To the editor:
Winona Street (West) is a dangerously busy state road that does not permit sidewalks. After the backyard of the McCarthy School, it spills into the confusion of five corners where Winona, Lake, Pine and East Winona streets meet.
The five-way stop is policed by a four-part blinking red light suspended above, with the illogical placement of two crosswalks that thankfully provide safety support — depending on the driver — to the McCarthy School.
The five corners are a danger to those who enter — vehicles and pedestrians alike — and is unable to safely support its present congestion. In fact, it was never meant to.
Originally, the corners worked properly for a farming community, but the neighborhood has since outgrown the intersection’s purpose of providing safe passage.
In the 1960s, both the Barr and Monson farm acreage were sold and the Winona (East) suburb was created.
We may have lost our West Peabody postmark but newcomers from Revere, Malden, Everett, and Boston, to name a few, were welcomed. They raised their children on their one-plus acre lots, schools and churches were built, and small businesses thrived. A suburb was born.
Over time, the lot size decreased and the residences drastically increased without the safety guidelines introduced at the five corners.
Added to that, we now experience Route 1’s constant balloon of traffic, intolerant drivers, and the GPS.
Here is one example. On any busy day, the strip mall opposite the 40B site on Winona (West) is used as an access road. Vehicles pull off of Route 1, speed past the Bank Of America ATM, and continue along the strip mall and a busy gas station to jump onto Winona (West).
They are in hot pursuit to re-enter Route 1, so they take a left onto Lindauer Street where the traffic has gotten so bad the police have placed a radar speed warning sign.
Then they take a left onto Lake Street and race to the end and are back on Route 1 and avoid the traffic and the jughandle light.
For those who enter Winona (West) — beware. Remember, the gas station has no access to Route 1, but there is a stop sign on Winona which you’ll face as you gas up.
Once drivers fill their tanks, they either attempt to turn right onto Winona to Route 1. They often proceed from the gas station onto Winona and stop midway, ignoring and blocking oncoming traffic pulling off of Route 1. They wait to pull on to Route 1.
Now let’s talk about the southbound traffic overflow before you reach Winona. The GPS will indicate Pine Street — once one-way traffic onto Route 1 — now open to all. It leads past the school onto the five corners. It’s a virtual race track.
Let’s discuss Lake Street. Traffic also dumps onto Lake Street for those who prefer to take Route 128. They arrive at the five corners and take the shortcut along Winona (East) into Lynnfield where the weight limit restriction on Winona (East) is no longer posted, adding 18-wheelers to the list of horrors jockeying for position and posing risks to pedestrians.
We haven’t discussed the traffic leaving West Peabody onto Lowell Street that backs up by the traffic lights at Goodale Street and the traffic light further up by Route 1.
If there were to be a mass exodus, you’d need a hot air balloon. Explain to me how a 220-unit complex is a benefit to West Peabody?
Ruthie Barr Weick
Winona Street, Peabody
