Biking in Boston

sm89, the project that was bid last summer was the Emerald Necklace Route 9 Crossing project, it came in 200k too high and was rebid, after some VE by the town this winter.

The Gateway East project (MassDOT project 605510), that you link shows, has not been bid and is still scheduled to receive it's TIP funding in 2017, see MassDOT project page here: http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/ProjectInfo.aspx
From the project page:
BROOKLINE- INTERSECTION & SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS @ ROUTE 9 & VILLAGE SQUARE (GATEWAY EAST)
The project is located on Route 9 in the Gateway East or Village Square area of Brookline. The project will revitalize the corridor, improve the livability for residents and businesses, improve regional connections for bicycles and pedestrians and improve the overall streetscape. The project will demolish the pedestrian bridge which is currently closed. Walnut Street will be realigned to intersection Route 9 opposite Pearl Street forming a four way intersection. The signals at Washington Street and at Brookline Avenue will be upgraded and interconnected with new signals at the Walnut/Pearl Street intersection.
Location:
Town of Brookline
Design Responsibility: Municipality
Right of Way Responsibility: Municipality
Construction Begins: Winter 2017/2018
Project Manager: Ammie Rogers [Email MassHighway]
Estimated Total Contract Cost: $4,556,149.75
Estimated Total Federal Participating Construction Cost: $5,070,387.00
Funding Provision: This project is planned to be funded through the 2017 Transportation Improvement Program for the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization.
MassHighway District: District 6
Current Status: Comments on the 25% design phase project plans have been returned to the Design Engineer. (as of 02/25/2014 )
 
Walked on Staniford and Merrimac today and happy to report the cycle track is proceeding nicely along there, with almost all of the horrible bollards by the Tip gone.
 
My bad with the mixup!

FK4 said:
Walked on Staniford and Merrimac today and happy to report the cycle track is proceeding nicely along there, with almost all of the horrible bollards by the Tip gone.
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Slightly nicer bollards now!
 
In the news now:

http://brookline.wickedlocal.com/ne...work-on-linking-emerald-necklace-over-route-9

AR-160308858.jpg&MaxW=650
 
Does anyone know how the surface and width of this path will compare to existing multi-use trails in the area?
 
bigeman312 said:
Does anyone know how the surface and width of this path will compare to existing multi-use trails in the area?
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It would be interesting to track down more specifics on this design. The article linked above mentions a "pedestrian actuated crossing beacon" but doesn't say how bikes get priority to cross on the bike path. Cars get loop detectors, bikes and peds should get detectors too! Seems silly to have to press a ben button in this day and age.

The article also says the width of the multi-use path is 12 feet, which is comparable to elsewhere in the parks. They vary a lot, though, and it's not always indicated whether they're one-way, two-way, pedestrian or bike. (Years ago the bike and ped paths on the Brookline side of Olmsted Park were given different surface treatments, but most paths in the parks are either just asphalt or just crushed stone.)

Great to see this crossing *finally* happening after decades of inaction.
 
elemenoh said:
It would be interesting to track down more specifics on this design. The article linked above mentions a "pedestrian actuated crossing beacon" but doesn't say how bikes get priority to cross on the bike path. Cars get loop detectors, bikes and peds should get detectors too! Seems silly to have to press a ben button in this day and age.
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There's an automatic bike/ped detector on the Minuteman Path where it crosses Mill St in Arlington. It doesn't trigger a red but does aggressively flash a bunch of yellow lights at drivers.
 
Other than adding a walk phase tied into one of the nearby intersection traffic signal phases, it's unfortunately difficult to add auto detectors on a tee on a path- the detectors would have to differentiate between those waiting to cross and those just walking past. Any MIT folks want to design a smart ped and bike detector?
Brookline does have an automatic ped detector at the top of the stairs at Brandon Hall T stop on Beacon St, so Brookline is willing to make conditions better for pedestrians when it can.
 
Randomgear said:
Other than adding a walk phase tied into one of the nearby intersection traffic signal phases, it's unfortunately difficult to add auto detectors on a tee on a path- the detectors would have to differentiate between those waiting to cross and those just walking past. Any MIT folks want to design a smart ped and bike detector?
Brookline does have an automatic ped detector at the top of the stairs at Brandon Hall T stop on Beacon St, so Brookline is willing to make conditions better for pedestrians when it can.
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I think the detectors would be on the path, not on the ramp. But anyway, it would be more helpful to put an additional push button 20-30ft back from the intersection along the path so that someone approaching could press it before they get to the crosswalk.
 
It's snowing now, but looks like Spring is kicking off next week. Here are my notes on the year ahead in Boston-area bike infrastructure, anything big I missed?

Opening in 2016:
• Rebuilt Paul Dudley White bike path from Harvard's Allston campus through to the Hatch Shell
• Final segment of the East Boston Greenway bike path from Wood Island to Constitution Beach
• Memorial Drive bike path from the BU Bridge to the Longfellow Bridge
• Greenough Boulevard bike path
• One little segment of the Grand Junction path through Kendall Square
• Route 9 Crossing of the Emerald Necklace bike path
• Huron Avenue buffered bike lanes
? Connect Historic Boston cycletracks (all of them this year?)
+ Casey Arborway cycletracks
+ Misc. painted bike lanes (Cambridge Street past City Hall, others?)

Construction begins in 2016:
• Watertown-Cambridge Greenway bike path (2017 opening)
• Beacon Street (Somerville) protected bike lanes (2018 opening)
+ Charles Circle to Esplanade bike/ped bridge
? Vision Zero redesign of Mass Ave
? Commonwealth Avenue protected bike lanes + protected intersection
? Beacon Street (Brookline) protected bike lane
 
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The Casey Arborway project with it's cycle tracks is scheduled to have "full and functional use" by December 2016 - some final landscaping scheduled for spring '17.

18 miles of bike lane promised by Commissioner Fiandaca last September at the City Council Hearing on Bikes, but delayed.


edit - misspelled the commissioners name
 
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That's a great list.

There's probably something Longfellow-related missing tho?
 
Scipio said:
It's snowing now, but looks like Spring is kicking off next week. Here are my notes on the year ahead in Boston-area bike infrastructure, anything big I missed?

Opening in 2016:
• Rebuilt Paul Dudley White bike path from Harvard's Allston campus through to the Hatch Shell
• Final segment of the East Boston Greenway bike path from Wood Island to Constitution Beach
• Memorial Drive bike path from the BU Bridge to the Longfellow Bridge
• Greenough Boulevard bike path
• One little segment of the Grand Junction path through Kendall Square
• Route 9 Crossing of the Emerald Necklace bike path
• Connect Historic Boston cycletracks (all of them this year?)
• Huron Avenue buffered bike lanes

Construction begins in 2016:
• Watertown-Cambridge Greenway bike path (2017 opening)
• Beacon Street (Somerville) protected bike lanes (2018 opening)
• (?)Vision Zero redesign of Mass Ave
• (?) Commonwealth Avenue protected bike lanes + protected intersection
• (?) Beacon Street (Brookline) protected bike lane
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The Mem Drive bike path needs extensive reviews/total redo but are they going to do a cheap repaving before that happens?

Also, CHB wants a track around the Public Garden and that's going to be a huge project. If the city were smart, they'd turn all those roads 2-way at the same time.
 
Randomgear said:
The Casey Arborway project with it's cycle tracks is scheduled to have "full and functional use" by December 2016 - some final landscaping scheduled for spring '17.

18 miles of bike lane promised by Commissioner Fiadaca last September at the City Council Hearing on Bikes, but delayed.
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Thanks for the reminder on the Casey cycle tracks, those will be nice once they're open. Sick of VCing my way around those parts.

Any idea where Boston is installing those 18 miles of bike lane? Cambridge Street by city hall is supposed to get some once the Government Center project wraps up.

CSTH said:
That's a great list.

There's probably something Longfellow-related missing tho?
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I think the new bike-friendly bridge from Charles Circle to the Esplanade is starting up this year.

FK4 said:
The Mem Drive bike path needs extensive reviews/total redo but are they going to do a cheap repaving before that happens?

Also, CHB wants a track around the Public Garden and that's going to be a huge project. If the city were smart, they'd turn all those roads 2-way at the same time.
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The Memorial Drive path is actually under construction right now, the existing crap asphalt sidewalk is being widened into a 10 foot bike path, and the DCR is building a parallel stone dust path right along the river that should peel off much of the walking and running traffic.

Any news on the Public Garden cycle track? I haven't heard a peep since a public meeting more than two years ago.
 
Scipio said:
Thanks for the reminder on the Casey cycle tracks, those will be nice once they're open. Sick of VCing my way around those parts.

Any idea where Boston is installing those 18 miles of bike lane? Cambridge Street by city hall is supposed to get some once the Government Center project wraps up.



I think the new bike-friendly bridge from Charles Circle to the Esplanade is starting up this year.



The Memorial Drive path is actually under construction right now, the existing crap asphalt sidewalk is being widened into a 10 foot bike path, and the DCR is building a parallel stone dust path right along the river that should peel off much of the walking and running traffic.

Any news on the Public Garden cycle track? I haven't heard a peep since a public meeting more than two years ago.
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i cant find where it was posted on AB, but i thought that cambridge was going to completely rebuild the entire path from border to border but it was a total re-do that it required years of the usual reviews and community input and bla bla bla... and that there was going to be some temporary reconstruction in the meantime - does anyone remember what im talking about?

Edit - Matthews post, here from May 15 2015 -
CR 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
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***
On a separate note, yet another example of idiotic boston bike lane striping on south huntington - coming downhill from the VA, the green bike lane crosses heath st and then abruptly terminates at the bus stop no parking zone - so basically the cyclist is guided to a dead end and forced to merge back into traffic right at the same time the cars are flying in off heath street. that whole intersection needs to be narrowed...
 
Scipio said:
Any news on the Public Garden cycle track? I haven't heard a peep since a public meeting more than two years ago.
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check CHB website...

Where We're Working

The Blackstone Block, abutting the Fanueil Hall Marketplace. Work for this area is scheduled to be performed from May 2016 through November 2016.

Constitution Road, a gateway to the Charlestown Navy Yard and National Historic Park. Work for this area is scheduled to be performed from May 2016 through July 2016.

Connect Historic Boston Bicycle Trail, a bicycle trail making a full circuit of downtown Boston. Phase one of this work began in April 2015. Phase two will pick up again in April 2016 through Summer 2016.

Joy Street, the only direct connection across Beacon Hill from the Boston Common to Cambridge Street.

Learn More
Current Construction

The City of Boston imposed its winter moratorium work on November 16, 2015, which closes down all street reconstruction work in general. Limited work is allowed only if reviewed and approved on a week by week basis by Public Works.

Connect Historic Boston allowed limited construction in January. This work involved site cleanup and placement of winter travel conditions for the moratorium, including modifications to traffic barriers, temporary signage, and pavement markings. Limited street lighting and subsurface work was ongoing.
Month of February 2016

In the Lowell Square area of the project-Staniford/Lomasney Way, Causeway to Haverhill- most work is shut down, with daily inspections for clean up and traffic management ongoing. The Contractor for Connect Historic Boston has two additional projects in the area-work for the tenant at 151 Merrimac St. and work for the US General Services Building. The work at 151 Merrimac St. has been completed and the area paved temporarily until the new City sidewalk can be installed.

At the GSA, the work to install the new bollards for the GSA continues and has resulted in a lane shift in traffic which will remain in place until that work is complete and Connect Historic Boston can install the new sidewalks, in the spring.

For the month of February, weather permitting, the replacement of an 1885 12” cast iron pipe on Causeway running approximately the length between Haverhill and Merrimac streets, is ongoing by National Grid’s contractor, Feeney Brothers. This old pipe was uncovered during excavation work by the Connect Historic Boston project. This work is a priority for the City since it runs under what will be the new cycle track in the location of the old median on Causeway St. and is being closely integrated with other construction work in this area.

Other work allowed by Connect Historic Boston includes limited subsurface work along Commercial Street.

Please note that there are several construction projects in the Lowell Square area that affects the work of Connect Historic Boston. The first of these, work at 151 Merrimac St, is complete and the City’s work can now be scheduled when the moratorium is over. As noted above, the work on the independent GSA project is ongoing and that area should be available again to the Connect Historic Boston at the start of the 2016 construction period as well.

The work by National Grid is anticipated to be substantially complete by May 1, 2016.

Additional impacts to abutters in the West End will be incurred by the TD Garden Expansion project and the start of the housing project by RelatedBeal at Parcel 1B, at Beverly St. Connect Historic Boston has and will continue to coordinate closely with these projects as they move into full construction.
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Scipio said:
Any idea where Boston is installing those 18 miles of bike lane? Cambridge Street by city hall is supposed to get some once the Government Center project wraps up.
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I know that some are going on Walter ST in Roslindale - Fiandaca mentioned it during the hearing.
There is supposed to be a formal neighborhood meeting on the Walter and Bussey St intersection to look at a redesign (Public Works had designed changes that would have stopped bike lanes from going through the intersection), but I don't know when (or if) it has been scheduled.
 
Very minor niggles re: Arborway bike paths

"Substantial completion" is supposed to be September 30, 2016 (not December)

There will be 3.1 miles of new bike paths in the project area. Even though it's a State project and the Arborway itself is a State road, perhaps "Boston" is counting these 3.1 miles within the 18 miles referenced above?
 
clayville said:
Very minor niggles re: Arborway bike paths

"Substantial completion" is supposed to be September 30, 2016 (not December)
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The schedule got bumped last year after the snowfall; I know - the JP news still has the countdown clock listing September.

I do see some progress on the ground, especially at Shea Circle (looks like it's getting close to being paved), but since they can't start construction on the above gound portion of the new headhouse until the Arborway (New Washington) shifts into it's permanent position at the Station I'm getting rather worried that the schedule will be slipping.

It looks like the upper busway canopy, being built by the MBTA, not the highway division, might be late on arrival, too, as it's not gone out to bid.

I hope I'm wrong.
 
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