Tag: MassDOT
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Dummer yet
Let’s take a look at the intersection of Essex Street with Dummer Street in Brookline over the years, with the aid of Google Street Views. Essex Street leads south from Commonwealth Avenue opposite the Boston University Bridge — see Google map. In 2007, Essex Street had parking on the west side, which resulted in wrong-way…
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Non-responsive signal actuators in Waltham
Why are we still seeing traffic-signal actuators which won’t trigger the signal for bicycles or motorcycles? I have made a short video of a Waltham intersection, Bedford and South Streets. This illustrates the problem which a bicyclist or motorcyclist faces with many traffic-signal actuators. Another issue at this same intersection is that many westbound motorists…
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Massachusetts Highway Department advice on bicycle detection
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation Project Development and Design Guide, published in 2006, is recognized as pioneering in its call for street design “from the outside in,” recognizing the need to provide for pedestrians and bicyclists. The Guide is explicit in its requirement that traffic signals work for bicyclists, but does not give detailed actuator…
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Some questions about bicyclists’ rights in Massachusetts
The bicyclists’ advocacy organization Massbike has as of today, November 27, 2018, posted a quiz online and promoted it in an e-mail, and the first question is “True or false: Massachusetts law considers a bicycle to be a vehicle.” Massbike says true, and gives this explanation: It’s true! The law considers a bike a vehicle.…
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More comments on the I-90 Allston Interchange project.
Some important improvements: parkland along the Charles, an overpass over Soldiers Field Road and a better Franklin Street overpass, but also same old, same old, People’s Pillar to Post instead of a People’s Pike. My comments following the December 8 public meeting are online. More extensive earlier comments are in another post on this blog.
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My comments on the North Washington Street Bridge project
The comments below were addressed to Patricia Leavenworth, Chief Engineer at MassDOT. ATTN: Bridge Project Management, Project File No. 604173 Dear Ms. Leavenworth: I attended the 75% design about the North Washington Street bridge project on October 19, and I am commenting on that project. The quote below is on page 13 of the minutes…
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Some Plain Talk about Plainville
The town manager in Plainville, Massachusetts, has complained about a new bike lane which has been installed in connection with upgrading of a casino by the side of Washington Street, US Route 1. He thinks that the bike lane should be removed, because he considers it unsafe. You may hear about this in a news…
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Report on public hearing on Causeway Street project
This is a detailed report on the 25% design phase public hearing about reconstruction of Causeway Street, held at TD BankNorth Garden, August 8, 2012 Video of the meeting — and the north End Waterfront Association has numerous videos of subsequent meetings. The meeting was a bit hard to find — entry was just inside…
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My opinions about the Causeway Street project
[Interpolated comments as of December 30, 2024] The discussion about bicycling at last night’s public hearing about Causeway Street reconstruction quickly devolved into a debate between the consultant and various advocates over whether there should be a “cycle track” on Causeway Street. Advocates for the cycle track included Steve Miller from Livable Streets, and two…
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Metrowest report is online again.
In 1993, I conducted a survey of the western suburbs of Boston under a contract from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (now part of the Department of Conservation and Recreation) and the Cerntral Transportation Planning Staff. The project report was posted for several years on the Web site of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition, but…