New Bedford Drivers Should Say a Prayer at This Dangerous Intersection

Have you ever driven somewhere and wondered why there isn't a better way to organize traffic at an intersection, stop light or roundabout?

I've lived in New Bedford for a good chunk of my life and one intersection downtown has me baffled.

The safety of commuters and pedestrians walking the streets of downtown New Bedford should be a top priority. It's sad to say, but I feel like change won't come until something unfortunate happens.

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Several times a week I find myself mouthing a "Hail Mary" on Purchase Street as I approach the Elm Street intersection.

It's no issue if you're driving up or down Elm, but if you're at the stop sign outside the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center on Purchase, it's a sketchy situation. Once you've stopped at the sign, there's a blind section on your right side where cars routinely race up the hill on Elm.

That's the other problem: The speeding in that area is out of control.

All I'm proposing is a four-way stop sign at the intersection of Elm and Purchase Streets. The city solved the accident-prone corner of Park and Kempton streets last year and although it took a minute for commuters to adjust to the new stop sign, traffic flow has been as smooth as butter.