With more people using the bike path in Northampton and Florence, the intersections have become an area that needs some focus to prevent serious injury.
Numerous times I have witnessed individuals crossing through the intersections without stopping and looking for oncoming traffic.
Recently my wife came very close to hitting two young people who went straight through the stop sign at an intersection and crossed directly in front of her car. She had to slam on her brakes to avoid hitting them. What she got in return was a dirty look.
People are crossing these intersections as if they were pedestrians in a crosswalk and darting out in front of cars. I am not only concerned for the safety of bicyclists but also for drivers. If a bicyclist is hit in one of these intersections, who is at fault? And as a driver, try to prove that one if there are no witnesses.
My suggestion: Close off the ends of the bike path, forcing people to walk around a barrier. Also, I would enforce that bicycles be walked through intersections, not ridden.
Philip Moczulewski
Florence