There was a car crash at the intersection of L and 6th at approximately 4:45pm on Monday causing one of the cars to flip. This is the same intersection where Colin McGrath, a 2 year-old was killed on July 25th. Since then, the City of Boston has taken measure to slow traffic down on L Street including speed feedback signs and flex poles at every intersection restricting parking 20 feet from the corner.
Earlier this month Boston police and Massachusetts State troopers conducted a joint enforcement initiative on Day Boulevard in South Boston and streets feeding onto it aka L Street and Farragut Road to name a few. Both troopers and officers cracked down on crosswalk enforcement, speeding, and other unsafe driving behaviors. Approximately 500 citations for traffic violations were issued between the two departments.
City Councilor Ed Flynn was on the scene. “I spoke with first responders, city officials and colleagues. I also spoke with a number of residents who were very shaken up to see another crash at this intersection. We had a number of conversations regarding the need for additional traffic-calming measures in our neighborhood. I will continue to request these measures from the Boston Transportation Department and advocate for 4-way stop signs on L St, speed humps, raised crosswalks and other infrastructure improvements, as well as lowering the speed limit. This combination of infrastructure changes to our built environment and lower speeds would help to improve road safety for all,” said Flynn via statement.
Back in August, Flynn recommended a 12 Point Safe Streets Plan which included 4-way stop signs along L St and relevant locations throughout Southie. Maybe it’s time.
How many times do I have to say..SPEEDBUMPS, and 4 WAY STOP SIGNS At ” L” and MARINE RD, EAST 7TH, EAST 6TH, EAST 4TH, ..BLINKING RED LIGHTS At ” L” and 3RD..lets STOP THIS FOOLINSNESS…ENOUGH..
Here’s an idea: Get a group of your 10 cronies to link arms across L street during rush hour each day in protest. Just like our lovely Black lives Matter folks do on congress street downtown.
Racist much?
Nope. Not at all.
Southie Lives Matter. I like it.
Let’s get it rolling!
EDDIE FLYNN..12 point “safety plan” ..4 way STOP SIGNS on L street….NOT DONE..SPEED BUMPS ON L street..NOT DONE..20 M.P.H..speed limit in SOUTHIE..NOT DONE..big meeting at TYNAN SCHOOL..ALL TALK..NO ACTION!
!!
not sure if Ed Flynn reads this blog – maybe you should call him directly like the rest of us do.
Guess the residents VOTERS who live on L street are NOT as important as the SOUTH SHORE COMUTTERS. who use L street as a cut through to get to work..WHAT A SHAME!
Really nees to spend the money putting in raised crosswalks. Give commuters a need to slow!!!
When I am walking the dog or doing work outside and I notice someone ripping down West 9th or West 8th I simply stand in the center of the road and make them come to a complete stop. I’ll be doing this indefinitely.
My guess is you won’t be doing that for too much longer…
My baseball bat and mace say different. Try me. West 9TH is off limits to insane speeders.
Baseball bat + mace < car grill. Nope. The math doesn't work.
Oh it works. And it works well! Likely because West 8th and 9th are One Ways.
Contrary to popular belief, people do NOT want to hit you. And, what I have found over at least a dozen times, it is definitely true.
They come to a complete stop. They poke their head out of the driver window like “hey, wtf are you doing?”.
I swing the bat over my shoulder and tell them I am going to the batting cages. After a long awkward pause they get the message, then I move.
This will be happening indefinitely on west 8th and west 9th. May even grab a sack of lax balls to chuck around if needed.
I had trouble crossing on voting day even with all the police around. The only way to fix this is to make L street a less desirable route than the xway which means making it a SLOWER route. Bottom Line. The people coming off the xway are in “xway mode” vs neighborhood street mode. They will hug the bumper of the car in front of them rather than let someone pass to squeeze seconds off their commute. I am not sure there is a political will to do this as L street is viewed as a route to the precious Seaport area. Speed bumps are not a bad idea.
A GREAT ( inexpensive and easy start) STOP SIGNS AT EVERY INTETSECTION ON L STREET..like EVEROTHER lettered street in SOUTHIE..SPEED HUMPS at ever other intersection on L street..if these 2 things don’t happen NOW ..it all TALK by these politicians..
SPEED BUMPS – SPEED BUMPS – SPEED BUMPS……I cross L Street everyday (for over 40 years now) coming home from work…and EVERYDAY….people are still hurrying down L street – to and from……I see them – the newly installed blinking sign blink 38 – 40 – 42…they slow down for a second until it says the amount of speed posted…. they get past it and speed up again so they can make the next light @ East 8th Street after they came thru the light @ L & B way that way they don’t think they have to wait at the light @ Cumberlands….which also means stopping in the intersection and blocking the crosswalk to get across L Street…I’m walking yesterday going to cross an @ L & 5th…and there’s a girl sitting there in the crosswalk – another car in the intersection – and I just stopped with my bags from S & S and looked at her like are you kidding me….and she shrugged her shoulders…..I did say to her life’s a beach huh….wondering if she knew I really meant the other B word…haaaa – but seriously folks…..while the meeting was GREAT and everyone who organized it and organized the walk leading up to it did fantastic…its on the City know…obviously the drivers aren’t going to change their ways…more accidents are going to happen – and hopefully not more deaths – the police can only do so much – so like I started off this paragraph – speed bumps – speed bumps – speed bumps…..thru – out the City – The Indy 500 days have to be OVER !!!!
Maybe L street should be one way to the beach during AM rush hour? That, coupled with no left turn signs off of Day Blvd will deter cut-through commuters. Probably not a good thing for Farragut road reaidents, but that road can handle it better than L street.
I also rap my knuckles on cars that don’t stop in cross walks. Maybe I’ll start carrying a small bag of lax balls. That could be fun.
Time to revolt and shut down L Street on a Friday from 3-6. Make every impatient, overweight South ashore commuter sit in Traffic. We’ll recycle Matt Rustieka signs ( both of them) with a catchy slogan like “Hell No..In Southie Go Slow”.
I agree .. speed bumps are the answer. People will blow through stop signs .. I see it all the time.