Dear Editor:
This letter is to Mr. DelBoccio, Mayor Roberts and the man in the white vehicle who nearly ran me over:
In any urban area, there are always a number of pressing public health issues. In the 10 years I have lived in Hoboken, I have come to believe that reckless driving may be one of the most significant ones we face. I am forced to confront this issue every morning.
At 9 a.m. on Thursday, September 18, I attempted to cross Garden Street at 14th Street on my way to the bus stop. This is possibly the most unsafe part of my regular commute, and it typically takes me several attempts to cross the drag strip that Garden Street has become. How many people are on morning missions so important that it would actually be worth maiming or killing someone? On this morning, three drivers in a row barreled around the corner preventing me from crossing. Two drivers flew past before I made it about four or five feet into the intersection. At this point, a middle-aged man sped around the corner pretending not to see me, only to wind up stuck behind several other stopped cars. I yelled, “thanks a lot!” in utter disbelief. In response, the man swore and gestured at me, and I responded “I’ve got your license plate!” His reply was a drawn out “shut up!” and additional gesturing. Chances are this encounter is neither the first nor the last of this kind for this man.
The larger issue, however, is that reckless driving is endemic to Hoboken. In a one-mile-square city with over 40,000 citizens and numerous others who work here or pass through daily, conscientious driving is vital to reduce the risk of accidents. A few years ago, I saw blood and broken eggs on the corner of First and Clinton. Apparently a woman was struck by a car while crossing. As horrified as I still am, I am more surprised that this isn’t a more common occurrence in Hoboken.
There are now a number of “yield to pedestrians” signs in town. Unfortunately, I have seen the elderly, children, individuals walking dogs and others unable to cross the street right in front of these signs. People speed through these intersections (sometimes accelerating), often racing to a red light! In all fairness, every once in a while, someone does actually yield, and I am hopeful that this will continue to improve.
I love living here, but something must be done about this problem. Whether this means adding more street lights at busy intersections (too many people run the stop signs) and prohibiting drivers from turning right on red, or having police officers at problem intersections, the issue is unlikely to resolve on its own, particularly as the number of buildings in the city increases, putting more cars on already crowded streets. I love living in Hoboken, and I hope that I never have to see blood on the street in front of my building or elsewhere again.
Traci Stein