General Infrastructure

king_vibe said:
If you don't get LRV on day one, you will never ever get it.
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Probably true in most cases. but I'm a fan of "futuring" the design of a project so that it doesn't prevent something like light rail from happening in the future. Here's how I would configure the new Tobin Bridge: a two level double-deck bridge with outbound general traffic and a 2-way busway on the lower level, and inbound general traffic and a wide ped/bike trail on the upper level. The busway (on the lower level) would be built at % grades and strength to allow it to be converted to LRV at some future date. But I agree that the bridge and the light rail line should be built at the same time.
 
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king_vibe said:
If you don't get LRV on day one, you will never ever get it.
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Seattle built in extra space on their evergreen point floating bridge across lake washington which was used as hov/bus lanes for a while until the future rail extension was built. Its now almost finished being converted for lrv use and will be the only floating rail bridge in the world. If they hadnt had the foresight to bake it in back then the project today would have cost billions more and would have had a much higher chance of not happening at all.

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stick n move said:
Seattle built in extra space on their evergreen point floating bridge across lake washington which was used as hov/bus lanes for a while until the future rail extension was built. Its now almost finished being converted for lrv use and will be the only floating rail bridge in the world. If they hadnt had the foresight to bake it in back then the project today would have cost billions more and would have had a much higher chance of not happening at all.

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assuming they make the Tobin replacement similar to the current bridge, it's gotta be way harder to do major construction like adding rail afterwards right?
 
WarpedReality said:
The Woodrow Wilson Bridge along the Washington DC beltway is another example of a road bridge that was built with extra space for a hypothetical future metrorail line.
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The trick with both of those was that they were pretty low, meaning that the shallower grade required for rail approaches didn't matter...
 
Delvin4519 said:
It could also possibly provide route 111 buses the ability to make stops in Charlestown, which would increase transit service by about 600% or so in the neighborhood near the Navy Yard.
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that only works if its only median separated bus lanes that can exit/enter into Charlestown.
 
stefal said:
24 month long conceptual study with a robust community engagement process..

Someone needs to shake up how infrastructure works. I thought we were getting that with new leadership but it appears not
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For a project of this magnitude I'd expect nothing less.
 
It's going to be kind of tricky to build the new bridge while leaving the old one in service. On the Boston side it should be fairly straightforward to tie the approach from the tunnel into the new bridge, maybe with a temporary section like they did with the I-93 Decks, but I can't see how you'd tie in the Chelsea side without knocking down a lot of people's houses.
 
Equilibria said:
The trick with both of those was that they were pretty low, meaning that the shallower grade required for rail approaches didn't matter...
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The WW bridge is a moveable bridge. I wonder what differences there are (if any) between the clearance requirements on the Mystic and Potomac Rivers. :unsure:
 
www.universalhub.com

Work begins on traffic-calming re-do of Centre Street in West Roxbury

A contractor hired by BTD has begun tearing up pedestrian crossings along Centre Street in West Roxbury as the first phase of a project that will reconfigure the road from four car travel lanes to two, with new center turning lanes, pedestrian crossings and dedicated bike lanes along the...
www.universalhub.com www.universalhub.com

West Roxbury Centre street road diet has begun
 
Bowler Overpass Public Information Meeting Coming Up.

Thursday, October 26th. 6:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

From the Press Release:

MassDOT is replacing and widening the bridge superstructure of the structurally deficient Bowker Overpass over I-90 to better manage traffic patterns, maximize parkland, and reestablish the connection between the Emerald Necklace and the neighborhood.
 
HenryAlan said:
It is beyond crazy how long this project has taken. I have been wanting to use these under construction bike lanes for a couple of years. Why does it take so long?
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Yeah, when did this start? I hardly ever bike in this area but I do find myself driving there on occasion, but every time I do it feels like the project has stagnated, last time I was there they did some of the most aggressive milling/raised castings that looked brutal to bike on
 
grand_junction said:
Yeah, when did this start?
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Early 2020, at the latest. I know this, because they had begun the work when I was still bike commuting to the South End on a daily basis, something I haven't done since March of that year. We can cut them some slack for pandemic related disruptions, but we are well past three years to do what? Some repaving, some concrete poring... what else?
 
HenryAlan said:
Early 2020, at the latest. I know this, because they had begun the work when I was still bike commuting to the South End on a daily basis, something I haven't done since March of that year. We can cut them some slack for pandemic related disruptions, but we are well past three years to do what? Some repaving, some concrete poring... what else?
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I passed by the other day and they had spray painted lines for parking spaces and crosswalks, looking like they'll actually be painting and finishing parts soon. But like you say, I've had that same "soon" thought every I've passed for a year or more.

It's been a frustrating street in part because a lot of the construction has been functionally done for a while. Like, there could have been an awesome, usable bike lane for most of a year on many blocks. They just didn't put paint down, so cars park along the curb and block the multi-million dollar bike lane they just built.
 
ritchiew said:
I passed by the other day and they had spray painted lines for parking spaces and crosswalks, looking like they'll actually be painting and finishing parts soon. But like you say, I've had that same "soon" thought every I've passed for a year or more.

It's been a frustrating street in part because a lot of the construction has been functionally done for a while. Like, there could have been an awesome, usable bike lane for most of a year on many blocks. They just didn't put paint down, so cars park along the curb and block the multi-million dollar bike lane they just built.
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I know they aren't as expansive reconstructions as what is happening on Tremont, but the Cambridge has really impressed me with the speed at which it has reconstructed places like Hampshire and Brattle in recent years, with solid new protected cycle infra. Boston seems to either install new bike infra without fixing the underlying surface (rendering the new lanes in states ranging from uncomfortable to borderline dangerous) or take what seems like years to do the full street reconstructions (e.g. Comm, Tremont).
 
Delvin4519 said:
Just in: Streetsblog has obtained a map of installation of speed humps:

mass.streetsblog.org

Wu Admin Announces 'Safety Surge' of Traffic Calming for Neighborhood Streets - Streetsblog Massachusetts

The city says it aims to install up to 500 new speed humps and redesign at least two dozen intersections every year.
mass.streetsblog.org mass.streetsblog.org

View attachment 38264
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I'd like to see these on some of the more major roadways near me, like Walter, Weld, Robert. The Fire Dept will surely squawk but there's no good reason this could not be done safely with enough markings for emergency vehicles.
 
#bancars said:
I know they aren't as expansive reconstructions as what is happening on Tremont, but the Cambridge has really impressed me with the speed at which it has reconstructed places like Hampshire and Brattle in recent years, with solid new protected cycle infra. Boston seems to either install new bike infra without fixing the underlying surface (rendering the new lanes in states ranging from uncomfortable to borderline dangerous) or take what seems like years to do the full street reconstructions (e.g. Comm, Tremont).
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Quickbuilds in Cambridge are great, and they're really well done. That being said, from a technical/design perspective, they're basically identical to what Boston has done on Cambridge St NB, South Huntington, etc--just flex posts and paint, no digging or curb reconstruction. And despite this, Cambridge has been able to build a much more substantial network in the same amount of time.

The issue is less about the technical constraints and more about political will and avoiding projects getting bogged down in meetings, review, stakeholder complaints, etc (just see Charles Street from the circle to the common--perfect candidate and yet locked up in complaints from business owners along the street.

The Cambridge process, and it's Cycling Safety Ordinance, force the city to build and take action rather than delaying over and over, because it has strict timelines and success criteria. If Boston is serious about this, they must consider a similar strategy.
 
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