Are the bike lanes also bus lanes, like the ones in Rozzie? If so they'll actually get used a ton. Absolutely ridiculous that people riding the bus have to compete with insane Westie drivers to get places.
is underutilized. I take the bus to South Station and back every weekday. I can count on one hand bicyclists who have used this in the last month. I can’t say I blame them, it looks more dangerous now than when there wasn’t a dedicated bus lane.
Said in jest, no doubt, but I think you've accurately captured the hysteria in your several orders of magnitude too high estimate of drivers that use the corridor.
We shall go on to the end.
We shall fight at the Gentle Dental and Comella's,
we shall fight with growing confidence and strength at the Planet Fitness,
we shall fight on the Parkways and on the rotaries,
we shall fight in the 17 banks and the toy store.
We shall never surrender.
I've Googled and searched State and City websites with no success. UHub is my only hope. Does anyone know of any way to find out where night time construction noise is happening in the City? 311 doesn't help. I'm talking middle of the night Boulder crushing and demolition sounds in Forest Hills area.
It appears from the photo caption that the pedestrian crossings are being eliminated entirely. That would make more sense. Build a couple of pedestrian overpasses and let the traffic move more smoothly.
Everywhere on Centre Street there are markings near the crosswalks - from what I can read, they describe the length in feet and the grade in percent towards the street. What they will likely do is improve those crossings by making them wider, and have tactile boxes for those with sight problems.
I've also noticed on the other side of Centre Street (between Weld Street and the Holy Name rotary) they've put up bollards and bike lanes there too.
I'm in WR a few times a week, driving from JP. I have not experienced speeders on Centre between Holy Name and LaGrange, probably because of the time of day (afternoon).
The worst driving, speed-wise, is between Holy Name rotary, up over the hill, and down to the small business district. People driving pass on the left, on the right, to get to the light at Weld St., to wait until I catch up. I'm not creeping along either but they still see it as a speedway especially at the South St. signal. That's a wide stretch of road that could really use a diet. They could upgrade to protected bike lanes with no loss of parking for the residents there.
I walk there almost everyday, at different times and have to play chicken in the crosswalks - maybe 1/15 drivers stop...even the police won't stop for you.
It appears from the photo caption that the pedestrian crossings are being eliminated entirely. That would make more sense. Build a couple of pedestrian overpasses and let the traffic move more smoothly.
This is just the absolute dumbest take on every level and I salute you so hard.
What kind of "vibrant neighborhood" needs THREEEEE goddamn banks on ONE BLOCK?? WHO IN GODS NAME ACTUALLY NEEDS ALL THESE BANKS. Nobody!! They literally just sit there sucking up real estate, deadening the street scape, artificially inflating commercial rents, probably serving as some kind of demented tax write off for mega-finance-corps because most banks see maybe 10 customers in a day but they're paying employees to stand there ALL DAY DOING NOTHING.
God I would rather have more nail salons, at least they usually dress up their windows a bit with signage and college-dorm-string-lights and such.
OMG! Civilization will cease to exist b/c cars can't go 40mph down a main street area!
In all seriousness though, when I see the "Save Centre Street" signs I think "from what?"
Really, what are you saving it from?
Is it from actual humans that want to walk there and do business without worrying about getting hit on a daily basis?
Is it from having business owners deal with the fact they and their employees take up the parking on Centre Street all day long and then bitch when 16 spaces are removed to ensure it's safe for all w/ a better traffic flow?
I imagine the family that lost their loved one (and the others that have gotten hit) must feel pretty bad when they see these signs in their neighbors yard...to think cars are more important than actual living beings.
Time to move forward friends. We are so far behind in our cities it's cringeworthy.
There aren't really four "travel lanes" with the current configuration - the left lanes are left-turn lanes, the right lanes are Uber Eats lanes, and thru-traffic must slalom between them to get by.
crosswalks across the city have not been repainted in years, particularly the ones around schools, playgrounds and elderly housing. The City has its priorities screwed up.
Probably you meant not that these crosswalks are "particularly" not repainted, but that they should be prioritized for repainting, which I'd agree with.
Old time Westie f-cked around and found out. They go after Wu nonstop and she's now pushing this through. They got lucky in the state rep race with the progressive vote split. They got Lara bounced and she'll just be replaced with another councilor Weber from JP who is as liberal and smarter than her but doesn't crash cars into houses. They're on borrowed time politically and it's showing.
I don’t think Wu is being vindictive by allowing the road diet to go through, just as Walsh wasn’t displaying affection for WRox when he moved to block it.
She just didn’t — and still doesn’t — need Westie NIMBY votes, whereas Walsh did. In fact, I’d go so far as to guess that Wu will only gain local votes by supporting the road diet, since it has a high chance of bettering Centre St by modernizing it.
You’re right about some quarters being on borrowed political time, though. It feels like a lot of WRox grew up in a single happy political block (figuratively and literally) and confused solidarity with power, even wisdom.
Comments
Great news!
Great News! It’s nice when sanity and safety wins.
Sanity
Is not installing bike lanes that will hardly get used.
Did you happen to notice ...
That there's more to the plan than just bike lanes?
Like a moth to a flame
Once the "B" word is used, some people can see nothing else.
It reminds me of cartoons where a burglar throws a steak to distract a guard dog.
Are the bike lanes also bus
Are the bike lanes also bus lanes, like the ones in Rozzie? If so they'll actually get used a ton. Absolutely ridiculous that people riding the bus have to compete with insane Westie drivers to get places.
No, the buses ride at dawn
Um, sorry, buses will go in the car lanes, but they'll have bus stops to pull into (a couple of them will be moved half a block).
Summer Street bike lane
is underutilized. I take the bus to South Station and back every weekday. I can count on one hand bicyclists who have used this in the last month. I can’t say I blame them, it looks more dangerous now than when there wasn’t a dedicated bus lane.
So you were there all day and night for a month?
Counting cyclists?
The summer St bike lane is
The summer St bike lane is one of the worst pieces of bike infrastructure in the city.
The pilot seems pretty ineffective at keeping cars out of the bus lanes (have things changed? Red paint yet?)
Biking on summer st is awful, so it's not surprising people avoid it.
Please post your data and source
Thanks in advance.
Sure, it will save a few lives
But millions will be late!
And kiss those businesses goodbye
No one will drive down there and shop at businesses if traffic is slower and safer. Only speed demons spend money at local businesses. That's science.
West Rox has fallen .
West Rox has fallen . Billions must drive 30 mph and under
This is worse than slavery.
This is worse than slavery.
Millions, millions, damn it!
Said in jest, no doubt, but I think you've accurately captured the hysteria in your several orders of magnitude too high estimate of drivers that use the corridor.
Hooray!
I can’t wait to not be absolutely terrified to ride my bike down a small business corridor!
They shall neva surrendah!
From the best West Roxbury exTwitter account:
I've Googled and searched
I've Googled and searched State and City websites with no success. UHub is my only hope. Does anyone know of any way to find out where night time construction noise is happening in the City? 311 doesn't help. I'm talking middle of the night Boulder crushing and demolition sounds in Forest Hills area.
You could try looking here
You could try looking here to see if they have an after hours permit. https://data.boston.gov/dataset/after-hours-construction/resource/c66524... The search functionality looks pretty limited.
You could call the Inspectional Services Department.
Your best bet might be for you and your neighbors to file 311 complaints.
I'm disappointed
It appears from the photo caption that the pedestrian crossings are being eliminated entirely. That would make more sense. Build a couple of pedestrian overpasses and let the traffic move more smoothly.
No
The current crossings are being rebuilt, to make them ADA compliant.
Correct
Everywhere on Centre Street there are markings near the crosswalks - from what I can read, they describe the length in feet and the grade in percent towards the street. What they will likely do is improve those crossings by making them wider, and have tactile boxes for those with sight problems.
I've also noticed on the other side of Centre Street (between Weld Street and the Holy Name rotary) they've put up bollards and bike lanes there too.
My anecdotal observation
I'm in WR a few times a week, driving from JP. I have not experienced speeders on Centre between Holy Name and LaGrange, probably because of the time of day (afternoon).
The worst driving, speed-wise, is between Holy Name rotary, up over the hill, and down to the small business district. People driving pass on the left, on the right, to get to the light at Weld St., to wait until I catch up. I'm not creeping along either but they still see it as a speedway especially at the South St. signal. That's a wide stretch of road that could really use a diet. They could upgrade to protected bike lanes with no loss of parking for the residents there.
Lucky you.
Lucky you.
I walk there almost everyday, at different times and have to play chicken in the crosswalks - maybe 1/15 drivers stop...even the police won't stop for you.
True
You would think that hill would discourage people from speeding, but that grade downhill towards Weld is tempting.
A+
This is just the absolute dumbest take on every level and I salute you so hard.
That portion of plans is DEPRESSING.
What kind of "vibrant neighborhood" needs THREEEEE goddamn banks on ONE BLOCK?? WHO IN GODS NAME ACTUALLY NEEDS ALL THESE BANKS. Nobody!! They literally just sit there sucking up real estate, deadening the street scape, artificially inflating commercial rents, probably serving as some kind of demented tax write off for mega-finance-corps because most banks see maybe 10 customers in a day but they're paying employees to stand there ALL DAY DOING NOTHING.
God I would rather have more nail salons, at least they usually dress up their windows a bit with signage and college-dorm-string-lights and such.
Get rid of those bank branches . . .
. . . . if you are good with more empty store fronts.
I suspect many will be gone at the end of their lease.
OMG! Civilization will cease
OMG! Civilization will cease to exist b/c cars can't go 40mph down a main street area!
In all seriousness though, when I see the "Save Centre Street" signs I think "from what?"
Really, what are you saving it from?
Is it from actual humans that want to walk there and do business without worrying about getting hit on a daily basis?
Is it from having business owners deal with the fact they and their employees take up the parking on Centre Street all day long and then bitch when 16 spaces are removed to ensure it's safe for all w/ a better traffic flow?
I imagine the family that lost their loved one (and the others that have gotten hit) must feel pretty bad when they see these signs in their neighbors yard...to think cars are more important than actual living beings.
Time to move forward friends. We are so far behind in our cities it's cringeworthy.
Of course you realize...
This means war.
CENTRE STREET RE BUILD
Wonderful. The sweet light of reason and common sense prevails. Usually the problem with common sense is that its very uncommon.
In reality, going from zero travel lanes to two
There aren't really four "travel lanes" with the current configuration - the left lanes are left-turn lanes, the right lanes are Uber Eats lanes, and thru-traffic must slalom between them to get by.
"thru-traffic must slalom between them to get by"
Serpentine!...Serpentine!!
(RIP Alan Arkin & Peter Faulk)
Meanwhile
crosswalks across the city have not been repainted in years, particularly the ones around schools, playgrounds and elderly housing. The City has its priorities screwed up.
Probably not "particularly"
Probably you meant not that these crosswalks are "particularly" not repainted, but that they should be prioritized for repainting, which I'd agree with.
Westie
Old time Westie f-cked around and found out. They go after Wu nonstop and she's now pushing this through. They got lucky in the state rep race with the progressive vote split. They got Lara bounced and she'll just be replaced with another councilor Weber from JP who is as liberal and smarter than her but doesn't crash cars into houses. They're on borrowed time politically and it's showing.
I don’t think Wu is being
I don’t think Wu is being vindictive by allowing the road diet to go through, just as Walsh wasn’t displaying affection for WRox when he moved to block it.
She just didn’t — and still doesn’t — need Westie NIMBY votes, whereas Walsh did. In fact, I’d go so far as to guess that Wu will only gain local votes by supporting the road diet, since it has a high chance of bettering Centre St by modernizing it.
You’re right about some quarters being on borrowed political time, though. It feels like a lot of WRox grew up in a single happy political block (figuratively and literally) and confused solidarity with power, even wisdom.