Goal: To improve the safety of MIT students at the Massachusetts Ave crosswalk near MIT Building 7

Problem: The crosswalk at the Massachusetts Ave crosswalk near MIT Building 7 has become more dangerous to MIT students over the past few years.

Petition: We are asking City of Cambridge and MIT leadership to investigate and implement measures to make this crosswalk safer for pedestrians (students, faculties etc.)

Some suggestions to mitigate the risk to students at the crosswalk:

• build a pedestrian bridge across Mass. Ave, near MIT building 7. 

• implement a speed bump

• implement flashing traffic lights 

• build a lift gate - like at a railroad crossing or at EZpass gate. Then their cars get damaged.
• build an underground tunnel
• build a skybridge from MIT student center to building 7

"Let's not wait until it is too late."

Some notes from the discussions in MIT parents' group on Facebook -

"Hi parents and school admins,
Yesterday, Oct 18'21 around noon time, my son MIT'23 barely missed by a red light violater on Mass. Avenue zebra crossing. Somebody warned him about fast coming red light violater by shouting behind him. When he stopped and turned back to see who is shouting a fast running car just past few inches in front of him. Today he was lucky, tomorrow our children may not be as lucky. In all the colleges I know, MIT is unique in more than one way. A busy main road, Mass Avenue, runs right through the middle of campus. Positive preventive measures should be considered, such as red light camera or/and speed bumps.
Let's not wait until it is too late."

"... Our son was hit by a car while crossing with the “walk” sign last year. He was knocked down but was basically unhurt - his phone flew out of his hand and suffered most of the damage. Lots of passers-by stopped to help him. The car the red light and kept going"

"I have noticed that red light runners have gotten way worse in the past few years( it’s part of the rules don’t matter anymore crowd). I do mean significantly!
Bikes and scooters as well. It would probably benefit all our students if MIT sent out something at the beginning of the year to all students to remind them that just because the light turns green or you get the walk signal doesn’t mean drivers are going to stop anymore."

"It’s even better for our rural/international families, unfamiliar with complicated intersections and Boston drivers!"

"... This has been happening for at least 40 years, when I was an undergrad. Probably longer. The city of Cambridge has shown no interest in addressing it."

"Can't they build a pedestrian bridge over it?"

"... Totally agree with you! They should build a pedestrian bridge, mass ave is so dangerous"

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