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

Howard Street would be around the mid-point of the existing crosswalks on Brown St. I've never understood though why there's no crosswalk across New Liberty St at Brown St - you cross the common and walk down Brown to get to the businesses at the Mall and then your stuck at New Liberty Street with no crosswalk.

I agree with Kelly of the Stepping Stone Inn.

Thank you for reaching out with this concern. The City is actively looking at improvements at the Brown Street/New Liberty Street intersection, with the main goal being the addition of pedestrian crossings on both streets. There are some complicating factors in terms of the current sidewalks as well as the cobble traffic island, but we know this intersection needs work. A mid-block crossing at Howard Street could be a good addition as well, and might be a great fit for our Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. If you and your neighbors would like to submit that idea for that program, you can find more information about the program and the application here: https://www.salem.com/traffic-and-parking-department/files/neighborhood-traffic-calming-program-application

Thank you for reaching out with this concern. The City is actively looking at improvements at the Brown Street/New Liberty Street intersection, with the main goal being the addition of pedestrian crossings on both streets. There are some complicating factors in terms of the current sidewalks as well as the cobble traffic island, but we know this intersection needs work. A mid-block crossing at Howard Street could be a good addition as well, and might be a great fit for our Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. If you and your neighbors would like to submit that idea for that program, you can find more information about the program and the application here: https://www.salem.com/traffic-and-parking-department/files/neighborhood-traffic-calming-program-application

I'm so glad others have seen a need for crosswalks on Brown, and that the City is aware of the need for improvement of safety. I don't, however, agree that placing a crosswalk at Howard makes more sense than at Kimball, and here's why: when you're coming up to Brown from Howard, you have to turn either left toward the Common or right toward New Liberty. If a crosswalk is placed at Kimball, you will still have a safe way to cross Brown to go to Washington Square/Hawthorne Blvd/the Common because it'll already be on your way, but if the crosswalk is at Howard, those of us who live on the Common side of Brown before Howard would still have to walk the wrong direction only to backtrack if we're heading to the Common or Hawthorne, even if it doesn't seem that great a distance. I think it'll be too tempting to jaywalk at the Daniel Bray House just as the lady in the picture is doing.
I just think it makes more sense for it to be at Kimball especially for tourists as well as residents, because that super long crosswalk in front of the statue seems pretty far away when you're walking up Brown toward the Common.
I suppose if you're coming up Howard toward Brown and want to use the John Ward House alley to cut over to Essex, then maybe there's a need for a third crosswalk?

I live midway on Brown St and have observed a great deal of foot traffic coming from Howard St. This foot traffic includes frequent crossings of Brown St right at that intersection. I do not think a crosswalk at this location would be an inconvenience for anyone at the Common end of Brown since there is a crosswalk in place already. Tourists by and large seem to use the crosswalk in front of the statue where they often take pictures and proceed on to the Witch Museum.
From a safety perspective it seems to make sense to add a crosswalk at the intersection of Howard and another one at the intersection of New Liberty St.

Mayor's Office assigned this issue to Traffic & Parking

Thank you for reporting this issue to us. We are pleased to report back to you that this issue is now resolved.