We were so happy to see the fantastic new playground at Town Field open a couple years ago. However, the point of entrance on Beech St, and in particular the point where pedestrians naturally cross to access that entrance, is incredibly perilous. There is a strong bend in the road, cars are often parked on both sides, and drivers often exceed the speed limit going down Beech St.
The sign that says ‘Slow’ in one direction pays only lip service to how hazardous this crossing location can be. I often see parents, or grandparents and their (grand)children crossing there looking frantically in both directions. Teenagers often cross over without looking. It keeps me up at night worrying about when our son gets old enough to walk down there on his own, or when our daughter is also old enough to walk on her own and it becomes more difficult to manage both of them at this dangerous crossing.
I’ve been told by the town engineer that technically that is a service vehicle entrance, and technically the level of speeding on that section of road is not enough to warrant action. But please, please take action before a tragedy forces the issue. Speed bumps, a raised crosswalk, some flashing lights, etc. would go a long way towards improving safety at this location.
Nicole Irwin-Viet, Benjamin Road