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Boston rolls out the red carpet for morning bus/bike lane in Roslindale

New bus/bike lane in Roslindale

Sometime overnight, a city crew painted the town red - or at least the morning bus/bike lane from Roslindale Square to Forest Hills - as BNF shows us.

The lane, in effect since June, requires people to move their cars before the morning rush hour so that commuters on all the buses that funnel down Washington Street from Roslindale, West Roxbury and Mattapan, along with bicyclists, can get a faster ride to the T stop.

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Comments

But surprised they didn't use the more common green like bike lanes typically have.

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It is a bike/bus lane so it can't be painted green.

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The city will paint it once, but never again.

Just look at Washington St., Essex St., most "Don't Block the Box" diamonds, crosswalks, lane dividers, etc.

You get the idea.

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Still, they'll try again

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Judging by Washington St, Essex St, and most of those "dont block the box" intersections, this will quickly also be full of cars and the restrictions never enforced.

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I'll be a 1 issue candidate.

Blocking the intersection -

1st offense -$500 fine

2nd offense - $1,500 and 1 year license suspension

3rd offense - $5,000 and lifetime loss of license

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People that move into "transit oriented" buildings with no parking will not be eligible for resident stickers.

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I rode my bike on it this morning, and it made a kind of odd sound, almost how I'd expect it to sound were I riding through wet paint. But none of it rubbed on to my tires, so I don't think it was wet. Or maybe it was more like riding on fine pebbles, not sure. Anyway, very glad to see it, although it's not entirely done, the red only made it to somewhere around Archdale.

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Bike lane paint has an anti-skid "grit" mixed in so bicyclists don't go ass-over-teakettle when it rains; it gives it a grippy, sandpaper-like texture as well as giving it that sparkly look. The green bike lanes have it too. The initial grittiness from being so fresh will wear off soon, but it'll still keep from getting slick in rain for a good long time.
Thick layers of white crosswalk paint usually don't have this, as evidenced by a character-building scar on my left arm.

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I embrace the "do not block the box" markings but from what I have seen out there, most people do not understand what the box is. And that goes for the people directly behind the person that is respecting the box and laying on their horn for you to move up, and sometimes reaching the level of road rage. They may need to post additional signage to explain what the box is.

I also agree that keeping the markings viable and visible are important. That said the city only paints such lines in a limited window each year when temperatures are favorable. With this in place do not expect them to renew or re-mark until next spring or summer at the earliest.

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If blocking the box came with points on your insurance people would figure out what it meant pretty quick.

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Agreed.

All of these wonderful new pedestrian crossings, poles, signs, lanes, blocked boxes etc. are semi-useless unless enforced. Even with the nice new crossings on Walter St. I still have to wait for 10+ cars to blow through, or risk getting run over.

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Walter really needs a raised sidewalk at the top of the hill to slow people down.

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Walter really needs a raised sidewalk at the top of the hill to slow people down.

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When people blow by me in a crosswalk, I raise my arms and wave them wildly...it helps!

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If they enforced the box and gave high fines like they should be doing people would know what it was tout suite!

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I'd be thrilled if the city repainted road markings once a year, as opposed to their current schedule of approximately once a never.

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The red is confusing... it really should be a green dedicated bike lane only. Mixing busses and bikes is dangerous to cyclists.

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Data?

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Oh okay, I'll post those peer-reviewed academic studies on red painted bus/bike lanes in the city of Boston once they're published... oh wait.
If you lived in the city you would witness how dangerous it is for cyclists when it comes to large vehicles like busses. Next time you visit Boston, you know... on your way to Cheers and Quincy Market and Mike's Pastries, open your eyes and observe the world around you.

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but compared to a narrow painted lane in a door zone, this is much safer. The bus drivers are well trained professionals, aware of the cyclists. And the cyclists no longer need to worry about dooring. I'd say it is far safer, though I agree that a protected, curb separated bike lane would be safer still.

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As a cyclist, I've never had any issues with buses on the shared bike/bus lane on Washington Street. The only real problems emerge from cars illegally double-parking or pulling into the lane unexpectedly to try and cut around traffic.

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[citation needed]

Works just fine in major cities all over the world (first-hand experience in Paris).

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Looks great! Now let's do the other side for the evening commute. It shouldn't take us 30+ min to get from FH to the Square.

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I am dying to see it work with Snowbanks
in the winter.

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bike lanes which of course includes all travel lanes should be marked with a bicycle icon. further, there should be a light up bicycle icon hanging with the traffic lights.

the goal is to work against the great tide of ignorance and civic dereliction that so far allows motorists to remain unaware.

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These are great. We desperately need this on East and West Broadway in South Boston!

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And yes, I am serious.

And don't call me Shirley.

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Was there a fire sale on white posts to stick where they do more harm than good?

Have you seen people trying to parallel park on packed streets with these poles in the way?

Watch store employees take what few curbside spaces that remain.

What genius took traffic calming to such a ridiculous extreme?

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