Street and Boston Avenue. It is very, very dangerous for middle schoolers, high schoolers and adult pedestrians trying to catch buses or simply walking somewhere as well as Brooks School students walking to the Brooks School from this area or walking home in the afternoon.(Regretfully, it has been this way since my children started middle school and then went to the high school ---10 years ago. The vehicular traffic has exponentially increased since then.) Neighborhood residents/ the patrons of the NK Convenience Store, the Lion Liquor Store and Best Buy Neighborhood Dry cleaners are risking their lives to walk across Boston Avenue or High Street from Sagamore Avenue etc. Something needs to be done to make the the truck and car drivers who are just passing/"bombing" through to be more respectful of OUR neighborhood and its residents.

There's a crossing light at St Raphael's and St. Josephs'. Why no crossing light at the Brooks? Crossing guards have been sworn at and threatened, plus they have limited shifts.

Till we get lights and guards, why not have barrels on either side with multiple hand held stop signs to use as people are crossing. Stick it in the barrel on the opposite side when you are done. That can be done all along High street where the school buses stop, not just at the Brooks. The intersection with Woburn is another crazy place with cars trying to turn left at the same time.

This intersection has become genuinely dangerous as traffic has increased, and many of the commuters on Rt 60 are inattentive. They go too fast, and they aren't looking, and it's got much worse over the last year.

I'm completely in favor of changing the whole dynamic of the road, and slowing traffic down to neighborhood levels. Raised walks - whatever it takes. West Medford Square is great; people driving by should slow down and enjoy it.

In the meantime, a police officer could make an impression on distracted drivers.

I use the bus stop on either side of the street and am concerned about everyone crossing High Street. Now that the days are getting shorter and the sun is lower in the sky drivers are blinded in the am and pm. Traffic calming and a crossing light at the intersection of Alston and High would be great.

Another thumbs up for this one-- we shouldn't wait for an accident to make this better. Kids cross here all day, a crossing light needs to be considered long term and the crossing guard short term.

Another case of the city govt. simply being clueless about what is actually happening in the city. High St from the tracks to Winthrop rotary has become a turnpike. There is a digital speed sign that is very rarely on, and never a police presence, especially when needed most at school opening and closing. Traffic calmers should be installed at a minimum but a traffic signal should be erected at Brooks, just like the one in front of St Ray's.

"I just witnessed a kindergartener on the way to an ice cream social at the school get sideswiped by a car that disregarded the cross walk. Thank God his father has such good reflexes and the child is ok.
This is truly a safety issue and must be dealt with.
Please contact the city council and demand action before something worse happens."

A traffic light is needed, since children are coming and going from the school over way too many hours for a crossing guard. Last year 510 students were enrolled there, ranging from kindergarten to grade 5. One law suit against the city would more than pay for the cost of the crossing light. If petitions are needed,to satisfy state requirements, I'm sure we could obtain the signatures needed.

A petition went around earlier this spring, and signatures and comments were emailed to the mayor and chief of Police, as well as handed over at the police station. Apart from the elementary school children, middle schoolers cross here
and at other intersections to reach their bus stops.

Forwarding to our Traffic Division.

Captain Clemente - Medford Police Department assigned this issue to Officer Brooks

A few days ago, there was a barrel in the High st/Allston st intersection warning cars to yield to pedestrians. However, yesterday or the day before, it vanished. What happened to it?? The newly painted walkway is an improvement, with the barrel even more so. (Maybe it got broken by the cars I saw blithely running it over?)

Not sure, but as of yesterday the pedestrian warning paddle was back. AAAAND....workers were installing the foundation for the new flashing pedestrian signs (otherwise known as Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacons, or RRFB). They may even be installed by now....I haven't been over there since this morning.

Progress!!

HAven't seen them yet, but I'll be on the lookout. Thanks for the update, Jeff!

Thanks, Jeff!

There is a crossing light at St Raphael's, why not at the Brooks?

What's with all these complaints? This city has the latest technology in parking meters, you can pay your taxes and utilities online, the police are vigilant in traffic enforcement, the flags get put up at all the military memorials faithfully, meetings start on time, there are no potholes anywhere, the grass is cut in front of City Hall, Oak Grove always looks nice, the parks are immaculate, the mayor is always available for photo ops, and the City Council is a fountain of innovation. And, not a single fatality has occurred on High Street. Where's the beef?

Very funny, Mr. R Carle!

Can we close this one? This is the place where we now have traffic islands and big signs and flashing lights. I say "Nicely Solved"

Why does St Raphaels have a pedestrian crossing light but the Brooks does not ?

Active enforcement of the 25 MPH limit along the open stretch between West Medford village and the Brooks School ( in both directions) will being in revenue and increase safety.

Katy Vitiello, I'd guess that the prior schools on the Brooks site were not so driving-oriented and not so oriented to High St (the Hobbs School faced Auburn St nearer Prescott). From 1999 to 2003, City of Medford went from 11 Elementary Schools to 4, and people didn't quite compute that that'd create a lot of car dropoffs on High.

Whereas St Raphaels, has been there for ~70 years and drew from a (slightly) larger radius for longer, giving time to see that a light was needed.

I'd also guess that money was/is an issue. A single-arm traffic light (such as St Raphael's can have, since High St is skinny there) is a $100k ~ $200k "thing" while a two-arm traffic light (such as Brooks would need) is a $200k ~ $400k "thing" and suddenly you're into real multi-year budgeting cycles.

(Medford got a state grant to do the island-and-flashers at Brooks--and did so quickly considering the McGlynn-to-Burke transition)

Katy Vitiello, if I've marked it right, this shows the "extra travel" created when West Medford's public elementaries were consolidated 3-into-1 in 2003. The net effect was a lot more kids travelling on High St at Allston St.

https://goo.gl/maps/5ysBNtqL8HQ2

So I'd say it has taken a while for it to dawn on people what it means from a walking/driving standpoint to serve the city with fewer, larger, farther Elementaries.

(Versus St Raphaels parish always having historically covered about the same territory at its one location)

removed