Storrow Drive Talk

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Ron Newman

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Meg Mainzer is also wrong when she opposes efforts to calm Storrow Drive into more of a park boulevard and reconnect the Charles River Esplanade to the Back Bay.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

Storrow Dr. is an artery that can't be reduced without severly affecting traffic flow. It's Boston's West Side Highway or FDR. Building over it is the only real option.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

And NYC removed much of its West Side Highway without ill effect.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

If smart (meaning self adjusting timing & signaling) traffic light systems were installed on Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, Boylston Street, and perhaps the Dartmouth Street Bridge was built, most of the traffic on Storrow Drive could be diverted to other thoroughfares without any negative effects.

I'm really suprised smart systems haven't been employed around Back Bay, the Prudential Center, Stuart Street, St.James, and Boylston. There are significant delays and idling of cars at every intersection because of lights not being able to dynamically signal or change their timing based on current demand throughout the day.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

Does Storrow Drive serve any major purpose that the Pike does not? In some places they essentially overlap.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

when was the Darmounth st bridge proposed? never heard of that one?^
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

yigal said:
Does Storrow Drive serve any major purpose that the Pike does not? In some places they essentially overlap.
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I'm guessing people driving in from north of boston on 93 or Rte 1 would take storrow to access the Back Bay or Longwood Medical Area. The Pike doesn't work that well for westbound commuters trying to exit. Although someone could take the new slingshot ramp then back track eastbound on pike and exit at the Back Bay area.
 
Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

Lurker said:
If smart (meaning self adjusting timing & signaling) traffic light systems were installed on Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, Boylston Street, and perhaps the Dartmouth Street Bridge was built, most of the traffic on Storrow Drive could be diverted to other thoroughfares without any negative effects.

I'm really suprised smart systems haven't been employed around Back Bay, the Prudential Center, Stuart Street, St.James, and Boylston. There are significant delays and idling of cars at every intersection because of lights not being able to dynamically signal or change their timing based on current demand throughout the day.
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They've been making adjustments as we speak:

http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2008/10/01/boston_tunes_up_stoplights_to_save_gas_time/

Boston stoplight tune-ups seen saving gas, driver's time
By Globe Staff
October 1, 2008

Boston drivers waste hundreds of thousands of hours stuck at traffic lights -- and hundreds of thousands of gallons of precious gasoline as their cars idle. Now the city says it's moving to adjust the lights -- saving people's time and the planet at the same time.

Timing adjustments to the lights at 60 intersections in the Back Bay this summer have sharply reduced traffic delays, city officials said today. The officials estimated that, on an annual basis, the adjustments will save 135,000 hours of people's time and 125,000 gallons of gasoline, while eliminating 9.5 tons of carbon monoxide emissions.

The city says it's now expanding the fine-tuning of lights citywide. A second phase of the project is nearly complete, with 29 more signals in six neighborhoods adjusted. After that, another 91 signals will be adjusted.

"To cut fuel consumption and reduce emissions is a great accomplishment, and easing traffic congestion in the process is icing on the cake," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said in a statement.

"We're always looking at ways in which we can lower our emissions and be smarter about moving traffic," Thomas J. Tinlin, the city transportation commissioner, said.

What's your least-favorite intersection? Write us with your pick at crowland@globe.com.
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Re: Copley Place plan calls for condo tower

Lurker said:
If smart (meaning self adjusting timing & signaling) traffic light systems were installed on Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street, Boylston Street, and perhaps the Dartmouth Street Bridge was built, most of the traffic on Storrow Drive could be diverted to other thoroughfares without any negative effects.
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(emphasis mine).

If there is any real benefit of Storrow Drive, it is that it does keep traffic off of local streets.
 
But it would be better to have all of that traffic on local streets in exchange for being able to walk from any street directly onto the Esplanade.
 
^ That could be debated endlessly without resolution --even after implementation.
 
Does anyone know if a decision has been made regarding traffic arrangements during the tunnel reconstruction?
 
They should have spent the money on smart lights. No one should ever have to wait for red lights when there is no cross or turning traffic requiring a green. Dynamic timing would probably eliminate 85% of the idling in city traffic. Imagine how much time, gas, and exhaust that would save.
 
Keep storrow drive the way it is. I agree that is analogous to FDR of NYC. It is an essential artery.

If you're coming from the south (like Roslindale, JP), storrow is definitely the best way to get to route 1 or the tobin.

If you take 90 to get to the tobin you would have to hop on 93 north and sit in the central artery traffic. Even if this isn't as slow as moving, it's a longer distance regardless.
________
Honda VTX1300R
 
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Honestly I have to agree. It sucks but there are much worse things. At the most replacing Storrow Dr would just give abutters higher real estate values. I don't live there so I don't care.
 
Ohhhhhhhhhh! They're actually going to work on the light timing issue? I can't believe it! Yes!! It's such a necessary thing. There is no downside...less frustration, less wasted time, less wasted gas. There is simply no excuse for not doing it and it should have been done a long time ago.

On the mystic valley parkway in Medford it actually has signs that say "signals timed to require frequent stops". Great. Frequent stops on a critical artery that almost no one ever walks along. Its absolutely ridiculous.

Storrow is one of the roads around here that I think actually works. Back when I was taking a few classes at BU to finish up my degree I was able to zip in and out of the city on it with no problems even during relatively congested periods. Even now from work in Charlestown I can run up to T Anthony's for lunch with very little delay. Getting rid of Storrow or making it smaller is definitely not a good idea on any level. I don't see light timings or anything like that making up for it, especially when there's thousands of people trying to get to Kenmore.
 
Lurker said:
They should have spent the money on smart lights. No one should ever have to wait for red lights when there is no cross or turning traffic requiring a green. Dynamic timing would probably eliminate 85% of the idling in city traffic. Imagine how much time, gas, and exhaust that would save.
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No, they should have spent the money on pedestrian centric crossings, traffic calming and frequent pedestrian light cycles. Do everything possible to discourage the use of automobiles in the center city, and encourage pedestrians.

Get the gas guzzling, poison spewing dinosaurs off our city streets! Walk (it's good for you), take the T, stop sitting behind the wheel of your 6 ton SUV.
 
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