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Which storeowners?
Let's note that no storeowner was interviewed in the piece.
Ms. Messino doesn't even venture to name some of the businesses that are supposedly "anti-pedestrian."
They should look at Rue Ste Catherine in Montreal
It is a similar street to Newbury Street and it is closed to automobile traffic for much of the summer, and bars and restaurants erect temporary decks over part of the roadway to expand seating. It is lively and full of people. I doubt that the vast majority of people shopping on Newbury St even arrive there by car.
Grafton Street Dublin
Busiest, most exclusive shopping street in the city.
All pedestrian. All the time.
Very true. But there is no
Very true. But there is no need to even look outside of Boston for examples. Faneuil Hall is the most visited place in Boston, and one of the top 10 most visited places in America. It is pedestrian only. Cars keep shoppers away from urban shopping areas. There are too many examples to count.
These complainers are just sad, angry people. Boston has thousands of streets. There are 8760 hours in a year. We are talking about shutting off ONE STREET for EIGHT HOURS and these spoiled little baby car nuts are flipping out.
I was purposely using a non tourist location
Fanieul Hall is largely devoid of Bostonians except for Friday and Saturday night and lunch hour.
And Newbury Isn't?
Newbury St is almost as touristy, although has a higher percentage of suburbanites vs Fanieul. Real Bostonians know to never drive down Newbury and instead use one of the adjacent streets.
Anyway, I agree, ped-only zones are a ticket to higher sales as people aren't coming into the store angry at having to wait for 20 minutes while someone from New Jersey tried (and failed) to curb park.
Compare Fanieul Hall and Newbury Street
In November thru April.
Faneiul Hall is a ghost town.
Not really
Always very busy as those months are the prime season for massive conventions (and, yes, people do find their way down the Freedom Trail or just head there directly).
Just think of the Boston
Just think of the Boston Pedicab money-making opportunities!
I think they have ALL of the pedicab licenses issued.
That reminds me, I have to apply the day those license run out and try to get one.
Montreal, Dublin...who cares?
Montreal, Dublin...who cares? And this makes me think on a related note that a lot of the problematic changes or suggested changes in Boston stem from transplants who try to remake Boston into the place in another part of the country they came from, or, more accurately, try to remake Boston into their idealized version of what is should be that they had before they moved here from Nowheresville, Iowa.
Because you can learn from other places
No one's trying to turn Boston in Montreal or Dublin, but we can do similar things that they do, successfully, and for the better. And if they don't work, we now have precedent to say so.
Otherwise this insular attitude is just frustrating and ignorant.
but but but butbutbutbutbut ....
If you close it for ONE DAY it will never have cars on it AGAIN FOREVER!!!!
How dare they do something so recklessly permanent as close it for ONE DAY!
(faints)
Rue Ste Catherine also..
...has lots of nudie bars. Honestly, I would have preferred one over a TJ Max.
82 percent of these member
82 percent of these member businesses, a fair number of which are not retail shops, some not even located on Newbury Street.
http://www.newburystreetleague.org/member-directory/
A good portion of the cars that park daily
on Newbury Street belong to real estate agents. I can tell you that from previous experience.
economic impact
When they say "economic impact", I think they are talking about the economic impact of the one-day event. I don't think that a one-day special event will tell much about the economic impact of regularly or permanently changing Newbury to pedestrian-only.
I'm all for more pedestrian-only streets. Especially ones not in grim DTX.
The sidewalks down that
The sidewalks down Newbury are bursting at the seams, especially right now with it being so hot out, so I'm glad that the City is trying out a pedestrian zone, if only for a day. Hopefully, enough residents and tourists turn out in droves to make this a permanent zone, eventually.
I wonder what will be done with the parking lot that's on Newbury. Will cars be allowed to park there? What would be cool is if some food trucks could set up shop over there, instead.
Was thinking the same about parking on Newbury St
IMHO, the only businesses that have truly legitimate gripes about Newbury Street being closed to traffic are parking garages and lots.
I just thought of something else - will cars be allowed to cross over Newbury Street? If people can't drive down Clarendon or any of the other cross streets, that would be a bummer.
There's No Reason Newbury Street Should Have Four Lanes For Cars
Devoting four lanes to motor vehicles is an appalling use of public resources on such a street. Just last night I was walking up Newbury Street to purchase a new pair of eyeglasses. The narrow sidewalks were jammed with pedestrians, strollers, dogs and tourists. Most of the time I had to walk out on the curb to get past everyone.
Most people don't drive their own cars into this neighborhood expecting to find a parking space in front of the business they wish to patronize. Newbury Street should be reconfigured to have one lane for through traffic and one lane (at most) for parking, thus making space for bikeways and much wider sidewalks. Wider sidewalks would provide lasting economic benefits.
The end of Newbury St.
dumps you onto the Mass Pike. During the day its not the smartest route to take, as there are people and cars double parked everywhere, but at night it is really quick to go that way. I am not really for making it a pedestrian only street, it is in the ONE part of Boston that is set up as a grid, losing those cross streets is going to push traffic around in weird ways through Back Bay, and ultimately, this is why this experiment will fail. Maybe take a page from Cambridge's book and do it on Sundays during summer like they do with Sections of Memorial Drive, but not permanently.
However your idea to redesign the street is solid. I'd be all for one parking lane, a thru lane, a bike lane, and wider sidewalks. I think this would benefit all forms of transportation. Parking there is basically impossible as it is, I cannot remember the last time I ever got a spot on Newbury that wasn't on "The other side" (where the bar got its name). Its pretty much ruled by valets (don't get me started on valet parking on public streets) and double parkers. There should be street cops or meter maids strictly assigned to that street, they would be able to write enough double park tickets to fund the whole re-design project.
Great idea
+ 1 to this idea.
Car free Newbury not a great idea
I am not a car owner and never have been. But It seems to me there are people who will not rest until this city is a car free zone. What's the point? I wonder if these are the same people who seem to want every inch of this city to be "green space". Cars neither help nor impede urban shopping. I am old enough to remember when Downtown Crossing was just Washington Street with traffic allowed and it was a thriving shopping district. We see what happened when it tried to emulate a suburban walking mall. It went downhill almost immediately. When people are encouraged to "linger" in a central urban location look what ended up lingering. Not the shoppers, that's for sure. Will a car free Newbury Street be the next Downtown Crossing? And for those saying "it's just one day", if they're doing it for one day it's a trial for something more.
Cars Are An Impediment To Urban Shopping
Yet, I'm not saying we should ban all cars — just that they shouldn't have the priority they currently do. There is so much space dedicated to cars on Newbury Street, that there's not enough room for shoppers. Fewer cars would create more commerce.
Redundant driving space
For the most part, Newbury is redundant and doesn't need the through traffic. Not only are the sidewalks jam-packed, but there is Comm Ave on one side and Boylston on the other!
What holds up Comm Ave and Boylston? Cross street traffic!
I hope they try making traffic loop around the whole thing, with a limited number of crossings. It might make traffic in the entire area more sane.
there are people who will not
Not actually a thing.
Also not actually a thing.
Busses, Trucks, And Cars — While Washington Street Declined
The decline of downtown shopping districts is directly related to the proliferation of single-occupancy motor vehicles.
I charted the number of of busses, trucks. and cars registered in Massachusetts from 1947 to 1977. After World War II, the number of busses remained pretty much constant, at about 6000, while the number of cars skyrocketed to over 3,000,000.
Data source: Federal Highway Administration
Although there's no count for other modes of public transit, the stagnant number of busses is more than indicative of the lack of investment in transit. Indeed, considering the fact that many light rail trolley lines were replaced with busses, the reality is that public transit suffered significant decline during these years.
People attempted to drive those millions of additional cars into the heart of cities, but it just didn't work. The hassle of traffic and parking made Washington Street a less attractive place to shop. Meanwhile the sprawling suburban developments drew shoppers to new, car-centric shopping malls. (Today, traffic has made those places quite unpleasant as well.)
More people would enjoy shopping in downtown Boston if there were fewer cars, in favor of better rapid-transit.
Suggestion
Educate yourself as to why green space is necessary and desirable.
I suggest you start with reading the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission website and work your way up. There are legitimate reasons for any and all of these emerging practices - as in healthier cities that are resilient to the massive and relentless and utterly devastating changes that are coming sooner rather than later.
But It seems to me there are
Sure, but that isn't being discussed here. AT ALL.
Stop going to extremes when this is ONE mommy-fudging street closure, for None-of the-Above's sake.
Two can play at that game
It sounds like you would prefer a Beijing-style cityscape where car use is unfettered until even healthy adults can't breathe or see down the street.
Experiments are cool
I bet this one will work well.
Maybe it won't.
I'm glad someone is willing to give it a try, instead of just guessing and hand-wringing over what-ifs.
cyclists?
if they allow cyclists... expect a pedestrian/cyclist clash.
if they dont allow cyclists... expect a lot of angry bikers.
heh poor boston.
The press release said
The press release said pedestrian only, so that would imply no cars, no vespas, no motorcycles and no bikes. Personally I'm not crazy about the traffic backups this will cause for the nearby residential streets. Newbury St. is closed a few times throughout the year and it typically causes confusion for out of town drivers and extra pollution due to cars sitting in traffic idling which is nasty for those of us who walk and bike. As someone else had previously noted, it will be especially congested if the cross streets are closed as well. Back Bay will be gridlock and that will have a domino effect onto the Mass. Ave. bridge. It's mostly tourists on Newbury St. on the weekends... city residents typically avoid it unless they're going out to dinner.
I'm sure it'll just ask for
bicyclists to dismount, if bikes aren't going to be allowed to be ridden. Lots of places to lock up your bike all over Newbury otherwise, no?
Unfortunately there are few
Unfortunately there are few places for cyclists to lock their bikes on Newbury Street.
NO BIKES!
Having bikes allowed defeats the purpose of it being a pedestrian area. Maybe cyclists could stop whining and obey traffic laws for a change. I worked on Newbury for two years, and the worst offenders with traffic lights were cyclists flying across crosswalks. Biking down the cross streets would be fine, but not on the blocks. I'm sure some idiots will try it.
In Santa Monica they have an area called third street promenade where there are several blocks like this which is great - they have cops on bikes there for security, but most of the time I've seen them chasing cyclists for biking, or moving along the homeless guys (Santa Monica is pretty much an enormous homeless shelter jammed between the beach and the large shopping area)
*cue indignant cyclist who is anti car and mentions Portland or Europe*
Raises another issue
They need to rigidly enforce that bike lanes are for bikes on Comm Ave.
Otherwise, what's the big deal - either dismount and walk, dismount and lock, or get a little more exercise going around. A mile on a bike is nothing.
I obey traffic laws to the
I obey traffic laws to the point that I meet or exceed driver legal behavior.
Why?
Partly it is safer, and partly I don't want to be a hypocrite who bitches about illegal moving violations and parking violations by motorists but gets a free pass, even though I'd threaten nobody and I wouldn't get any tickets.
And partly when some clueless/careless/distracted driver clips me, I want witnesses to my legal behavior so I can sue the crap out of them.
Otherwise I could be injured or killed by automobile with ZERO consequences for the driver.
Yeah, I ride a bike. Got a problem with that?
Feel free to auto-copulate.
The homeless ought to be
The homeless ought to be living in their cars.
And parking on Newbury Street.
I bike through the ped zone
I bike through the ped zone at Downtown Crossing all the time, and you know what I do when I see a crowd of pedestrians in front me?
I slow down and give myself space to go around them.
Sometimes, I even walk my bike!
Crazy, right?
As an avid cyclist I can tell
As an avid cyclist I can tell you we avoid Newbury st like the plague any how, short of needing to go to a business as a courier, picking something up, etc we use Comm Ave and just go up side streets for Newb.
The City already closes
The City already closes Newbury Street to car traffic for the marathon every year and the world doesn't end...
Yes, but the issue at hand is
Yes, but the issue at hand is closing it every Sunday on a regular basis similar to Cambridge if the August trial proves popular with tourists. It's the business owners who are taking issue, not car drivers.
Newbury Street survey?
Dear NSL Member Businesses:
WE NEED YOUR FEEDBACK! You have probably heard about the Mayor’s Proposed plan to close Newbury Street to vehicular traffic one Sunday or Saturday this summer. If it is perceived as successful, they may then close the street 1x each month or more! Since being announced, we have heard from many of you that this would have a detrimental effect on your business. Many of you may recall when Mayor Menino proposed this years ago. We then gathered your feedback about the detrimental effect it would have on your business, he listened and we had it stopped. Newbury Street needs help in driving the right customer to our street that will help to benefit our struggling businesses on a financial basis. We’ve heard from many of you that a festival type of atmosphere “Brings the wrong type of customer….a Browser, not a Spender, that they visit your shop for the free food/drinks that you offer but they do not spend money! “
We hope that you will join us for a discussion meeting in a few weeks where some of you may be interested in joining our newly formed Steering Committee. The plan is to have the Steering Committee represented by all categories of business on the street. We will then address various issues we face such as the Closing of Newbury Street, Construction on Newbury, Cleanliness such as sidewalk power washing, trash pickups, Alley issues such as homeless, drugs, etc. , our need for Police presence on the street, Trees & Tree Pits, Sandwich Boards & more. These are services that we are entitled to through our Commercial Real Estate taxes. This committee will then meet and work with the various City Departments to obtain these services that we are entitled to, in order to improve and maintain Newbury Street as the Crown Jewel of Boston!
PLEASE, your feedback is crucial! See SURVEY below and attached. Please complete and return to us by Friday, June 10th. Thank you for your help on these very important issues for Newbury Street!
Michele Messino
617-755-5101
______________________________________
SURVEY for NEWBURY STREET
Your feedback is needed to help us improve and maintain Newbury Street as the Crown Jewel of Boston! Please return by email ASAP but not later than Friday, June 10th.
Business Name:
Your Name: Position:
CLOSING OF NEWBURY STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC
Please consider the following and answer with Yes or No as they pertain to your business
_______ A Street closing brings a type of customer that will financially benefit my business
_______ Corporate will not support our store with any type of event funding for a day like this
_______ Lack of on street parking will deter my customer from visiting Newbury Street
_______ Traffic in area will deter my customer from visiting the area that day
_______ The flow of vehicular traffic down the street brings my shop visibility that otherwise we may not see if visitors are on foot and do not walk the entire street
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other Issues that need to be addressed on Newbury Street. Please check all that apply
_______ Construction on Newbury Street
_______ Cleanliness & Appearance of Newbury Street
_______ Trash Issues
_______ Alley Issues including Homeless, Drugs etc.
_______ Police Presence on Newbury Street
_______ Trees: Replacement of Dead Trees, Trimming, Tree Pits
_______ Sandwich Boards
_______ Yes, I would like to attend a discussion meeting on June 16th at 2:30 to address these issues. Invitation to follow.
_______ Yes, I would be interested in sitting on the NSL Steering Committee to address ongoing street issues.
THANK YOU!
Crown Jewel of Boston?
Crown Jewel of Boston?
Huh, I have been working in Boston for years close by, and hardly EVER went to Newbury Street, because it isn't a jewel. What a marketing load of market-speak manure.
Well that survey's not biased
Well that survey's not biased or anything!
Maybe a compromise is in order.
I agree with previous comments that have stated the the sidewalks on Newbury Street are too congested being that they are narrow. Also it's doesn't make sense that the street should have three lanes for cars. However, instead of completely shutting down the street to vehicular traffic, why not reduce it to one lane and widen the sidewalks?
Whoever said Newbury St. has
Whoever said Newbury St. has three lanes of vehicular and cyclist traffic is misinformed. Newbury St. has two lanes of vehicular and cyclist traffic. However, given the number of FedEx, taxis that double-parked idiots constantly onstructing that street, as well as passenger cars which are parallel parking, it's only a one lane street for all practical purposes. If you're biking down Newbury St., do you really want to stop for every single double-parked delivery truck and parallel parking minivan? OR would you prefer two lanes so that bike and car traffic can continue to flow around these legally parking vehicles and illegally double-parked vehicles? You could bike on the sidewalk, however they are already congested with pedestrians, strollers and people in wheelchairs.
Two lanes of parking (motor
Two lanes of parking (motor traffic with movement and blocking of the roadway).
Two lanes of non-parking.
Eliminate parking on sid, and you also eliminate double-parking and temporary moving lane blocking as people hover or manuever into parking spaces.
Add a few loading zones here and there, too.
You would make it a protected
You would make it a protected bike lane that cars and trucks could not physically drive in.