In a recent development in Boston, there have been three incidents of cars hitting pedestrians. As a result, the city council has declared that speeding and reckless driving pose a public health emergency.
The Boston City Government website announced on April 12th that the city council has passed a resolution urging various government departments to improve infrastructure and take other measures to prevent pedestrians from being harmed in accidents.
In March this year, a 4-year-old child died in a car accident at the Boston Harbor; then on April 2nd, a 57-year-old disabled person was hit and killed by a truck in South Boston. On April 4th, near Boston South Station, a pedestrian was hit by a truck and seriously injured.
The resolution of the Boston City Council mentioned that in 2023, seven pedestrians died in car accidents in the city; in 2022, this number was 12 people.
Following the two fatal accidents this year, Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn suggested during a council meeting that he hoped the city government could reduce the speed limit on urban roads from 25 miles per hour to 20 miles per hour, or even 15 miles per hour.
He also proposed the construction of more “traffic calming infrastructure,” such as speed bumps, raised crosswalks, pedestrian islands, flashing lights, and so on.
Flynn mentioned the traffic safety projects implemented in Boston in 2023 but noted that those initiatives only involved residential roads. He stressed the need for additional speed reduction measures on wide, busy city roads.
Responsibility Editor: Feng Wenluan