Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte 

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

My stories are usually lighthearted looks back at Somerville in days gone by or some other hopefully amusing local subject. This article however is a bit more serious because it is about safety. As a lifelong resident of the College Ave. area, it is time to speak out about the horrendous habits of drivers on the dangerous stretch between Powder House Rotary and the lights near Wedgewood-Crane and Connolly.

In September an elderly pedestrian was struck by a bus on College Ave. Trying to cross this part of College Ave. is crazy. And if you try to cross between 6 and 8 a.m. you’d better be extra, extra careful. This stretch of College Ave. is nothing less than treacherous. I walk my dog there every morning and I can’t believe the speeders that recklessly disobey the law. Let’s start with the cars coming up to the blinking red light and stop sign on Broadway in front of Dunkin’ Donuts. Some cars will stop. Most will simply blow through it. God forbid there is a person trying to cross College Ave. near the park.

What makes this stretch of College Ave. even worse is that the road turns just past Hall Ave. and creates even more danger. A speeding vehicle cannot see someone who is in mid-cross. And even if they did see a person trying to cross, it would be very difficult to stop their speeding vehicle. If you want to take your hot, fresh, newly purchased cup of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee across the street and sit on a park bench, you’d better be very, very careful.

About ten years ago, I was trying to cross College Ave. near the rotary with my then 8-year-old son. One of these speeders bombed around the corner from Broadway and just missed hitting us. I will never forget that day. The driver of that vehicle was later involved in a fatal traffic accident. We were lucky. My son is now a freshman in college instead of a sad memory and a painful statistic.

I have even seen cars fly through the pedestrian crosswalk/traffic light in front of the public library when it is RED. And while we are on the subject, these are things I can’t believe I have seen. People driving with a cigarette in one hand and a cell phone in their other hand held up to their ear. I have seen drivers with headphones on. HEADPHONES! Are you kidding me? And let’s eat at home, not in our cars.

When a vehicle is traveling on this hazardous section of College Ave. from the Powder House rotary heading towards Davis Square, it reaches Kidder Ave., proceeds past Francesca Ave., and then hits Hall Ave. As I stated, after you pass Hall Ave. the road basically curves, creating a diabolical blind spot. This is where I think it is the most harrowing for a pedestrian. By the time a speeding vehicle rounds the curve, a person has no time to get out of the way.

So what should we do? Should vigilante residents get out the road spikes? Not yet. As Simon and Garfunkel said in a song, “slowdown, you move too fast!” If it were up to me, I’d put a few a speed bumps on this insidious segment of road. Big speed bumps. I would also have a cop with a radar gun stationed near Francesca Ave. and also in the driveway of the public library.

I don’t know about you but I’d like see my grandkids grow up. I’d like to enjoy the retirement I’ve been working so hard to achieve. One of the perks of living near Davis Square is being able to walk there. Please don’t take that simple pleasure away from me and my neighbors. To my friends in the area, don’t ever assume that a car is going to stop for you on the College Ave. Speedway. To drivers, please put the cell phone down, lay off the gas pedal, and pay attention to the road.

Thank You. Next week we will go back to light hearted stories, but I just had to get this off my chest.