Trees in the middle of Mass Ave?
By shane_curcuru@d... - 2/19/09 - 10:21 pm
That's what we might have out here in Arlington if the town's proposed plans for a Massave makeover happen. They're still seeking public comment.
Location
Javascript is required to view this map.
Comments
Wow, what a contrast from
Wow, what a contrast from the idiots in Boston that are refusing to do anything but make mass ave more dangerous by using plans drawn up in the 80s. No bike lanes, narrower sidewalks and bigger lanes.
Luckily, a lawsuit has been filed.
of course the idiots in
of course the idiots in boston have a much different road to deal with. comparing the two is like comparing the mass pike to route 30.
Its the same exact road. 2
Its the same exact road. 2 lanes each way with parking on both sides and through traffic that drives too fast at the peril of locals who want to cross the street to reach their home or shop.
how so? Do you have traffic
how so? Do you have traffic cound data for both? I would venture to guess taht Mass Ave in Boston sees far more ADT than Arlington. But wtf do I know, you're the smart one and I am too lazy to log in
Anon-a-mouse
Not exactly the same road
Mass. Ave. is about 80 feet wide in Arlington center and only about 60 feet wide in Boston by the bridge. Mass. Ave. in Arlington has ample room for the extra turning lanes it has at most intersections, and its intermittent wide median strips. No such deal in Boston. I'd say that's a significant difference.
If you think it's the same exact road, you can't have been both places.
--
-oops-
idiots
Which idiots are you referring to? Besides, I'm not sure how effective bike lanes on Mass. Ave. in Boston would be since delivery vehicles would be double-parked in them more or less all day.
Idiots being the traffic
Idiots being the traffic planners, which were presented with a law stating that all new construction must be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. Their reply was to narrow the sidewalks and claim a bike lane would be impossible. They refuse to change the 198x plan, which is why a lawsuit was filed.
Actually,
The purpose of the current law is to encourage the inclusion of reasonable accommodations, where feasible and practical (emphasis added), for bicyclists. For example, you wouldn't expect bike lanes to be added to Interstate 93 just because they're repaving the road.
I suspect that most people who are familiar with Mass Ave in Boston would agree that removing 50% of the vehicle capacity on an already congested road just for the sake of accommodating a relatively small number of bicyclists (as compared to the current vehicle traffic) by converting two of the four travel lanes into bike lanes would agree that such action, although technically feasible, is not practical from a traffic OR an environmental standpoint (fewer lanes than present = more congestion than present. More congestion = greater pollution).
And, with due respect, if the activists and others who disagree with the current plans for Mass Ave because they're so "1980s-ish", were truly civic-minded, and truly disagree with the state's position that bike lanes are not a reasonable alternative, they would go hire the services of an engineering firm themselves to prepare an alternate study and set of plans to present to the state instead of crying "Lawsuit! Lawsuit! Lawsuit!" just because they don't like the current project design.
Why not narrow the travel lanes?
I bet that if you narrowed each of the travel lanes to 9 feet, you could fit in bike lanes without reducing the number of travel lanes. It's at least worth trying for a year or two.
travel lanes
Ron I believe the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has minimum lengths for safe travel on certain roads where vehicles have a min/max speed limit. I think the min is actually around 12 feet or so.
But that's just a guideline
not a hard and fast law. I've seen 9-foot lanes in other places, so why not try them here for a while, in the interest of promoting bicycling?
I hear ya
but sometimes narrow lanes means more accidents and more bike accidents. And city/town engineers have to study and approve those lanes for safetys sake and use these guidelines for approving projects.
And there are places where lanes are narrowed to make room for parking, brakedown and bike lanes. It all depends on where you are I guess.
Bike lanes are still better than nothing, imho.
If the Bay State is to become more bicycle-friendly, bike lanes are a necessity for safer bicycling along city streets. Sidewalks aren't meant for bicycling on.
Parking on (not 'in') the bike lane is illegal
It's not a parking problem. it's an enforcement problem.
Bike lanes are part of the legal right of way.
Stopping on a right of way is a no-no under MA law and probably the laws of most states.
Sadly, the Cambridge police (for example.. and most other departments, it seems) still think bicycles are cute and otherwise trivial and annoying (despite having several bike officers who deal with these issues too)...