In the week since a 4-year-old girl was hit and killed by a pickup truck at a busy intersection in South Boston's Seaport District, city leaders and neighbors have been working nonstop to make sure both drivers and pedestrians are safe in the area.
Safety improvements at the intersection of Sleeper and Congress streets were already in the works by the city, but sadly the timing was off. Some small changes have already been made but many more are in the works.
There was an emotional gathering at the scene on Saturday where there is a memorial for 4-year-old Gracie Gancheva. Her death has been ruled an accident, but the tragedy has shaken Fort Point neighbors and city leaders.
"I can’t accept the idea that four-year-olds can be killed on our streets," Jascha Franklin-Hodge, Boston's chief of streets, said.
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Just steps away from the Boston Children's Museum, Gancheva lost her life at the intersection that one neighbor described as the wild, wild west.
"It’s dangerous," Lindsay Fertitta said. "I hate driving."
Fertitta also hates walking around and letting her kids ride their bikes and scooters in the area. From drivers speeding and no signs warning people to slow down, she's had it.
"We won’t stop until we get something different because this is not OK," she said.
When the museum got word of the tragedy, the president said they were aware of the issues with the intersection and there were plans already in the works to permanently address the issue.
Since Monday, the city has spent hours with engineers trying to see what can be done immediately. Neighbors say drivers have no regard for pedestrians in the area, often speeding and blowing through yellow lights.
Councilman Ed Flynn and the city's chief of streets assured a group gathered on Saturday that making the area near Sleep and Congress streets safe is their top priority.
Since the tragedy, one parking spot is no longer an option so cars can't block the visibility of the crosswalk.
"We’ll be adding additional markings and barriers there soon. We’re also going to be re-striping all of the pavement markings and crosswalks in the neighborhood," Franklin-Hodge said.
He adds that the short-term plan includes signs warning drivers to slow down and making sure pedestrians can see where they're going and when cars are turning.
"Putting concrete barriers up if needed. He talked about plastic flex posts. It’s all designed to slow cars down and make it safe for people to cross," said Tom Ready of the Fort Point Neighborhood Association.
The city's long-term plan is to fully reconstruct Congress and Sleeper streets with wider, raised crosswalks and lighting improvements. Some of the improvements were set to start in 2025 but many are pushing for a much quicker turnaround.
The vice president of the children's museum says this block where the museum and Martin's Park are located have nearly a million visitors a year. She's demanding the area have the same safety precautions as a school zone.
"Gracie's family visited the museum earlier this week and they asked two specific things of us. One was for Gracie not to be forgotten and the second was for her death not to be in vain," Charlayne Murrell-Smith said.
Additional short-term solutions include more police presence in the immediate area near the museum to stop drivers from speeding, especially now that school break is coming up in April and the weather is getting nicer.
"We need to consistently hire three or 400 police officers every year for the next 10 years in my opinion. The residents have told me loud and clear they want more police on the streets of Boston," Flynn said, noting that he would be meeting with Boston police to talk about adding extra patrols.
Franklin-Hodge also said that automated camera use has made a difference in other states but is not currently allowed under Massachusetts law.
"The city would support its use in circumstances where it's a critical safety need. And it's something that we need to partner with the state legislature to change the law to make that a possibility," he said.
