For years, commuters have used L Street as a cut through to get in and out of downtown. If you’re in the know, you understand you should avoid L Street during rush hour. Normally traffic is slow and congested. But those sneaky commuters are now using I Street even though there is no left turn from 6am-9am. The city and/or State specially made that rule so people wouldn’t use I Street for that reason. So why is no one enforcing this rule? Disregard for the sign and use of I Street in the morning is rampant. So as residents, are we now suppose to now avoid I just like L?
And let’s not forget about Farragut Road – people use that to cut through too and they fly down that street going 45 miles an hour. Sometimes not even stopping at the intersection of Farragut and Broadway. Occasionally, the BPD runs a stop sign stakeout at that intersection – but evidently not enough to deter people from avoiding Farragut.
So what’s a neighborhood to do? We say get some enforcement going – have police cruisers on I Street and pull people over who make the left. Make the BPD a permanent fixture at Farragut Road and Broadway. Send the message it’s not okay to cut through – or if you’re gonna cut through – you need to obey the law.
That is all for now. Next up, Day Boulevard and the need for more lights – traffic, pedestrian and street lights.
I live on the corner of I Street and i can tell you that there is a cop set up there ~20% of the time from 6-9 am to prevent this. Its not as if its being completely unenforced…
Staties hide out down at I street in the morning all the time. I’ve been nabbed once and see them down there all the time . But certainly doesn’t like it makes an impact.
Congestion tax – just like London. You want to drive into work from the ‘burbs and cut through Southie? $30 per trip should do the trick.
Its the same way with O Street from Broadway to 1st Street its 2 ways – and its bumper to bumper with cars at rush hour/s in the evening (never mind everyone double parking picking their kids up @ school) – in the morning they close Broadway to 3rd Street entry for the school kids safety…. the buses also use O Street if they have no-one on the bus after O & Bway to get back quicker to te depot – they should do something about it half the ones coming up from first street barely stop at the stop sign and then go screeching across Bway straight down the other side of O to get to Day Blvd. In other towns they seem to be able to enforce it – we have to have someone start doing something instead of using all our streets from the South Shore and coming from downtown as their cut thru…Thanks for listening and have a good week end all.
Have you been on N Street during the morning commuter hours? Traffic is ridiculous; many do not understand the meaning of a Stop Sign!!! Then, on top of that, you have considerable backup of vehicles on N Street because of the bus stop at the park (N & Broadway) with the crowds of people. One of our prestigious councilors recently attended a resident meeting and recognized the fact that N Street was used as a FREEWAY during morning rush hour traffic, but indicated there isn’t much that can be done about it. As always, thank you for your support councilor.
Peter,
The no left turn was imposed years ago because of St Peter’s, Gate of Heaven’s and Tynan’s School being on I Street.
I travel on East 8th Street or Marine Road to go to work. I’ve seen State Police on I Street with cars/drivers pulled over for taking the left from Day Blvd.
I agree commuters shouldn’t be allowed to take the left onto I Street but why does it seem to be okay for commuters to use L Street but not I Street or Farragutt Road?
L Street is pretty much a clear shot to downtown, commuters fly down L Street, run pedestrian lights, block crossing intersections and heaven forbid you are allowed to pull out of a parking spot onto L Street. Then throw into the mix 18 wheelers doing deliveries at the same time causing traffic jams on side streets.
Pedestrians safety on L Street is a huge concern all day long but especially during both the morning and evening commutes.
Perhaps commuters shouldn’t be allowed to to take a left turn between the hours of 6am and 9am Monday through Friday until Shore Road. Then traffic would only be allowed to proceed down East First Street using the same route the MBTA may be using for the number 7 bus route and the truck route that Connolly terminal use/used for trucks. Evening commutes should also need to be re-routed to eliminate congestion L Street.
I Street and Farragutt Road shouldn’t be the only streets considered when it comes to “cut through” streets. L Street, it’s residents and their safety are just as much of a concern as I Street and Farragutt Road and their residents.
Maybe restricting the commuters’ use of streets will inform commuters we are a neighborhood and not a roadway.
You have some great ideas!
If only…
Their is absolutely no traffic / driving/parking / trash enforcement at ALL in Southie!!!!
It’s an absolute JOKE. Lived here my whole life.
The Cops do literally nothing
Now when they come home from work they use Ist@first st.it gets backed from B-Way to Second street. Get a sign East First st at Ist