June 25, 2024 By Glenn Mangurian
Adapted from the song by Woody Guthrie (with apologies), “This Land Is Your Land”
These roads are your roads, these roads are their roads
From Hingham Shipyard to Queen Ann Corner
From Downtown Hingham to the World’s End waters
These roads were made for you and them.
As I went driving, the ribbon of roadways
I saw around me, the morning walkers
I saw before me, the many cyclists
These roads were made for you and them
I roamed and rambled, the roads off Main Street
I saw young children, so safely playing
All around me, a voice was sounding
These roads were made for you and them
When the sun was shining, and some were running
Or just plain walking, without the sidewalks
Slow down remember, and hear the message
These roads were made for you and them
These roads are your roads, these roads are their roads
From Hingham Shipyard to Queen Ann Corner
From Downtown Hingham to the World’s End waters
These roads were made for you and them.
As drivers, we must be vigilant and extremely cautious of walkers, runners, cyclists and children at play. Many of our streets do not have sidewalks so we must share the road with those who are vulnerable to motor vehicles. I’ve seen several near misses. Pedestrians can help by wearing reflective clothing when traveling in the road. All of this can make for a safer Hingham.
Construction trash, parking on curbs, numerous potholes, weekend bike riders (no clue how to share road), clueless drivers, drivers stopping in middle of road to allow cars to turn, fast drivers in narrow neighborhoods, traffic officers neglecting their duty and did I mention potholes, uneven road surfaces and pipe parts sticking out of the ground?
Beal Street is a disaster. The road has needed to be repaved for 3 years yet it doesn’t get done. But Downers Ave gets a nice new stretch of paved road between 3A and East. Drivers speed through downtown Hingham with abandon on their way to North and then up Beal or Fort Hill. The signs through downtown are not a deterrent. A police presence would be though. Drivers treat the intersection of Fearing, Main and North Street as if it is a 4-way stop. I get being courteous, but that’s dangerous. Drivers take their lives in their hands trying to turn left on North from Mill Street near Tosca because the sidewalks are so wide that it is impossible to be able to see around the parked cars that can park right up to the corner. The town could help resolve much of this. It’s a cute poem, but the onus for safety should be shared amongst drivers, pedestrians, and the town.