Commonwealth Avenue Improvement Project

[jass]

Starting at Kenmore Square:

The awkward pedestrian connection / rat hole (seriously, there was a colony of giant rats) has been bricked over. Excellent.

The old tree grates...

versus the new ones. I like the new ones.

Oh shit guys. Is that what I think it is?

Bike lane!!!! Just 2 months ago there were no plans to include one, but it looks like they squeezed it in.

Yes, its tiny. Yes, its super close to parked cars.

But I still think its good as it reminds drivers to look for bikes. Drivers look for cars and pedestrians but forget bikes because there arent enough. Even an inadequate bike lane is better than none.

Sadly, the inbound side appears to have no bike lane, as it was painted a few weeks ago. I guess someone decided to add it withint he past couple of weeks?


Speaking of bikes, look what was added on comm ave today

I always thought these were painted, but...

 

[kennedy]

Score.

 

[jass]

I was right.

Even more shocking is that they added a bike lane for bikes heading towards beacon street and brookline ave.

 

[ablarc]

Looks unsafe.

In the course of time, will a study reveal that bike lanes actually increase cyclist injuries and death?

(The false-confidence thing.)

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

/\ It can't help that they bike lanes are usually an after thought and placed in the most dangerous parts of the road, the "door zone". Most hard core bikers I know don't use bike lanes for the most part because they are better off in traffic. Doors, dumb-ass pedestrians, and double parked cars (police cars a lot of times) all make the bike lane almost not worth the time and money.

 

[kennedy]

The ones in Cambridge were definitely well thought out, even though they were still in the "door zone," there was a buffer of trees, and were inside of the cars rather than on the outside. That was easily the best designed bike lane I've ever seen, although it did seem sort of like it belonged in a brand new city like Orlando.

Note: In a few decades, maybe there'll be no need for bike lanes-so many people will ride them/drive small cars at a reasonable speed, they can all share the road.

 

[cden4]

Looks unsafe.

In the course of time, will a study reveal that bike lanes actually increase cyclist injuries and death?

(The false-confidence thing.)

There have been studies already. None of them have shown any increase in danger or accidents after bike lanes were installed. If anything, studies have shown that bike lanes cause cyclists to ride FURTHER from car doors.

While these lanes in Kenmore may not be perfect, they at least carve out a small slice of roadway for cyclists, most of whom would be normally threading in between the lines of cars in an even smaller space.

The original plan for Kenmore did not have any bike lanes, so I'm quite thankful they were able to adjust the lane widths to make it happen. Another benefit of this is that since the other lanes are now narrower, motorists will be a bit more careful and drive a bit more slowly through the square (when it's not congested of course).

 

[ablarc]

^ Van's "hard-core bikers" and the "studies" appear to disagree. We know who Van is; maybe you could link us to the studies.

 

[cden4]

Sure. Here are some statistic compiled by the City of Cambridge:
http://www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/et/bike/bike_safety.html

Also, Cambridge did a before and after study with the bike lanes on Hampshire St:
http://www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/et/bike/bike_lanes.html#hamp

 

[czsz]

Since they would take up the same amount of space, why can't Boston just do its bike lanes this way?

 

[Lurker]

It is technically illegal to ride a bicycle on sidewalks in Massachusetts. That might be the reason why all bicycle lanes in the state have been created in existing streets, rather than adding a segregated lane to widened sidewalks. I also tend to think that the potential for frequent collisions between oblivious pedestrians and cyclists is probably higher than that between car doors. Some European insurance company probably has done a lot of research on this. Too bad that information isn't common knowledge to pour over.

 

[jass]

It is technically illegal to ride a bicycle on sidewalks in Massachusetts. That might be the reason why all bicycle lanes in the state have been created in existing streets, rather than adding a segregated lane to widened sidewalks. I also tend to think that the potential for frequent collisions between oblivious pedestrians and cyclists is probably higher than that between car doors. Some European insurance company probably has done a lot of research on this. Too bad that information isn't common knowledge to pour over.

Youre 100% wrong. Bikes are allowed in sidewalks in MA with the exception of business districts or specific sidewalks posted otherwise. Cambridhe tends to ban bikes in sidewalks once theyve created a suitable bike lane in the street.

Also, go to the Cambridge developments thread and take a look at the bike lanes down Vasaar street created by MIT. Theyre the european style sidewalk bike lanes.

Ill even save you some clicking:

http://www.archboston.org/community/showthread.php?t=1369&page=19

 

[czsz]

I also tend to think that the potential for frequent collisions between oblivious pedestrians and cyclists is probably higher than that between car doors. Some European insurance company probably has done a lot of research on this. Too bad that information isn't common knowledge to pour over.

The first couple days I was in Berlin, I'd frequently walk along the bike lane...and get screamed at by approaching bikers. A few near-collisions and profane insults later, and I instinctively stayed off the purple part of the sidewalk...just as kids learn not to chase balls into the street.

 

[Lurker]

Jass, I guess I should have checked with my friend Google before making an assumption from my 1979 driving test.

Chapter 85, Section 11B.
Bicycles; operation and equipment; regulations; federal product safety standards, effect; races; violations; penalties
Every person operating a bicycle upon a way, as defined in section one of chapter ninety, shall have the right to use all public ways in the Commonwealth except limited access or express state highways where signs specifically prohibiting bicycles have been posted, and shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the Commonwealth and the special regulations contained in the section, except that: (1) the bicycle operator may keep to the right when passing a motor vehicle which is moving in the travel lane of the way, (2) the bicycle operator shall signal by either hand his intention to stop or turn, and (3) bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks outside business districts when necessary in the interest of safety, unless otherwise directed by local ordinance. A person operating a bicycle on the sidewalk shall yield the right of way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian.
http://www.massbike.org/bikelaw/mass.htm

 

[vanshnookenraggen]

The first couple days I was in Berlin, I'd frequently walk along the bike lane...and get screamed at by approaching bikers. A few near-collisions and profane insults later, and I instinctively stayed off the purple part of the sidewalk...just as kids learn not to chase balls into the street.

An example closer to home - New York closed a lane of traffic on Broadway between 42nd and 34th and did this with it:

New Yorkers have yet to learn this. As nice as this plaza is the bike lane here is totally useless since pedestrians use it as an extension of the sidewalk. When I bike I make it a priority to avoid this part of Broadway entirely.

 

[cden4]

Since they would take up the same amount of space, why can't Boston just do its bike lanes this way?

There actually are a number of folks who are advocating for European-style cycle tracks instead of on-street bike lanes. They work best when they are between the trees and parked cars, at a grade in-between the sidewalk level and street level. This discourages pedestrians from walking in them. However, they do need more width than a typical bike lane (8' as opposed to 5'). The other challenges are the fact that most engineers don't know how to design them, and they are not officially sanctioned by state or federal engineering standards. (I believe the ones on Vassar St were paid for entirely by MIT because of this reason.)

 

[ablarc]

There actually are a number of folks who are advocating for European-style cycle tracks instead of on-street bike lanes. They work best when they are between the trees and parked cars, at a grade in-between the sidewalk level and street level. This discourages pedestrians from walking in them. However, they do need more width than a typical bike lane (8' as opposed to 5'). The other challenges are the fact that most engineers don't know how to design them, and they are not officially sanctioned by state or federal engineering standards. (I believe the ones on Vassar St were paid for entirely by MIT because of this reason.)

... and, judging from the photographs, pedestrians choose to walk in them.

 

[jass]

~Kenmore~
A few weeks ago I noticed that the brand new crosswalks collected large quantities of water. So much so that 2 days after rain anyone using the incline would have to splash through a puddle.

I emailed the MBTA about it, saying that they should get the contractor to fix it while on site.

I got a reply, thanking me and saying theyd look into it.

I thought thats all that would happen.

Imagine my surprise when this week the shiny new crosswalks were dug up again.

Thats right, not only did they listen, but they acted!!!!

Anyway.

Heres the worlds shortest bike lane. It starts where I am, it ends where that other guy is.

 

[kennedy]

Possibly just a marker, reminding drivers that the side of the road is for riders?

 

[jass]

Possibly just a marker, reminding drivers that the side of the road is for riders?

No, its just the fact that the kenmore project ends where the guy is standing (note the change in pavement color). Also note that the double yellow line does not match up.

Different agencies not giving a crap about each other.

You can note the same effect on the brookline/boston border on beacon street where three lanes magically become 2+bike with no merging area or any indication that the lanes have shifted. Brookline did their own project and assumed that one day Boston would match up their lines.

Brookline ave was supposed to have a bike lane from kenmore to the landmark center, but it was recently voted down as it was part of a plan that included removing parking spots.