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Comments
I completely disagree, the
I completely disagree, the new lane configuration is great. The problem are those who do not read or ignore the five (5) signs that explain the lane configuration and cut across at the last second. Simple plastic posts can fix that.
Is this Rob person the same guy who was complaining that hos commute from north station to belmont became slightly longer, but refuses to ride the commuter rail? Cry me a river Rob, storrow drive should be configured to serve local users, such as those in the fenway and not suburbanites.
No Storrow Drive should be
No Storrow Drive should be configured to serve all users. Unless you're going to have a bake sale in the Fenway to pay for maintenance.
Storrow drive was built to bypass local roads. Would you really want all that traffic coming through Kenmore Sq?
If 1,000 people in fenway
If 1,000 people in fenway benefit and 100 commuters in belmont lose out, then yes, that the change is for the best. You can't please everyone at once.
So instead of calling it a failure, why not ask for numbers instead? Surely someone has actual data that you could look at to see why there was a change, and not bitch solely on the basis that "my commute has been negatively impacted"
Your post reads "me me me". It's not about your commute, it's about what impacts most people.
You also mention signs and paint. Signs and paint were added, there are 5 or 6 signs making it very clear that the right lane is the only lane that continues west.
"Storrow drive was built to bypass local roads. Would you really want all that traffic coming through Kenmore Sq?"
And the commuter rail bypasses storrow drive. I'd really prefer if you took that instead of crowding the parkway.
NotWhitey, Storrow Drive does
NotWhitey, Storrow Drive does NOT serve "all users." It is a limited access highway for cars only. A significant number of Bostonians do not own cars but still pay state/federal taxes that pay for your roads. If you want your highway, you've got to pay for it. Fuel tax covers only 1/3 of the cost. Storrow drive would never be built today, it is a relic from the 1950's.
If you enter Storrow from
If you enter Storrow from Cambridge St/MGH when there is heavy traffic, it is really dfficult to merge to the far right hand lane on time. The reason is that often when folks get to the middle lane and are able to merge to the right, the right hand lane is already backed-up. I realize that this dangerous situtation only affects suburbanites who, choosing to live in places not as vibrant, edgy or gritty as Boston, for some reason deserve any injuries and accidents that result from the poor road configuration.
You also seem to be privy to
You also seem to be privy to secret data. You claim that lane changes have added to injuries and accidents. Where are you getting that from? In fact, the changes seem to have made it much safer, as it seems to reduce rear end collisions for those exiting storrow towards fenway AND provides a clear entrance for those entering from charlsegate. But that's just me using my own anecdotal information. Of course it's easy to use snark and make baseless claims. I'll go ahead and claim that countless injuries have been avoided thanks to the lane changes. It seems like the thing to do.
Sorry,J, my friend, but you are way off..
the new lane configuration is a mess. It's dangerous and it does cause extra traffic where there previously was none, save for the usual Fenway traffic. I'm on that road sometimes several times a day and at evening rush, there is now a backup where there previously wasn't one. That's a fact. The new configuration rivals the old Tobin-93-Storrow merge for out and out insanity. Your argument that people should read the many signs can be debunked by any Statie who has to deal with the morons who drive their U-Hauls under a bridge on Storrow. People don't read the signs all the time, that's just how it is.
Also, to your final point, should there be residency restrictions on who should be allowed on Storrow Drive? Just wondering, because we all hate those damn suburbanites that pump all those dollars into the local economy when they attend Fenway events.
Old configuration: Those
Old configuration:
Those entering storrow must suddenly merge into two lanes of westbound traffic.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&g...
New configuration:
Those entering storrow have their own lane
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&g...
Which one has less traffic? According to these google images, the new one. It's a fact right? Without data, I have the the most proof here.
Again, for the signs, a bunch of collapsible plastic reflector poles would solve that issue immediately. I doubt those merging at the last second didn't notice the signs, they're just massholes trying to cut the line.
collapsible? Plastic? that won't help
You need tire spikes and cement pillars I'm tellin' ya.
Slowies on Storrow
I drove it tonight for the first rush hour in a few weeks, it's a little better. But part of the problem is people slowing down to 20 in the "exit" lane... I've noticed this even entering at Fenway, you have your own lane now and people are still hitting their brakes coming onto Storrow.
When/If they reopen Charlesgate, I would rather drive down Comm. Ave and come onto Storrow at that point, than have the moral problem of how to deal with the new lane.
Fundamental Fit Problem
Storrow Drive is a size 28x36 pair of pants purchased for a size 46 short customer.
You can hem the pants to 28" long, which would be the right length, but there is still a fundamental problem ...
Sounds like a job for congestion pricing
A real solution to traffic jams on Storrow could be fixed or time-variable road pricing. The parallel single occupancy vehicle route has tolls. It's just supply and demand. There is obviously too much demand for space on Storrow during AM and PM peaks. Supply is basically fixed... unless you are in favor of bulldozing the esplanade for no real benefit. (learn about latent and induced demand[ppt]) In the case of Storrow, reducing congestion means reducing peak demand.
Take the hint suburbanites
Please do come to Boston for work and play (and even move here if you like). But if you look at what's happening in very subtle ways the state is telling you don't drive into the city. Narrower lanes, rising tolls, limits on parking etc. - take the T! We are not going out of our way to accommodate people driving into town.
I know Rob has child care issues -but if you don't like it - move back to the city. With ed reform we are going to have all kinds of new charters for your kids to go to and if you read between the lines Dr. Johnson is telling the teachers we have to compete or "go out of business".
We welcome our visitors with a few minor requests - this is our home. Don't get drunk and throw beer bottles out your hotel windows, don't throw your litter in our streets (or my front bushes) and leave the cars at the train station. Simple and reasonable requests.
Sounds good, but....
I think most suburbanites would be happy to leave their cars at the train station - if we had a commuter rail system (and for that matter, "rapid" transit system) that was faster than driving. In most cases it is not - and perhaps even worse, is far less reliable. Reliability and speed are the key to successful mass transit - the T provides neither.
That may be true in many
That may be true in many cases. But the reason is that our transportation funding is slanted toward the automobile, much to the detriment of people who live in the city. Now it seems also to be to the detriment of suburban commuters. Time to change the funding ratio a bit, so that it becomes faster/easier to commute on the T. We can do this either by reducing road funding (close them, neglect them, don't build them, etc.) or by adding to the cost of using the roads (tolls, higher gas tax, congestion pricing, market rate street parking, etc.).
Now Storrow is a Debacle - Where is Roadman to save us?
First, let me say that I was disappointed to have not seen Roadman weigh in on this thread prior to the time that I started writing. UH to Roadman - the thread needs you!
My take on this is that the new Storrow configuration at the Fenway/Kenmore interchange seems to have made a lot of people worse off without making many people better off.
Let's talk westbound traffic, as that is what this is really about. I do not remember there being huge traffic jams on a regular basis on Storrow westbound (excepting on Red Sox days, when let's face it, everyone who lives to the near west of downtown, whether riding the T or driving, is totally screwed - I know of which I speak given 15 years of living in Brighton and Brookline). Since the changes to Storrow, there is a westbound traffic debacle, EVERYDAY, whether you are continuing to "Newton/Arlington" or exiting to Kenmore and the Fenway. The new configuration seems to have been designed to eliminate what was admittedly a difficult merge on the western side of the interchange, for traffic originating in the Fenway and seeking to enter Storrow westbound toward the turnpike interchange and Brighton/Cambridge/Watertown, etc. Unfortunately, the only people who have benefitted are those people (the ones entering Storrow westbound from the Fenway) at the expense of everyone else (those coming from points east and seeking to either exit to Fenway/Kenmore or proceed further west. That does not seem like good policy to me, since the numbers of people in the former situation are far fewer than those in the latter.
So basically, I think that Sama is right, but here is the catch - the Commonwealth will say that it did this to make the road safer, as the merge from the Fenway entering Storrow westbound was less than ideal because of the obscured visibility and lack of a runup lane for merging traffic. While I think this contention has merit, I find it difficult to believe that the merge could not have been improved without creating the disaster that Storrow westbound has become.
Thanks for the complement IssacG
I have not weighed in on this thread until now because the last time I drove Storrow Drive (which I try to avoid unless absolutely necessary), they had just applied the pavement markings for the new lane configuration, but had not installed any of the advance warning signs.
My initial take on this whole thing is that forcing mainline traffic to slow down from "normal" speed to merge into a single lane seems to me to be much more dangerous than forcing ramp traffic that hasn't accellerated to highway speed yet to remain slow or stop in order to safely merge. It would be interesting to see a comparison of number and types of crashes (however minor) that have occurred on the Storrow westbound mainline before and after the new configuration was put in place.
As for the issue of the warning signs, any highway signing is basically ineffective if it is a) too small to be easily noticeable and understood by drivers traveling at normal roadway speeds, or b) is not placed far enough in advance of the restriction to allow drivers to safely change lanes.
IMO, inadequate sign design on DCR/MDC roads has been a basic flaw for decades, as the signs are obviously designed more to blend into the "parkway" atmosphere they are trying to perpetuate rather than being designed to meet the driver's needs.
I'll reserve judgment on the sign placement itself until I've actually had a chance to drive the road and observe the signs for myself. I might be able to get out there sometime this weekend, and will follow up with UH later.
Well said IssacG
I think IssacG covered this well. This new traffic pattern only benefits those who are entering from Fenway, but due to the backup it creates (many times up the Leverett Connector up onto 93 south) it creates many more issues for anyone looking to enter Storrow, from any access point, before Fenway. It might be one of the most poorly thought out traffic decisions I have seen in a while. It is infuriating watching people stream by in the left lanes all the way to the Newton split just to cut everyone off. Especially when you've also just been cut off by everyone on the Leverett Connector south who ride down the right lane and cut into the left lane before the tunnel.
Also can we stop the city vs. suburb talk on here, its really not relevant.
Ooh, a transportation entry
Haven't had one of these to burn on in some time. Love you, Gaffin.
1) I wouldn't wish using the MBTA upon my worst enemy. Anybody who tries to bully people who don't care to use such an awful service sucks. The guy wants to drive in his car and get home, not wait for some train. He has every right to expect a STATE road (for which he pays) to run efficiently.
2) Cabbies can't drive because most of them are foreign and are not aware of American driving rules, both written and unwritten. No American driving license should be issued to an immigrant unless said immigrant attends American driving school. We're dealing with big fast machines here. They need to learn the rules the same way we did.
3) People need to get their heads out of their asses and pay attention to the road. $250 fine for using a wireless device while driving. $150 fine for not signaling a lane change. Make it happen. I'm capable of driving without playing around on the telephone. What's everybody else's problem?
4) The Fenway exit lane was a great change for all concerned. The signage indicating the configuration is adequate. I agree completely with the barrier suggestion. Put up orange barriers 200 yards out to restrict lane changes.
Oh, and while we're talking traffic, how about the dumb (expletives) who handle 93 lane closings late at night place the arrow signs before the cones so that I don't come 10 yards short of running over a bunch of cones? I can't easily see where the tiny cones begin to creep into my lane. How about, you know, a (expletive) sign?
Massachusetts: Employing the Too Stupid To Do Anything Else Since 1620
Some good points
1)The roads are a mess as well, and I think it's pick your poison; I empathize with all commuters & I won't proselytize.
2)Cabs are often horribly driven. They "float" between lanes, exhibit bizarrely non-linear throttle usage at lights, take up parking spaces when cab stands overflow, etc.
3)Fines for not signaling a lane change (rampant, still), not knowing what a YIELD sign is (my toddler already understands this one, and points them out, yet a guy I saw in Newton Ctr last night flung his Mercedes wagon right on through in front of the guy ahead of me without slowing), and so on would be only fair.
4)Signage & lane closing are frequently dangerous. I encountered a 495 lane closing recently where the thing the (right) lane came upon was not cones, signs, flashing lights, arrows, etc, but a police car- just parked in the lane.
I agree that adequate signs should be placed well
in advance of highway work zones to permit drivers to safely slow down and change lanes if required.
That having been said, which would you rather have an inattentive driver hit first, some small plastic cones that will inflict NO damage or injury and might get their attention in time for them to take corrective action, or a large metal arrow panel that is a fairly immoveable object that can easily inflict serious damage and possible injury.
Unfortunately, there are some drivers out there that are so inattentive to the road that no amount of signing or barriers or cones or flashing arrow panels will make a difference.
Needed Advice (same as last time):
TAKE THE FUCKING TRAIN!!!
If they worked, I would.
Last night, my wife took the train home from work and had to be at our daycare by 6:00pm at the latest. She left before 5:00pm for what is normally a 45 min trip because she knows how un predictable the "T" is.
Well after sitting on the Longfellow bridge for about 20 min in a parked Red Line train she had a choice, continue on to Park St for a connection to the Green line, or get off at Charles/MGH and take a taxi.
She chose the taxi and managed to get our son before the deadline (after which they charge by the minute for being late).
So, in response to your finely detailed post...
THE "T" SUCKS. IT'S UNRELIABLE FOR THE MOST BASIC TRANSPORTATION.
When the weather is better, we will return to biking.
Kill Two Birds
Close Storrow Drive and replace it with a rapid transit line. They can even cover it up to improve access to the Esplanade for walkers and bikers. It's a win-win.
Yes please. Boston needs a
Yes please. Boston needs a road diet. James and Helen Storrow would not want this freeway obstructing the Charles.
Good idea. Extend the blue
Good idea. Extend the blue line past MGH to Allston (or beyond). Run it under under (or replace) Storrow Drive, with stops at Arlington, Mass Ave, BU... maybe into Watertown and Waltham.
I'll put up the first $10 for the project.
Some strange responses in here.
Nowhere in the linked blog post is the town mouse vs. city mouse issue brought up, and while there are some substantive thoughts about whether the road works better or not now, am I missing something? Why is this a suburb/urb thing?
Am I the only Boston resident here who actually uses Storrow Drive?! And is not sitting in his car on Storrow fuming about all the suburban commuters around me clogging it up? Seriously, isn't Storrow useful for natives too?
J:
Stevil:
Rob B.:
What you're missing out on is
What you're missing out on is that he complained about it 6 months ago and it was framed in a suburban way. He insists on driving from north station to belmont even though there is a commuter rail line that goes directly between the two points. Belmont is also served by various bus lines.
My biggest concern with his complaint is that he assumes no data exists and his anecdotal information from his commute is all that matters.
If DCR followed their rules, they would have collected 6 months+ of data before the change and then 7-12 months of data after the change. The data would show travel times for ALL users, collisions and severity etc. Just because the data isn't public doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If at the end of the trial, DCR finds out that they increased congestion, they might change it back, unless the number of collisions dropped enough to support increases in delays.
But his blog is all "I live in belmont and I want to drive and my commute has been delayed". He doesn't give a damn about the urban dwellers in the fenway area who may have benefited from the change. He wants a highway from north station to his home, which again, exists in the form of commuter rail.
OK, but there's no need
for us to become snarling dogs and shout Take the f-ing train!! (not that this was your comment), or assume that "he doesn't give a damn about the urban dwellers"... He's pointing out that something was done that has a large negative affect on a certain use of that road.
As to feasibility of the T, hey, I don't know. I guess one can take the commuter rail to N. Station with wife, then get onto Orange Line & go to DTXing, then Red Line to work near S Station, or walk it... but there is a gap in commuter rail times in the morning, and who knows what the daycare times are.
It's good to be able to go home at a moment's notice too, and the T have not exactly covered themselves in glory with reliability... anyway, it's rarely a simple choice. Just sayin'.
Please, don't encourage
the already too numerous a-holes who park and take the commuter rail from the Waverly Sq, Belmont stop. Is it free from Belmont? I don't know, I don't take it but I've lost count of all the Cambridge resident permit parking stickers on cars that take up every available space in my neighborhood during the week. They drive me batty because these are the same jerks who will get you towed if you don't have a resident sticker in their neighborhood if you dare to park there at night.
Your solution
The solution that you need is The Outer Ring. It's not free from Waverly or Belmont; in fact, it's $4.25 each way...but it's probably worth it to someone who works in/around North Station and lives in that part of West Cambridge.
What's their other option? Take the Red Line in from Alewife (ew...) or take a bus to Harvard Station (ew...), just to get down to Park St (ew...) and get a transfer to the Green Line (ew...) that goes through to North Station instead of ending at Government Center(ew!)? Walk uphill all the way from JFK/UMass instead?
The fastest way to the northern and eastern halves of the city from that far out North of the Charles is to use the Commuter Rail from a little further out to get to North Station in 2-3 stops instead of patching together bus/subway/trolley transfers. An outer ring might give some of those people a quick way to the Green or Orange lines that would negate the need to go outwards to the Commuter rail instead.
So ... if Storrow is only about Boston Traffic
Can those of us who don't live in Boston proper but pay our state taxes have our $100+ million in state funding for tunnel projects back? I'm sure Menino will find some scratch to take care of your puddle problems, if it is really only about the City of Boston.
Storrow Drive is still messed up
What a weenie! If you don't want drivers switching lanes move to Phoenix.