Codman Island Accidents Hit High Last Year

All day the intersection of Beacon and Charles street is busy with traffic, making the area high-risk for traffic accidents. After a rash of them near Codman Island – as the median in the middle of this intersection is called – the city is looking at ways to make the area safer.

Officials from the Boston Transportation Department went to observe the intersection in late December, after a year of many accidents, and decided that safety improvement had to be made this spring.

There were 21 motor vehicle accidents near the intersection in 2010, according to data obtained from the Boston Police Department and crimereports.com. This number is a slight increase from the 17 accidents reported in 2009 and the 19 reported in both 2008 and 2007.

“We’ve heard that it is mainly people coming from the clubs between 1 and 2 a.m," Boston Transportation Department Community Affairs Director James Mansfield said. 

According to Mansfield, most of the accidents occur at Codman Island as a result of people driving straight up and over the curb from Charles Street instead of turning right or left. Even with a lot of the accidents occurring late at night, Mansfield says lighting in the area isn’t a problem, but lighting improvements will be made for motorists.

“There are plenty of lights but we are going to add reflectors so they will be able to follow the arrows,” he said. “Hopefully this will help put an end to it.”

Other improvements that Mansfield says are scheduled for the spring include:

• Pavement markings so motorists will be able to follow the arrows better.
• New reflective striping will be installed.
• Protective stanchions around Codman Island to protect trees.
• Removal of three metered parking spaces on the Public Garden side of Charles Street.
• Moving signs up higher on poles for better visibility.
• A new "Slow" sign will be added.