Parents, residents press Somerville council after 6-year-old struck near Michael Le Park; safety measures referred to Public Safety Committee

Several Somerville residents told borough council on Feb. 2 that a six-year-old child was struck by a vehicle near Michael Le Park and urged officials to restore a midblock crosswalk, repaint striping and consider traffic-calming measures.

Robert Mater, who identified himself as pastor and neighborhood resident, described the incident and said a previously installed in-street yield sign had been removed after prior storms. "A young boy, a six-year-old was struck in the street," Mater said, urging the council to repaint or replace the crosswalk and consider lighting and other mitigations.

Another resident, Suzanne Mater, and Larry Cleveland also called for revisiting the crosswalk and faster action to protect park users. Speakers emphasized that the park, pool, splash pad, basketball courts and nearby convenience store generate frequent pedestrian crossings and that people follow the shortest route to destinations.

Council members said they share the concern and noted the legal and technical constraints around midblock crosswalks but directed Councilwoman Terresa Bonner to bring the location to the Public Safety Committee for evaluation. Potential mitigations mentioned included repainting, rumble strips, narrowing travel lanes and bringing DOT or state representatives into the discussion if needed.

The council did not take an immediate funding vote at the meeting but signaled willingness to prioritize the location for public-safety review ahead of the summer season when park use increases.