Policy Order O-1

WHEREAS: Public Safety is of paramount importance to residents of Cambridge and to the City Council; and

WHEREAS: Street lights not only deter crime, they enhance the public's sense of personal safety;

WHEREAS: Several street lights at the intersection of Mount Auburn Street, Gerry's Landing, and the Fresh Pond Parkway, an intersection so dangerous it is referred to by MBTA bus drivers as the "Bermuda Triangle" have not been working for several months now; and

WHEREAS: Twenty-seven street lights on Memorial Drive are not working, posing a significant  risk to pedestrians, cyclists and other users of Cambridge roadways; and

WHEREAS: This state of affairs is not acceptable given the wave of purse snatchings and assaults that have occurred in Cambridge recently; and

WHEREAS: Functioning street lights are necessary in the winter when sidewalks become slippery and dangerous to walk on; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to urge the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and NSTAR to immediately repair all street lights that are not working in Cambridge with a view towards enhancing the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other users of Cambridge roadways, and to report back to the City Council