The View From Prospect Hill for September 2

Public safety is a big issue these days, not just when it comes to police and fire protection, but also when it comes to providing a safe environment for our children to learn in. The city does it's share by maintaining the buildings and the school department hires enough people to watch critical entry points, but, the area in which there needs to be more concentration is one that only the general public can provide. Given the scale and complexity of the ongoing construction across the city, that makes it even more difficult for everyday drivers to focus on their surroundings. Crossing guards help, police details help, but, we need to be more aware of our surroundings. Kids don't know any different - they're just trying to get to school to learn, see their friends, be social, whatever their specific motivation - they don't drive, so they typically have little concept of what kind of damage can be done by just one vehicle, even traveling at the posted speed limit, when a child darts out from between two cars. We at The Somerville News have had other jobs in our past (and present) that have required us to drive a considerable amount of miles over the years, in fact, more than most people. One of us averaged well over 40k miles per year for a number of years, actually. This kind of excessive driving allows for someone to make observations about traffic patterns and how different cities and towns handle construction projects and other situations that require re-routing of traffic. That's what makes living in one of the most densely populated cities in the country even more amazing. The complexity of dealing with traffic issues because of the sheer number of vehicles that travel our roads is staggering. Then toss in a sewer/water line break, a gas line replacement, the reconstruction of a street after utility work, anything remotely dangerous in the mix, and still traffic moves along. These are some of the things we take for granted - an why sometimes we are regular every day traveling folk need to take it upon ourselves to keep an eye out when driving - that means no texting, no applying make-up, no reading the paper. Pay attention and watch out for children crossing the street, playing near traffic, riding their bikes - do your part to make sure we live in the safest environment possible for our children, even if you don't have any.