Biking in Boston

[Matthew]

Brighton Ave Phase 4 beginning (finally):

 

[rinserepeat]

DCR has a plan to repave many parkways and consider bicycle facilities simultaneously in some fashion now. They had a list to consider, I don't remember off-hand.

Memorial Drive and the Esplanade are not on that list for a few reasons.

• Memorial Drive 'phase 2' has already redesigned the bike lanes from the Harvard Bridge and east, and that will go in soon
• Memorial Drive path west of the BU bridge is such a mess that they need to completely redo it with a full public process, and that will take time, so they claim
• They have picked out 4 segments of the Esplanade to repave this summer as a temporary measure that will hopefully alleviate some of the worst parts
• They also promised to look at some of the worst parts of Memorial Drive bike path, such as where it is washed out by Magazine Beach and such

replacing the ped bridge near the trader joes on memorial drive was a huge mistake - they should have just left the temporary light there - now they have yet another bridge that no one uses and these fences that are just the right height to clip your handlebars. that light actually helped things when it was there - it slowed down traffic and even though you weren't supposed to turn left people did it anyway, and it helped relieve some tension on the BU bridge rotary by spreading out the traffic.

 

[Arlington]

Brighton Ave Phase 4 beginning (finally)

Very interesting! What would you call those markings? Super Sharrows? A permeable bike lane?

And how do they expect them to be used? Clearly some kind of very cooperative sharing between cars and bike is intended, but what kind?

We know when adult says "share" sometimes the rule is "each take one" and sometimes it is "take turns" and sometimes it is "both together". What is the "one simple rule" here?

 

[JeffDowntown]

Very interesting! What would you call those markings? Super Sharrows? A permeable bike lane?

And how do they expect them to be used? Clearly some kind of very cooperative sharing between cars and bike is intended, but what kind?

We know when adult says "share" sometimes the rule is "each take one" and sometimes it is "take turns" and sometimes it is "both together". What is the "one simple rule" here?

Cars can only drive on the pavement that is not green. Bikes can only ride on the pavement that is green. They are supposed to levitate or transport between sections?

In other words, the markings seems highly ambiguous to me. Is this marking consistent with some new transportation standard I am not aware of?

 

[Arlington]

In other words, the markings seems highly ambiguous to me. Is this marking consistent with some new transportation standard I am not aware of?

If you Google "enhanced sharrows" it seems to be a thing. First with the dotted lines bracketing the icon, then with green infill.

 

[datadyne007]

Fenway starts bike valet with tonight's game:

Fenway to roll out bike valet service Tuesday

Posted: May 19, 2015 6:26 AM EDT
Updated: May 19, 2015 6:26 AM EDT

BOSTON (WHDH) - People who ride their bikes to Fenway Park will now have the chance to use the Park's official valet service.

Beginning with Tuesday night's game against the rangers, the team will offer the free service to ticket holders who ride their bikes to Fenway.

Fans can bring their bikes to Gate D.

Valet service begins 90 minutes before the first pitch.

The Red Sox tested the program for a couple of games last June.

http://www.whdh.com/story/29099216/fenway-to-roll-out-bike-valet-service-tuesday

 

[fattony]

This green paint has been popping up in many places. I think it is great, assuming it lasts more than a year. It is used sparingly, probably mostly because it is expensive, but also because the burst of color catches your attention. You often see it just near an intersection to remind drivers to look in their mirror before pulling a right hook.

Like all sharrows, the enhanced ones on Brighton Ave are a reminder that bikes are allowed to be on the road and even in the middle of the lane. That area has a ton of cyclists and not enough RoW for a bike lane, so they are beating it into drivers heads that there are going to be bikes in the road and they have a full right to be there. That, of course, is always the case everywhere whether or not anything special is painted on the ground.

 

[bigeman312]

Very interesting! What would you call those markings? Super Sharrows? A permeable bike lane?

And how do they expect them to be used? Clearly some kind of very cooperative sharing between cars and bike is intended, but what kind?

We know when adult says "share" sometimes the rule is "each take one" and sometimes it is "take turns" and sometimes it is "both together". What is the "one simple rule" here?

I believe that bicycles are encouraged to take the entire sharrow lane (i.e. the green lane). Cars are encouraged to drive in either lane when no bikes are present, but to treat the sharrow lane as an exclusive bike lane when cyclists are using it. That is my interpretation from what I've seen/read.

 

[Arlington]

I believe that bicycles are encouraged to take the entire sharrow lane (i.e. the green lane). Cars are encouraged to drive in either lane when no bikes are present, but to treat the sharrow lane as an exclusive bike lane when cyclists are using it. That is my interpretation from what I've seen/read.

Ok, so it is a paint way of saying "Bikes may use the full lane", which is, of course, the law everywhere. The enhancement of sharrows (which are, technically just a reminder to cars and an invitation to cyclists), though, runs the risk that everywhere else, people will conclude that bikes shoulda been on the sidewalk or door zone :-/

 

[bigeman312]

Ok, so it is a paint way of saying "Bikes may use the full lane", which is, of course, the law everywhere. The enhancement of sharrows (which are, technically just a reminder to cars and an invitation to cyclists), though, runs the risk that everywhere else, people will conclude that bikes shoulda been on the sidewalk or door zone :-/

Pretty much.

 

[Matthew]

replacing the ped bridge near the trader joes on memorial drive was a huge mistake - they should have just left the temporary light there - now they have yet another bridge that no one uses and these fences that are just the right height to clip your handlebars. that light actually helped things when it was there - it slowed down traffic and even though you weren't supposed to turn left people did it anyway, and it helped relieve some tension on the BU bridge rotary by spreading out the traffic.

I know - it annoys the hell out of me. Missed opportunity, and a big waste of money. Hopefully DCR will cut out these kinds of mistakes in the future...

Very interesting! What would you call those markings? Super Sharrows? A permeable bike lane?

And how do they expect them to be used? Clearly some kind of very cooperative sharing between cars and bike is intended, but what kind?

They're called "bicycle priority [shared] lanes".

The main point isn't actually to influence motorist behavior so much as to influence bicyclist behavior. Of course, by law, bicycle riders are allowed to use any lane on a non-limited-access public way. They are expected to "facilitate passing" but only if it is safe to do so. The problem under normal circumstances is that many bicycle riders keep too far to the right, putting them in danger of dooring, pedal strikes on the curb, or collisions with any obstacles in the gutter. It is not safe to ride too far to the right. The purpose of the bike priority lane markings is to visually indicate the safer zone for a bicyclist to ride. The hope is that the markings will give people the confidence to ride in the safe zone, and will indicate to motorists that this is the proper way to ride.

In the picture you can see the bicycle rider is on the edge of the safe zone. He is going around one of the manholes in the pavement on Brighton Ave, but he should be reasonably safe from sudden door-openings in that position.

http://www.bostonbikes.org/2013/01/brighton-ave-to-get-priority-treatment/

http://www.northeastern.edu/peter.f...cial-Areas.-Masters-Report-Dun-Meng-Manny.pdf

The primary objective of this study is to study bicyclist’s behavior on Bicycle Priority
Lane to determine if the marking changed bicycle position with respect to the door zone.
In this research, data was collected in peak hours at three different streets which has or
plans to have Bicycle Priority Lane. Those data are also used to compare with older data
collected at different time by previous researchers. As a result, bicyclist position was
found moved further away from right side hazards after the Priority Bicycle Lane was
marked. The distance between bicyclist position and dominant parked car increased
about 8 inches overall, and by about 7 inches when a bicyclists was influenced by a
passing car. More bicycles are shown riding more than 3.5 feet away from the dominant
parked cars, the overall rate increased about 14%, the rate for bicyclists influenced by
passing cars increased about 18%. As the result of comparison between two roads with
different design, when the priority lane is marked on the wider road section, bicyclist
position will be further away from the right side hazards.

 

[cden4]

They are also designed to encourage motorists to use the other lane, particularly when bicyclists are present, rather than try to pass bicyclists in the same lane.

 

[George_Apley]

I don't like the green paint. In Somerville, it's worn off in less than a year, so it needs constant reapplication, or more durable paint.

More substantively, they provide the appearance of more vehicle segregation, not less. Drivers are more likely to assume that bikers belong only on the green pavement, and get shitty with those who stray elsewhere in the lane.

 

[Arlington]

I don't like the green paint.... Drivers are more likely to assume that bikers belong only on the green pavement, and get shitty with those who stray elsewhere in the lane.

The point of a lot of this new infrastructure is to attract new people to biking, and for that, I think these bicycle priority shared lanes are a pretty decent solution.

So Matthew's point is key: new cyclists need clear guidance on where it is safe to ride and need a clear indication that they can/should take the lane. Stuff like this is what it takes to get them even considering trading onto a bike for a trip or two.

Frankly, the vast majority of people new to cycling aren't going to ride on streets with no markings--it is just too scary They like (and need) really clear bike lanes (of any kind, but the more protected, the better used).

I think the only thing they could do better would be do paint the words "door zone" in the door zone as a way of letting divers of cars know that they can't expect cyclists to ride there (ever).

 

[davem]

Like others have alluded to, this stretch is being used as a testbed to see the effects of different sharrow applications on cyclist and driver behavior, hence why the installation was staged over a long period of time.

Also, there are these signs which pretty clearly tell you what to do. (IIRC, there are new ones where the green is shown on the sign too.)

The only downside is these signs are not placed often enough, nor clear enough (often blocked by trees). Also I mean... massholes don't read signs.

 

[Matthew]

Boston has the habit of using the tiniest signs all over the place.

I didn't even notice the "High Pedestrian and Bicycle Zone" for months (maybe years) and I'm just walking by.

Or maybe they were warning us about the high pedestrians...

Some joker should put up an official-looking sign that reads: "If you can read this you don't need glasses."

 

[autonomy]

Boston has the habit of using the tiniest signs all over the place.

My favorite is the somewhat new "lanes merge" sign on Mem drive. You know the spot by Harvard on where parking is allowed in the right-hand lane at certain times?
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.371...!1e1!3m2!1sIS0zm1l1oyvVwVqTKPvAfQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

Always a fun time to go around the bend and have everyone merge into the left lane at 40mph with some tourists slamming on their brakes. There's now a sign there (ok, points for addressing the problem) but the issue is 1. it's blocked by the massive trees and 2. by the time you see it, it's already too late and you need to slam on the brakes for the parked cars in front of you and pay attention to everyone doing 40mph passing you on the left.

 

[davem]

My favorite is the somewhat new "lanes merge" sign on Mem drive. You know the spot by Harvard on where parking is allowed in the right-hand lane at certain times?
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.371...!1e1!3m2!1sIS0zm1l1oyvVwVqTKPvAfQ!2e0!6m1!1e1

Always a fun time to go around the bend and have everyone merge into the left lane at 40mph with some tourists slamming on their brakes. There's now a sign there (ok, points for addressing the problem) but the issue is 1. it's blocked by the massive trees and 2. by the time you see it, it's already too late and you need to slam on the brakes for the parked cars in front of you and pay attention to everyone doing 40mph passing you on the left.

The parallel parking on Mem Drive is the ultimate Bostonian FUCK YOU to tourists. Personally, I love it.

 

[bigeman312]

The parallel parking on Mem Drive is the ultimate Bostonian FUCK YOU to tourists. Personally, I love it.

And the unlit, unpainted, unsegregated side-path is the ultimate FUCK YOU to cyclists and pedestrians. I hate that. A-ha: circling onto topic!

 

[Arlington]

#DCR Reconstruction of MVP path @ Boston Ave on Medford/Somerville/Arlington lines has progressed quickly, from unusable:"before" (2012) photo set by Ron Newman, such as

After: