Bowker Overpass replacement?

CBCArch61 said:
Thanks for sharing.

This solution would be such a clean solution. In reality, this still shows remnants of the Bowker overpass at the Back Bay Fens intersection. Just let Boylston Street meander over to Mass Ave and let that be the primary eastern connection to Storrow. I don't think the Turnpike needs on/off here either which would allow for such a Boylston re-alignment.
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This could've been a cheaper/easier Big Dig type project. With the added benefit of no tunnel digging haha.

Ab-so-fucking-lutely!! That crosswalk would be such a black mark on the city. Honestly the ONLY thing that could even make that somewhat plateable is if they signalized the crosswalk so that traffic would be required to stop. Whether it is a full-on traffic signal or maybe a HAWK signal and equip it with red light type cameras to enforce lunatics. It will be the only way to hold any form of vehicle/driver accountable.
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I really like the proposal of connecting the overpass with Mass Pike and calling it a day. Is there a reason why it was rejected?
 
Teban54 said:
I really like the proposal of connecting the overpass with Mass Pike and calling it a day. Is there a reason why it was rejected?
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Don't think there's the land for it unless you claw back space from...somewhere? (Newbury? Ipswich? Both?). And/or cut travel lanes on the Pike.

I'm also not sure how this overpass...works. Those are yellow lines overlaid on the existing layout without explaining the rest. How do vehicles get from this down to Charlesgate/Back Bay?

I'm somewhat skeptical you can get an acceptable grade with compressing the distance between Comm EB + overpass height any further.

I also don't think anyone thinks the Mass Ave interchange will work for Storrow.
 
ritchiew said:
Ambulances can take the surface streets, Charlesgate East or West. Cars might block an ambulance there, but that's also true on the current Bowker. On the surface streets you could have a 12ft bike lane that emergency vehicles can also use. Bikers can and do get out of the way of ambulances.
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As an EMT, I would much prefer to be held up in traffic for a minute than risk going down a road not made for cars (in my experience, it ends up being slower every time); also, we use Google Maps like everyone else, so it would not get used except by the people who have mesmerized the routs.
 
millerm277 said:
Don't think there's the land for it unless you claw back space from...somewhere? (Newbury? Ipswich? Both?). And/or cut travel lanes on the Pike.
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Based on the plan I came up with (below), an EB on-ramp from the Bowker overpass to the east bound Mass Pike could fit in, if one lane of the EB Pike is dropped (from 4 lanes to 3 lanes), and the parking along the north side of Ipswich Street is eliminated, and the RR tracks shifted over using that space. An eastbound on-ramp is possible, but not a westbound off-ramp, as the existing Newbury St on-ramp precludes that, and there isn't space anyway.
Here's my layout for the eastbound onramp to the Mass Pike from the Bowker overpass.

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Charlie_mta said:
but not a westbound off-ramp, as the existing Newbury St on-ramp precludes that, and there isn't space anyway.
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Can you make a westbound off-ramp by converting the existing Newbury St on-ramp to have a grade intersection with the Bowker overpass, and only start descending after crossing through Bowker?

real_EthanHunt said:
So you want more cars in the area?
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I think @Charlie_mta is talking about the proposal of connecting Bowker to Mass Pike in exchange for eliminating the existing connection to Storrow (Alternative 4 here). This allows you to tear down the entire structure north of the Pike.
 
Teban54 said:
I think @Charlie_mta is talking about the proposal of connecting Bowker to Mass Pike in exchange for eliminating the existing connection to Storrow (Alternative 4 here). This allows you to tear down the entire structure north of the Pike.
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Yes. Also, the additional EB on-ramp to the Pike would further the cause for eliminating Storrow Drive completely east of Charlesgate,
 
Teban54 said:
Can you make a westbound off-ramp by converting the existing Newbury St on-ramp to have a grade intersection with the Bowker overpass, and only start descending after crossing through Bowker?
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Yes, but it would be a very short off ramp, with vehicles doing 60 mph all of a sudden entering Newbury St. Also, for traffic from that off ramp to make a left turn and head south (to Boylston Street, Route 9, the Jamaicaway, etc), there would have to be a rather steep inclined road built from the corner of Newbury St and Charlesgate East across the Muddy River up to the Bowker overpass. That may be possible if a rebuilt Bowker was shifted as far west as it can, but even with that I think the change in elevation between Newbury St and Bowker overpass is too great over too short a distance.
 
M.Morgan11 said:
As an EMT, I would much prefer to be held up in traffic for a minute than risk going down a road not made for cars (in my experience, it ends up being slower every time); also, we use Google Maps like everyone else, so it would not get used except by the people who have mesmerized the routs.
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Good to know.
What I had in mind was I was reading somewhere about cities designing bike lanes so they can be used by emergency vehicles. Usually that means having bi-directional bike lanes a little wider than usual so they are a combined 12ft (or whatever the standard is for firetrucks/ambulances). I think that's pretty common in super bike friendly European cities. But I'm pretty sure I was just reading about this in San Francisco....? [citation needed]
It seems like a good thing to work towards, and good to start on really common ambulance routes that drivers would learn quickly. A connections from Storrow to the Fens seems like one of those connections. But yeah, if you're mostly working off of Google Maps, I can see how that would be hard to rely on.
 
ritchiew said:
Good to know.
What I had in mind was I was reading somewhere about cities designing bike lanes so they can be used by emergency vehicles. Usually that means having bi-directional bike lanes a little wider than usual so they are a combined 12ft (or whatever the standard is for firetrucks/ambulances). I think that's pretty common in super bike friendly European cities. But I'm pretty sure I was just reading about this in San Francisco....? [citation needed]
It seems like a good thing to work towards, and good to start on really common ambulance routes that drivers would learn quickly. A connections from Storrow to the Fens seems like one of those connections. But yeah, if you're mostly working off of Google Maps, I can see how that would be hard to rely on.
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IMO, if we're gonna design bike lanes that can also be used by motor vehicles, it would be a waste not to make them bus/bike lanes that also allow ambulance use (wherever there are actually buses running).
 
Here's that traffic analysis for the proposal to move Bowker traffic onto surface streets. Professor Furth kindly sent over a copy, and hopefully he's putting it back on his website.

I haven't looked at it yet. And I expect this group to pick it apart before I even get a chance to read it.
 

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  • surface alternative of bowker overpass project report edited.pdf
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Charlie_mta said:
Based on the plan I came up with (below), an EB on-ramp from the Bowker overpass to the east bound Mass Pike could fit in, if one lane of the EB Pike is dropped (from 4 lanes to 3 lanes), and the parking along the north side of Ipswich Street is eliminated, and the RR tracks shifted over using that space. An eastbound on-ramp is possible, but not a westbound off-ramp, as the existing Newbury St on-ramp precludes that, and there isn't space anyway.
Here's my layout for the eastbound onramp to the Mass Pike from the Bowker overpass.

53316299877_3ebd597a98_b.jpg
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Maybe this could be a high speed exit where the cars get going real fast, fly off the Bowker, and land on the Ortiz Bridge
 
I just read this little article about the marathon runners having to run under Massachusetts Ave. instead of at street level to help alleviate North / South vehicle traffic during marathon day. What is going to happen when the Bowker overpass is removed? I'm surprised I have not seen any public comments from city event planners about the removal plans. Is it just not being realized by these organizations? In addition to the Marathon, there seems to be hundreds of walking events thru this area all year.

Boston.com -Why does the Boston Marathon go under Mass. Ave. and up a hill just before the finish line?
 
dhawkins said:
I just read this little article about the marathon runners having to run under Massachusetts Ave. instead of at street level to help alleviate North / South vehicle traffic during marathon day. What is going to happen when the Bowker overpass is removed? I'm surprised I have not seen any public comments from city event planners about the removal plans. Is it just not being realized by these organizations? In addition to the Marathon, there seems to be hundreds of walking events thru this area all year.

Boston.com -Why does the Boston Marathon go under Mass. Ave. and up a hill just before the finish line?
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They could divert them over to Mass Ave and have them cross on the overpass there.
 
dhawkins said:
I just read this little article about the marathon runners having to run under Massachusetts Ave. instead of at street level to help alleviate North / South vehicle traffic during marathon day. What is going to happen when the Bowker overpass is removed? I'm surprised I have not seen any public comments from city event planners about the removal plans. Is it just not being realized by these organizations? In addition to the Marathon, there seems to be hundreds of walking events thru this area all year.

Boston.com -Why does the Boston Marathon go under Mass. Ave. and up a hill just before the finish line?
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The Bowker isn't being removed, but will be replaced by a fancier, snazzier highway overpass behemoth.
 
Charlie_mta said:
The Bowker isn't being removed, but will be replaced by a fancier, snazzier highway overpass behemoth.
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But on the map it was greyed out! So I can only assume the cars and bridge will be built at 50% opacity, so you just see a bridge-like cloud as you walk down the neatly appointed pedestrian path.
 
Longfellow said:
But on the map it was greyed out! So I can only assume the cars and bridge will be built at 50% opacity, so you just see a bridge-like cloud as you walk down the neatly appointed pedestrian path.
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Yep. showing the elevated expressway as transparent on the project documents is deliberately deceptive and deceitful,
 
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