bostonbiker

Tag: safety

  • MHD bicycle detection document

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    jsallen
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    The Massachusetts Highway Department published the document Bicycle Detection at Signalized Intersections in 1998. This includes the recommendations for quadrupole loops in the 1986 San Diego study, which is cited as a reference. The Massachusetts document reflects progress, in recognizing the importance of bicycle detection, but includes some recommendations which reflect an inadequate understanding of…

  • Meng Jin, and Charles River Dam Road

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    jsallen
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    MIT student Meng Jin died as he rode up to and past the corner in a bike lane on Museum Way, to the right of a truck that turned right onto Charles River Dam Road. That tragedy has led to a call for barrier-separated bike lanes on Charles River Dam Road, a non sequitur, in…

  • Connect Historic Boston complaint

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    jsallen
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    Charles Denison, who is generally in favor of infrastructure projects, expresses his dislike of the part of the Connect Historic Boston project on Causeway Street.

  • Seen in Lexington

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    jsallen
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    I have not yet ridden on the stretch of Massachusetts Avenue where bike lanes have been placed to the right of parked cars. I missed that opportunity when my bicycle had a flat tire and I couldn’t fix the inner tube — so I Ubered up to Ride Studio Café to buy and install a…

  • What is the authority for this sign?

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    jsallen
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    The sign in this photo, which I have copied from a Facebook post, is well-intentioned, but it arouses very mixed feelings in me. I have no sympathy for people who ride at unsafe speeds around other path users, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD9u01lVxe8. There was a death on the Minuteman path in Lexington, Massachusetts this year resulting from…

  • Dummer yet

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    jsallen
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    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…

  • Micromobility bills before the Massachusetts Legislature, 2019

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    jsallen
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    I have prepared extensive comments on transportation bills currently in the Massachusetts legislature. Most bills are about micromobility devices, electric bicycles and various safety measures. My comments also include a slightly different version of the observations about Massachusetts traffic law in general which I have posted elsewhere.  

  • Massachusetts traffic law, the nation’s most disorganized and confusing

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    jsallen
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    As my comments on Massachusetts traffic law may be of interest to people outside Massachusetts, I have posted the comment in a different blog.

  • Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, Boston petition on Change.org

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    jsallen
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    One Joshua Grolman has published a petition on Change. org asking for “protected bike lanes” on Centre Street, the main street through the Jamaica Plain neighborhood in Boston. Centre Street is two-way, narrowed by parallel parking on both sides everywhere except at special locations — bus stops, turn lanes, approaches to intersections etc. While the…

  • Non-responsive signal actuators in Waltham

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    jsallen
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    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…