LETTER: 'They Want My Daughter and Other Students to Walk Down West Central'

NATICK, MA—My eight-year-old daughter attends Lilja School and rides bus 16. Until the proposed change of route for this fall, she was picked up at the house on the northeast corner of the intersections of West Central and Forest streets.

For reasons not explained to me, they want my daughter and other students to walk down West Central to a stop on Washington Ave. On the map, the administration does not see any issue with that. In a prior email from Assistant Superintendent Dr. Nolan, she referred to the "safety officer" having seen no issue with this proposed bus stop for my family and neighbors.

With the amount of fender benders, real accidents and near misses on this specific section of West Central Street, I do not consider this a safe route for an eight-year-old to be walking with our without an adult during rush hour.

In summary, who is the Natick safety officer? And how could I get access to accident records on this specific stretch of Route 135 from Taylor Ave. to Washington Ave.

(We have heard two car accidents while we have been home in the past 72 hours and it’s the quietest time of year.)

Charles Gorman, 6 Taylor Ave., Natick