Description
In conjunction with the city's plans to reduce speed limits, the Cambridge City Police need to have a higher presence during rush hour on Huron Ave between Concord St. and Fresh Pond Parkway (frankly, I've never seen a police officer patrolling traffic during these hours at this location). I cross Huron Ave. every morning and afternoon on my way to/from work, and every day witness drivers who are speeding, not respecting pedestrian crossings, and texting/clearly using cell phones while driving. This creates a tense and dangerous situation and good policing of these streets could help bring the risk to pedestrians and drivers down.
12 Comments
Cambridge Public Works (Verified Official)
Ellen Winner (Registered User)
Arthurstrang (Registered User)
Managers in Cambridge report that they have counseled City Employees to observe all City and State speed limits. Though, yesterday, I found myself passed by two City police on motorcycles. Matching their speed, I found myself speeding at 35 MPH on Fresh Pond Parkway in a 25 MPH zone. The two police stopped for gas. I parked and talked with them. One insisted the speed limit was 35 MPH. They had passed at least one sign and next to the gas station another soon to pass: 25 MPH.
Management would be counseled to be more insistent that City employees and all of us observe the speed limit.
Russ Windman (Registered User)
Greater CAMBRIDGE and State Police presence would help, but traffic calming measures at the intersection and along Huron Ave and along Fresh Pond Pkwy would be the more constant and long term solution. This would also save police personnel resources.
We have seen collisions and loss of life. We need to be better than this.
Ryan Frazer (Registered User)
Here's the thing: Huron Ave. is not one of the streets getting reduced to a new 20 mph limit. Its speed limit is set to remain 25 mph. https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/trafficparkingandtransportation/speedlimitsincambridge
In addition, as Russ mentions, extra police enforcement is merely a bandaid on a larger problem: the design of the street is such that it feels natural to drive over 25 mph. Huron is quite wide and rather straight, so even maintaining 25 mph while driving (as I do) feels slow. Unfortunately the city missed an opportunity to rectify this during the sewer separation project. For example, if the bike lanes were moved to the curbside and the parking moved toward the travel lanes, the visual width of the road would be much narrower and drivers would have less incentive to speed. Chicanes (such as on Concord Ave. between Walden and FPP) would have been another way to slow motorists, but they weren't used on Huron either.
City Hall – DR (Verified Official)
Closed Police - JW (Communications) (Verified Official)
Thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed communication.
I do want to assure you from the Police Department that the Traffic Unit has been notified and confirmed receipt of these concerns. We will be using the information outlined as a means for deploying resources for monitoring and targeted enforcement. We are also ramping up plans to begin increased enforcement citywide with Patrol Operations and Traffic. These locations will be factored into those efforts.
Russ Windman (Registered User)
It should remain an open issue until more enforcement and roadway improvements are in place.
This is an OPEN issue until we, the residents, see safer conditions.
Reopened Russ Windman (Registered User)
Police - JW (Communications) (Verified Official)
Russ Windman (Registered User)
Acknowledged Traffic - PB (Engineering) (Registered User)