Washington Street Crosswalks a Daily Gauntlet

Washington Street runs from Bridge Street where the is, down to Canal Street where it veers sharply to the left and continues past Mill Hill to Lafayette Street.

On that stretch of road, there are 11 different marked crossing points consisting of 14 crosswalks and four sets of traffic/pedestrian control signals.  

I am aware of eight separate serious accidents on this stretch of Salem roadway that have resulted in serious injury and one fatality over the last 10 years, the just a few weeks ago being the most recent.

It seems that every day drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians engage in a contest of wills while navigating from one point to another. Drivers turn right on red and ignore crosswalks, bicyclists select which rules of the road they will comply with and pedestrians step blindly into crosswalks seeming to expect magical protection from injury at the front end of a moving two-ton motor vehicle.  

Here is a breakdown and some observations of each crossing point.

Washington at Bridge — Taking this intersection as a whole, it seems more dangerous than it actually is. The crosswalks are long, but the traffic is controlled well by the signals. Most pedestrians seem to use the lights. Those crossing from the courthouse side would be well advised to beware drivers making a U-turn from the far side in order to head back towards Town House Square.

Washington at Federal — This is a deceptively dangerous intersection. Two separate crosswalks run from each corner of Federal Street and across the traffic islands. A friend of mine was struck and nearly killed here some years back by a driver taking a left off Washington. It is not unusual for drivers to ignore the stop sign on the eastern side as they turn right on Washington. 

Washington at Lynde — Now this is another deceptive intersection. Drivers need to beware of pedestrians who cross both Lynde and Church Streets without looking left or right for traffic. Drivers turning right on Lynde also need to slow down and anticipate that cars will be parked on the right despite the No Parking signs.

Washington at — This is the safest crosswalk on Washington Street. The street is flat and straight with easy sightlines for both drivers and pedestrians.

Town House Square — By some mystical force, the IQ of your average pedestrian drops dramatically when encountering this intersection. Stepping blindly from the curb, while texting, talking or scratching seems to be a requirement. Couple that with poor sightlines for drivers turning left off of Essex Street, add in those drivers who speed by traffic on the right in front of Eastern Bank, and you have a recipe for disaster. The frequent presence of large delivery vehicles on both Washington and Essex is an additional complication.

Washington at Front — We see here another short, but dangerous crossing point. Drivers on one side are focused on racing up Washington to jockey for position as they approach Town House Square. On the other side they eyeball the approaching traffic signal. Inattentive pedestrians only add to the dangerous mix.

Washington, New Derby and Norman — This is a daily rodeo of foolishness. This wide intersection also features a smaller crossing point by Margin Street that acts to confuse things more. I prefer not to cross here at all because of the overall anarchy that is a daily occurrence.

Washington at Canal and Mill — Crossing here is sure to test your heart. Drivers coming from Canal with the green can't see pedestrians who are crossing against the light until it is very late. Drivers coming off Mill experience the same thing. T-bone accidents are not uncommon here, and there are pedestrians struck fairly often, especially at night.

Washington at Pond — This is a nightmare for drivers coming up from Mill Street. The slight, curving uphill precludes seeing pedestrians until you are right on top of them.

Washington at Ropes — Sightlines make this crossing a sure bet for safety.

Washington at Lafayette — Traffic turning left from Lafayette has plenty of room to see and react to pedestrians. Those driving onto Lafayette from Washington are sometimes too focused on beating the light to be fully aware of pedestrians. The new signals have not been there long enough to evaluate.

Massachusetts General Law states that when pedestrian control signals are not in place, drivers will yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Salem Traffic Ordinances state that when pedestrian control signals are in place, pedestrians must use and obey them.

Each day, pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers duel on this street.

There are no winners in this sort of thing, only losers. We should all slow down a little. It will make for better days.