SOMERVILLE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Residents of Somerville pushed for change Wednesday night at a rally along the McGrath Highway, after a string of recent pedestrian traffic deaths there.
They were joined by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtetone, and some of the City Council to demand that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation put traffic mitigation in place.
The stretch of roadway is known by many in the area as the "Corridor of Death." At least three people have died there in recent traffic accidents according to the Boston Globe.
Attendees of the rally said MassDOT keeps delaying traffic safety measures in the area.
Maureen, a resident that lives nearby and attended the rally, said her own daughter had been hit by a car on the highway.
"My daughter got hit by a car...she didn't get hurt, she was just bumped," she said. More than a hundred people showed up to the rally. An emotional Hop Mac, whose father Marshall Mac was killed in a traffic accident on the McGrath in April, addressed the rally.
"I miss you, and I love you...Rest in peace," he said.
Congresswoman Pressley told the crowd to keep piling pressure on the Transportation Department, and eventually, they would see results.
"The power of the people has always been greater than the people in power, and that's why we don't stop!" she said.
Pressley said she would take the fight to Washington and push for more money on infrastructure investments from the federal government.
WBZ's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) reports:
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