Boston Is Improving Dangerous Mass. Ave. Intersection
Written by Boston Biker on Aug 31As I noted before, the intersection is definitely under construction.
A protected bike lane, signs calling for turning motorists to yield to pedestrians and cyclists, and optimized traffic signals are some of the improvements coming to the Boston intersection where a bicyclist was killed this month.
The intersection at Massachusetts Avenue and Beacon Street has been repaved, new striping will be applied, and flexible posts protecting the bike lane on Massachusetts Avenue will be installed starting this week, said Vineet Gupta, director of planning for the city’s Transportation Department.
“Our goal is to make it safe for everyone at that intersection,” Gupta said.(via)
I would have liked to see more improvements, but this is a start. Keeping Mass. Ave. to two lanes as it exits the bridge heading into Boston and making the right most lane a protected cycle track with a large curb bump to slow right turning vehicles (the curb bump out could have a cut through for cyclists) would have been more optimal in my opinion. The curb bump out would also make it easier for pedestrians to cross.
Even though they have known it was the most dangerous intersection in the town since at least 2013(pdf), it apparently took a fatal crash to get them to fix it up. While I am very glad they are addressing this concern, will it take a dead cyclist at every dangerous intersection to get these well known problems fixed? The truck drivers name/company still has not been released, and they have still not filed any charges.
It looks to me like he was clearly making a right hand turn from the left most lane. And if the city has these images, they probably have many more. This person needs to be charged with something.
A ban on crazy huge vehicles without escorts should also be put in place.
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By William F on Aug 31, 2015 | Reply
The turning radius on that truck is probably big enough that it can’t use the right turn lane without destroying all the street furniture on the corner.
Agreed about escorts. Articulated tractor trailers like that scare the hell out of me.
I had a dump truck driver stop next to me at a light while I was in the left turn lane and say “Thank you for having lights, they just saved your life.” which was super weird. Uh, thanks for the creepy threatening compliment dump truck driver man? Are you saying you would have killed me on a regular city street if I didn’t have a super bright taillight? Wake the fuck up and slow down in my city, asshole.
By DKB on Aug 31, 2015 | Reply
I’m afraid the “improvements” will only strengthen the false sense of security many cyclists seem to feel when they ride in “the bike lane.”
An attitude like William F’s, which assumes the truck driver who bothered to speak to him is a speeding asshole, doesn’t help either.
By BostonBiker on Aug 31, 2015 | Reply
DKB: You don’t think its a bit strange to ride up to someone and say something like “Good thing you had that bright shirt on, or I would have murdered you with my bicycle” That seems indicative of a messed up mental state towards others especially cyclists.
By DKB on Aug 31, 2015 | Reply
I thought his words were “they saved your life.”
By crankycoffey on Sep 1, 2015 | Reply
I don’t get why the bike lane will be safer to the right of traffic.
Flexible cones or no, cars will still be turning right. I preferred the right turn only lane – at least you knew cars there were probably turning right, and one could stay out of their way! Now it looks like we’ll be forced into harm’s way with the bike lane at the right of all traffic.
I’ll probably continue to ride to the left of cars that are turning right.