At the Crossroads

While the Cambridge Police continued to hand out parking tickets and bark sarcastic comments from their Harvard Square kiosk, another accident took place last week at Memorial Drive and DeWolfe Street. This time it was fatal. The dangerous intersection still boasts one frequently ignored stop sign and a faded white line that theoretically projects pedestrians. But most cars roll straight through the crossing, others charge the wrong way up one-way DeWolfe. Two serious accidents have already occurred there this year; it is surprising that there haven't been more.

The Dunster and Leverett petitions offer a bright but illegal solution in their overhead traffic light suggestion. Actually, a standard post light would have legal blessing and also be easier to see. For clear warning, it should blink red down DeWolfe Street and yellow in both directions on Memorial Drive. It is hard to set a monetary value on a human life, but a five hundred dollar traffic light seems cheap enough insurance.