Description
CORRECTION: After further contemplation, I realize the root cause for my concern is really the conflicting perceptions of "right of way" at this intersection. I have seen drivers at the Green St stop sign proceed across the intersection even when there are cars gunning down Pleasant St (speeding from their impatience at the Mass Ave traffic light, no doubt). Adding a stop sign is just my best initial guess at resolving this conflict.
It's been 2 years since I've lived in this neighborhood, and I still worry there will be a serious accident as a direct or indirect result of this conflict.
Original Post >> I used to walk and drive through this intersection when I lived in Cambridge and would invariably witness a car stopped at the Green Street stop sign, see there were no cars at the immediate intersection and zip right through, narrowly missing a car coming down Pleasant at full speed because they DON'T have a stop sign.
Also, it's not immediately apparent when you stop for the stop sign on Green that 1) it's NOT a four-way stop, and 2) the cross street is NOT a two-way street. So you often see people stopped at Green looking both ways briefly, then continuing across the intersection. Only drivers familiar with this intersection (i.e., they have driven down Pleasant St before and remember that there is no stop sign there) will know better and take the time to look way down the street on the right for oncoming cars who are likely picking up speed from the previous intersection on Mass Ave.
Having also walked in the area, it would also help with pedestrians crossing Pleasant St if there was in fact a stop sign since there IS a crosswalk (but apparently most drivers can't be bothered to stop since, again, they were probably just at a really long traffic light from Mass Ave).
5 Comments
Traffic – JP (Street Mgmt) (Verified Official)
First, to your points in the second paragraph: 1) There is never a STOP sign on a cross street unless there is a plate below the STOP on your approach that reads "4-way" or "all-way." While this is out of the drivers' manual, I appreciate that not everyone knows this. However, I don't have a "2-way" or "the other street doesn't have a STOP sign" sign that I can use. 2) I will check to make sure we have one-way/do not enter signs on the corner -- we have lost a lot of signs this winter. But I'll be honest. I want drivers to look both ways from Green Street. I need them to see a pedestrian coming from the left, even when there is never a car coming from that direction. So I don't think that it's a bad thing that drivers are instinctively looking left and right.
That being said, I have thought about all-way stop control for this location. There are some intersections that just "feel" like an all-way stop, and this appears be be one of them, judging by the behavior of some drivers. Still, I do need to collect some data first before I make this change. Once the snowbanks clear, I will conduct a traffic count and crash study of this intersection. Once I know what I have, I will either make the change or leave well enough alone.
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E.
Traffic Engineer, City of Cambridge
karentl (Registered User)
Jeffrey, thank you for your comment. I believe the biggest risk with these intersections that you just described (ones that "feel" like an all-way stop) is that the driver who is stopped at the stop sign will think he/she has the right of way *even as* other cars are approaching the intersection from the left or right (and have the true right of way). In such a case, the odds are left to the drivers' level of awareness of the possibly conflicting perceptions of right of way. Knowing this, I will always approach this intersection from either street with caution, but I don't expect others to be aware especially if they don't frequent the area.
In any case, I appreciate the thoughtfulness and effort that people like you put into making the streets safer for everyone. Having driven in different cities around the country, I realize each city has its own causes for stress in driving, and for me, I try to avoid driving in Boston whenever possible because of the confusing streets (which is generally good for my stress level but especially bad when I do get on the road and can't remember all the twists, turns, poor signage, and one-way only's).
Thank you, also, for being open to dialogue on this SeeClickFix website and addressing the needs of concerned citizens. I am heartened that with everyone's combined efforts, Cambridge and other cities can be a safer, stress-free place to be.
boblothrope (Registered User)
Traffic – JP (Street Mgmt) (Verified Official)
> Jeff, what about the CROSS TRAFFIC DOES NOT STOP plaque, W4-4p in the MUTCD?
Good point. Although the Manual does include that sign, you almost never see it in an urban location. Still, I will keep the W4-4p on the table after finishing a study as I described below.
Jeffrey R. Parenti, P.E.
Traffic Engineer, City of cambridge
Closed City Hall – DR (Verified Official)