Photo of the Day, Boston Style - Part Deux

Status
Not open for further replies.
2270481616_45e70a6b8c.jpg
Wharf District Parks w/ Zakim
 
A view down Pearl Street
Verizon on the LEFT

2270569426_6fcc53603e.jpg


as viewed from 125 High Street Window.
Taken in 2004
 
True, but the financial district's telephone switching equipment had to go somewhere. Now that this equipment takes up a lot less space, perhaps that fa?ade can be modified to open up storefronts or offices to the street.
 
Things you wouldn't know unless you watched the construction: the office building in the center of the Kendall Square photo was built above and around an MBTA power substation.
 
What do people think of those bike/pedestrian sidewalks they put up by the Stata center? I've only been on them when they're pretty empty, but do they work well during busy hours?
 
Those are technically called "cycle tracks", and are very similar to what is found in Europe for bicycle accommodation along roadways. Based on what I've heard, some people around here like them, others don't. There are a few problems with the way they were designed and built, mainly that unlike most of their European counterparts, the cycle tracks were built at the same grade as the sidewalk, which results in pedestrians wandering into them. The idea is that the pedestrians walk on the sidewalk part and the bicyclists use the cycle track part. Also, there have been some issues with snow plowing where the cycle tracks have been inaccessible to bicyclists.

Personally, I don't love them, and I don't hate them. I am just as comfortable riding in the road, but I don't think I'm necessarily the intended audience.
 
They have them in Berlin - they even have a traffic light system independent of pedestrian walk signals or auto traffic lights. If pedestrians wander on them, cyclists see it as a matter of right to yell and/or clip them as they stream by - which is something of an issue, since a neophyte doesn't necessarily understand at first glance what the big purple stripe on the sidewalk is for.
 
For what it's worth, I rode in the streetbed when I made my way down Vassar. To me I'd just assume keep riding where I was -- in the road -- and especially so when I don't perceive the street to be particularly hazardous.
 
The tragedy is that the all new commonwealth avenue by BU.....will have a line designating a bike lane in the street, not a separated ROW as is standard these days
 
czsz said:
They have them in Berlin - they even have a traffic light system independent of pedestrian walk signals or auto traffic lights.
Click to expand...

Part of the challenge is that they are so new to the Boston area that they end up confusing people more than anything. It's a chicken and egg problem. If Boston had a whole network of cycle tracks with separate signals where appropriate, I think they would work well. However, just having one or two throws people for a loop. They don't quite know what to expect.

Given how much work it takes just to get simple on-road bike lanes in many places, though, I think pushing for a cycle track network is an even harder task, especially since basically none of the US design manuals say anything about them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Back
Top