Lyrik Back Bay | 1001 Boylston Street (Parcel 12) | Back Bay

[FK4]

Bike safety experience on this stretch is night and day now. Used to feel like taking your life in your hands, mixed traffic, on Mass Ave, and competing with cars revving up to turn onto a highway onramp.

 

[#bancars]

Bike safety experience on this stretch is night and day now. Used to feel like taking your life in your hands, mixed traffic, on Mass Ave, and competing with cars revving up to turn onto a highway onramp.

It's definitely better, but the intersection treatment at Newbury & Mass leaves a lot to be desired. The rumblestrips they have on the ground by the corner on each side of the crosswalk don't seem to deter drivers at all--nearly everyone turning onto the highway just runs right over them, usually at an aggressive speed (with regular red-light running after bikes have the green signal). If the purpose is to get drivers to slow down and make 90-degree turns then the design is failing completely.

The Boylston & Mass intersection is a little better as it actually has two protected corners, but still could be better. The placement of the BlueBike station adjacent to the bus stop funnels a ton of pedestrians straight into the cycletrack causing more conflict than is necessary I think.

 

[FK4]

It's definitely better, but the intersection treatment at Newbury & Mass leaves a lot to be desired. The rumblestrips they have on the ground by the corner on each side of the crosswalk don't seem to deter drivers at all--nearly everyone turning onto the highway just runs right over them, usually at an aggressive speed (with regular red-light running after bikes have the green signal). If the purpose is to get drivers to slow down and make 90-degree turns then the design is failing completely.

I was gonna add to my post, but for once decided to not add the pessimism, that the northbound leg of Mass here still needs some treatment. I do think overall, because of the narrowing of Boylston, and the protected lanes on most of Mass, it presents a more "take it seriously" driving feeling all around here and has made things better. But I agree with you—even the southbound lane of Mass needs something more. I think the psychology of driving is often missed in planning and the psychology of the driver when their mindspace is, "I am about to turn onto an interstate highway onramp" inevitably is loading their mind with cues to speed up and get ready to floor it. Coupled with the fact that when I am biking, I intuitively assume that anywhere near a highway entrance or offramp is likely to have drivers from out of town (ie, danger). So even more is needed here. But likewise, the overall "feeling" of driving around here is wayyyy more constricted, more squashed, more flex posts, more painted lanes, and that tends to make people slow down even just by dint of being anxiety provoking. Scare the driver!

 

[Blackbird]

Was able to stop by here today with the beautiful weather. Thought the space was gorgeous. Very impressed!

 

[shmessy]

How do you build a skyscraper over a highway? Developer Steve Samuels found out. - The Boston Globe

The developer of the first ‘air-rights’ construction project over the Massachusetts Turnpike in decades talks about his vision for stitching the city together.

www.bostonglobe.com

 

[Jeremi]

How do you build a skyscraper over a highway? Developer Steve Samuels found out. - The Boston Globe

The developer of the first ‘air-rights’ construction project over the Massachusetts Turnpike in decades talks about his vision for stitching the city together.

www.bostonglobe.com

View attachment 58919

Give him Parcels 13 and 14! Give him whatever he wants!

 

[themissinglink]

Give him Parcels 13 and 14! Give him whatever he wants!

I wish.

This is what he said about his involvement in future air rights:

Having played the long game in bringing this building to life, Samuels isn’t breaking ground on a new air rights project again anytime soon. And the city is a far different place today than when he started, with both office work and the retail landscape still adjusting to the long-term impact of the pandemic. But Samuels says he’s bullish on Boston, and on the city’s ability to reimagine itself in the years ahead.

 

[JeffDowntown]

How do you build a skyscraper over a highway? Developer Steve Samuels found out. - The Boston Globe

The developer of the first ‘air-rights’ construction project over the Massachusetts Turnpike in decades talks about his vision for stitching the city together.

www.bostonglobe.com

View attachment 58919

Noted a curious feature near to the project in this photo. What is up with the new looking stairs coming down from Ipswich Street and the apparent grade crossing of the train tracks; southwest edge of the project area (upper right in image)?

 

[Equilibria]

Noted a curious feature near to the project in this photo. What is up with the new looking stairs coming down from Ipswich Street and the apparent grade crossing of the train tracks; southwest edge of the project area (upper right in image)?

Access to build the columns between the tracks and the road with the Pike open?

 

[JeffDowntown]

Access to build the columns between the tracks and the road with the Pike open?

I thought that, but the stairs don't seem to be very useful construction access. The grade crossing makes some sense, although access other than the stairs is not apparent.