Praise for Raised Intersections

Committee: Street Smarts

Cost: $120,000

Location: To be determined based on need and impact. Prioritizing higher traffic residential areas near parks and schools.

Short Description: Install a raised intersection(s) in an underserved residential area with high volume traffic to calm streets and increase safety for pedestrian crossing.

Long Description:
Many Cambridge residents have expressed concerns about the potential hazards of speeding cars and often do not feel safe crossing streets in our neighborhoods. Many have expressed a desire for traffic calming measures in residential sections of the city. Raised intersections are one way to help calm traffic and raise driver awareness of pedestrians waiting to cross the street.

Raised intersections bring an entire intersection from street level to sidewalk level. The roadway slopes on each side to meet the intersection, meaning that drivers need to slow down to cross. Raised intersections improve visibility of pedestrians, reduce speeds, and eliminate ponding at curb ramps which are especially beneficial for people with mobility and vision impairments. Raised intersections can encourage motorists to yield to pedestrian crossers. They have the added benefit of being easier to navigate for emergency vehicles than speed bumps or raised crosswalks.