Search results

A lot of folks on this forum (myself included) argue for improved transit, walking, and biking infrastructure because we believe the merits of that infrastructure is self-evident. It can be demonstrated, tested, and proved without need for exaggeration or slight of hand. That is the power of the...

Much more likely that they're running 3 trainsets at all times (+1 trainset on weekdays and +2 on the weekend). Leaving literally 0 time for dwells or schedule recovery would be a recipe for disaster. Ops can and should be improved, but we can't rely on literally perfect schedule adherence. As a...

I didn't mean to imply that this design had shared use paths, only that the wide & green-buffered bike lanes might "feel" sort of like a path. Sorry if there was any confusion. Shared use paths carry distinct accessibility requirements that do not apply to bike lanes (one-way or two-way). The...

As others are noting, the ROW is still quite wide. Even with the dramatic improvement of demolishing the elevated highway, people are likely to have a strong preference not to cross the street if they don't have to. Also, with the wide planted buffers shown in this cross-section, the bike lanes...

This argument reduces the utility of transit to commuting. Perhaps that is how some people experience or use transit, but we must acknowledge that commuting accounts for less than 20% of all trips (source: https://www.transportation.gov/mission/health/commute-mode-share). TOD is not just about...

Another important metric, I'd argue more important than typical/average speed, is how speed humps affect the fastest drivers. If the average speed on a street is 20-25mph and the speed limit is 25mph, you could design your speed humps to enforce the speed most people are already travelling. BUT...

I think the TM Dashboard has been hugely helpful in adding transparency to the slow zone issue. Is the method of calculation perfect? No. Does their dashboard help communicate a relatively nuanced issue to a wide audience? Absolutely! When the Globe is citing your data, and using it to hold the...

I can confirm that 4-car consists have been showing up on the Fairmount line in the past year or two. Rode one this morning, in fact. I can only recall 4-car consists when they're all multi-levels though. If there's any singles, it's a 5-6 car train.

Someone even built a website to track the issue (at least for the rail lines): https://brandonmcfadden.com/cta-reliability The CTA did pull back on their schedules a bit in August - see slide 8 on the website. But clearly not enough to match reality.

Raised crossings absolutely can be built on arterial streets and on/near bridge decks. Somerville even has some examples of raised crossings on arterials: https://goo.gl/maps/Cun6geiDH5SQTD8q9 Bridge decks are more challenging because you have to account for expansion joints, which may limit...

No real specifics on the situation in Chicago, but their roll-out also appears to be going slower than anticipated. Some detailed conversation about which lines new cars are assigned to (and speculation about manufacturing) here...

Looks like Silva Cell planter beds. They give space for tree roots and some water retention while supporting a sidewalk above it. Same product that was used under the sidewalks on Somerville Ave: The previous setup was temporary station access through the UQS building site. If they're laying...

There's research on this exact topic, and you'd probably get more space if you *didn't* wear a helmet: https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k. Whether that's because you're more relatable as a human being or because people are more risk-averse, I don't know. I'd never looked into it much beyond the...

Indeed. The state has been pretty keen on roundabouts and recently developed a white paper and design guide: https://www.mass.gov/lists/guidelines-for-the-planning-and-design-of-roundabouts There's a lot of nuance with how they're designed, but in short if you think it's too much to ask people...

I believe that's for one of the city's Neighborhood Mobility microHUBs. Can't find anything recent, but here's a blurb about them from GoBoston2030: https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/document-file-06-2019/neighborhood_mobility_microhubs.pdf

They extended the sidewalks on both sides of Court Street (left and right in your link), and the probably needed to demo everything that was in the median to do so. While the new painted area is roughly the same shape, it's much smaller in size. I agree that it would be great to not have a...

Yup! The Town received one of MassDOT's Shared Streets and Spaces Grants in September, which indicates that the lanes will be protected, not just buffered. The Town's website has a little more info, but no plans...

While I'm sure the GLX path is driven much more by cost and constructability concerns, The 606 in Chicago was very purposefully designed to include more curves and elevation than required. The old framework plan provides some good visuals and explainers of how they saw changes in elevation and...

I feel like it's lesser known/used, but the $10 adventure pass allows for 2-hour rides. Pretty good deal (imo) if you're looking to do some exploring for a day and don't want to be too concerned about time.

BTD recently launched a project website for Summer Street, from Dot Ave to across the Fort Point Channel. Looks to be another MBTA-coordinated project (similar to the Washington Street bus lanes and the Blue Hill Avenue bus lane concept). The plans are very preliminary, but they are...