Main Street Issues

Dear Editor.

While I sympathize with Gus Widmayer (See Letters to the Editor, May 10 issue), some of his conclusions don't necessarily work out.  First, let me just say that Lover's Lane from the Country Club to Lowell Road is, indeed a gem, and the Town ought to assert it's ownership of that property - Bob Collins researched the matter some years back and determined that, contrary to what Lawrence Academy says, the Town has never ceded ownership of Lover's Lane.

With regard to the differences between Concord Center and Groton Center, I have always felt that Concord center is more crowded, automobile-wise than Groton Center. This may hold the noise level down a bit, but it certainly doesn't make crossing the street any easier.  The problem with Groton Center is that Rt. 119 is a main road, and is a straight run through the town center.  The fact is, though, that people tend to drive at less than 35 MPH through Groton center.

As for narrowing Main Street to slow the cars down, I don't think it would help very much - maybe slow them to 25-30 MPH.  But narrowing the street would increase the danger to people getting out of parked cars and make parking that much more difficult and hazardous.  I'm afraid that it's a tradeoff between having a safer (but wider and faster) Main Street for drivers and a vast expanse of busy asphalt for pedestrians to navigate across.

I will say, that in my experience,  most drivers will (as they are required by law) stop for pedestrians who step off the curb and make it obvious that they wish to cross. Personally, there are times I find this annoying, since (for overall safety reasons) I prefer to wait for an opening in the traffic to avoid the possibility of a rear-end pileup when some overly zealous driver stops suddenly to let me cross.  It is particularly annoying when they will not keep going if I wave them on, but stop and thus stop a whole string of cars.  In such circumstances, depending on my mood, I'll just stand there until the driver gets the message and moves on.

Sincerely yours,

Brooks Lyman

Townsend Road