Commonwealth Avenue Improvement Project

[Ron Newman]

It's somewhat out of the way, requires climbing up and down stairs, and is inaccessible to strollers and wheelchairs (as only the south side has an elevator). It's also a place to avoid before or after a Red Sox game. I'm glad it's there, but it's not a substitute for a crosswalk.

 

[cden4]

Regarding that crosswalk, I wonder if that's the final configuration or an interim one. The whole square is being reconstructed, but I'm not sure what the final plan looks like.

 

[jass]

It's somewhat out of the way, requires climbing up and down stairs, and is inaccessible to strollers and wheelchairs (as only the south side has an elevator). It's also a place to avoid before or after a Red Sox game. I'm glad it's there, but it's not a substitute for a crosswalk.

It also crossed the square diagonally in the "wrong" way. Its shorter to walk above ground.

 

[jass]

Regarding that crosswalk, I wonder if that's the final configuration or an interim one. The whole square is being reconstructed, but I'm not sure what the final plan looks like.

 

[cden4]

Cool, thanks! So if they are indeed following those plans, the crosswalk should be reconfigured to be a straight shot once again when they redo the median.

 

[ckb]

Cool, thanks! So if they are indeed following those plans, the crosswalk should be reconfigured to be a straight shot once again when they redo the median.

in 2010.

Sorry I mean, Spring 2007.

What, its March 2008? Oh.

 

[jass]

I was in paris last week, and rode the new Tramline 3, which reminded me ALOT of the B line. What made me sad, is seeing that the avenue the line runs through was obviously completely redone, and its beautiful...so much missed potential for the CAP.

So Ive decided to try to talk to some people involved with the project, and see what can be improved.

Its probably too late to demand a medium separated bike ROW (which seemingly ever new bike lane in the western hemisphere, including Manhattan has).

Its also too late to demand quality materials. In paris, the avenue had stone for pedestrians, concrete for the bike lane (with brick to denote the lane), and cobblestone for parked cars.

Heres a picture from last year. Note the walkway, the trees, the (unfinished in the picture) bike lane.
http://www.nvo.com/stavy/nss-folder/kidssection/1IMG_0509.JPG

But there are other problems that can be adressed.

1) Parking meters. I noticed today that no gaps were left in the new brick for meters. comm ave has had free parking for almost a year now, but I assume they dont plan on keeping it this way.

Knowing boston, in 5 months someone will come along, rip up the new brick, and install meters. We need the new electronic ones in use on newbury street and church street.

2) Trash cans. I havent seen one. We need the solar powered compactors being deployed around the city.

3) Recycling. Same as trash

4) MBTA line. Its ugly as hell. Observe what paris did

We need something like this. Drop the fences and metal barriers. This isnt a highway. I didnt hear a single tram bell or horn in paris, yet no one was getting run over.

Anyone know who to contact? I havent found a single email for someone in charge.

 

[cden4]

The Comm Ave project actually does include the widening of station platforms as well as the planting of trees throughout the trolley reservation. Separated bike lanes would be nice, but given the amount of effort it has taken for advocacy groups to get simple on-road bike lanes, I doubt they would ever happen, let alone be designed well.

One thing that sticks out about the Paris design is how little parking is provided. If only Boston were not afraid to give up parking for more green space, dedicated bicycle space, pedestrian space, etc...

 

[jass]

The Comm Ave project actually does include the widening of station platforms as well as the planting of trees throughout the trolley reservation. Separated bike lanes would be nice, but given the amount of effort it has taken for advocacy groups to get simple on-road bike lanes, I doubt they would ever happen, let alone be designed well.

One thing that sticks out about the Paris design is how little parking is provided. If only Boston were not afraid to give up parking for more green space, dedicated bicycle space, pedestrian space, etc...

I dont think any of the stations will be widened. They were modernized a few years ago. Only blandford street is too narrow, and the only way to make it bigger is to eliminate the left turn lane....which also delays the B line, and so, should go.

This render

Doesnt show the left turn lane, but I doubt it's accuracy.


While the new New York bike lane isnt nearly as nice as the paris one, it is much more useful than a painted strip

This is what we need.

 

[Suffolk 83]

where's the room for it?

 

[singbat]

I was in paris last week...

4) MBTA line. Its ugly as hell. Observe what paris did

Not to say you're wrong or that Boston can't do better, but Paris is the metropole of a 2+ trillion dollar economy vs. Boston's $300 billion economic area.

now, let me not be the last to say it's not fair to Paris to compare her to Boston, but...

 

[jass]

where's the room for it?

There is room on comm ave for a seperated bike lane. A painted one is already planned, as theyre reducing one lane of traffic. Adding 6 inches of median, at the expense of some of the MBTA expansion would be very easy.

Also, google maps has an old image of paris. Look at the street in the pictures, and now look at it 3ish years ago.
Now:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/52/Paris_Tram_T3.JPG/800px-Paris_Tram_T3.JPG
Then:

They found room

Not to say you're wrong or that Boston can't do better, but Paris is the metropole of a 2+ trillion dollar economy vs. Boston's $300 billion economic area.

now, let me not be the last to say it's not fair to Paris to compare her to Boston, but...

The tramway avenue is not near the center though. In fact, the reason its a tram and not a metro line is because the area lacks density. If paris can afford to set this up at the bottom of the city Boston should be able to spruce up the nations busiest light rail line.

I think comparing Comm Ave with Avenue Jourdan is very fair.


Basically, my problem is that a redesign like this comes around once every 75 years at most. Im sad theyre not doing it right. Im not calling for cobblestone or granite, Im calling for marginal increases...concrete divide instead of a white line, solar trash cans instead of bright green ones, and electric parking instead of ugly meters.

 

[Scott]

What we also have in Boston is the possibility of building a comprehensive system of bike trails that are not on roads at all. The right of ways are there and all it needs is the will to make it happen.

 

[Riverworks]

This thread makes me think about the elegant parkways of the Robert Moses era. That's what we need. I just bought "Robert Moses and the Modern City" ... it really is a great book ... one that Boston urban planners can learn from. Given there is a time gap, Boston is still being transformed by the automobile (with no thanks to the MBTA )

I love driving in Long Island and the Boroughs. Even though a lot has developed since the 1930's - 1950's, you can still see where Moses payed attention to individual details. The swerving roads, wide stone over passes ... Ahhh.

We kind of get that with Storrow Drive ... and people LOVE IT ... we just need more of it.

We have plenty of parks, but parkways we need more of I think.

 

[czsz]

Yes, what we need is to spend more time and money encouraging people to drive.

 

[briv]

We have plenty of parkways already. They were a dumb idea when they were first conceived, and they're a dumb idea now. Basically, the entire Emerald Necklace is lined with them. They're pretty much surface freeways that cut the park system off from the pedestrians in the neighborhoods around them.

 

[Lrfox]

Ahhh. Robert Moses, subject of The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro. I take it you haven't read that book yet, Riverworks?

No question about it, parkways are pretty when you drive on them, but the fun ends there. Placing new ones would cut up neighborhoods, and as CZSZ pointed out, encourage more people to use their cars. Boston (and any city for that matter) needs that like it needs a hole in its head. We tried orienting development around the car before, remember how that turned out?

 

[Riverworks]

Yes, what we need is to spend more time and money encouraging people to drive.

It's a reality we have to live with ... cars will always be the most popular mode of transportation in Boston ... or until the MBTA can get their act together. I'm a huge fan of rail and that should be our first priority ... but our existing road infrastructure is dying ... and auto numbers will always increase ... both need to be maintained.

And Briv, I agree that those parkways don't work as well as they should... but the parkway doesn't disconnect people from the park ... I was just trying to say that Comm Ave. is a sort of parkway (the way they're reconstructing it). There needs a be a balance of parks, automobiles, and urban density (neighborhoods) for it work successfully. The Emerald Necklace is missing the density (people) part.

 

[Ron Newman]

I'd like to turn the parkways back into what they were originally intended to be -- tree-lined roads through a linear park. This is what McGrath-O'Brien Highway started out as. It still looks that way further north, where the name changes to Fellsway.

 

[Riverworks]

Ahhh. Robert Moses, subject of The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro. I take it you haven't read that book yet, Riverworks?

Hehe I have indeed ... that is also in my collection. And many of his points are valid and, yes, the Central Artery was a similar downfall.

But what else is there to do? Put everything underground and disconnect ourselves from the city completely? Most of us read that article several weeks back that people are starting to miss the old rusty giant. Rail is obviously one of the better choices, but it doesn't apply to everyone.

I'm not talking just about Boston here, but places like Revere and Lynn that are so congested. Even with a proposed Blue Line to Lynn, and maybe a Wonderland stop on the commuter rail, 1A is one of the Northshore's busiest roadways. I was just dreaming on my way to work how nice it would be if the roadway was transformed into a beautiful seaside drive. I know you must think I'm crazy, but even with rail, this route will still have to be maintained .. as well as many other highways around Boston ... and the question is ... how does one successfully do that in our time?

Sorry for my commuter woes