Mass Ave Detour

They are tearing up Mass Ave for the next couple weeks…sigh, here is how to deal with it, from the city:

The city will begin construction on Massachusetts Ave from Boylston St to Westland Ave. During the construction, the roadway will be milled then paved with a temporary surface and re-striped with limited* and temporary markings. For the next month, the area will be more uncomfortable for anyone who is biking or driving in the construction zone. If you are biking in the area, please consider taking this alternative route. If you are driving in the area, please be aware that there is an active construction site and you may need to shift lanes.

Please bear with us during construction. Once construction is complete, the roadway will be re-paved and striped with the final markings. — *The temporary markings will be limited to the double yellow centerline and dashed white lines to designate travel lanes. — This is a special alert about the Vision Zero project on Mass Ave. Vision Zero Boston is the City of Boston’s commitment to focus the city’s resources on proven strategies to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes in the city by 2030. To learn more about Vision Zero Boston, visit visionzeroboston.org. Join the mailing list(s) to receive general and project-specific updates.

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Minute Man Under Re-Construction

Be sure to watch this website if you use the Minute Man often.

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Projects Under Construction

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• Minuteman Bikeway Paving Project  (updated 9/14/15)  The Minuteman Bike Trail will be under reconstruction between Bedford Street and Wiggins Avenue in Bedford from Sept 21^th through October 8th^th for paving operations. We will do our best to minimize inconvenience and you should expect delays.  Work will begin at 7:00 am on Monday the 21^th and continue through October 9^th. Work will be Monday through Friday 7:00 AM to dusk. During this time bicycle traffic is encourage to use detours as shown on thisdiagram.There are five alternatives which are described for westbound bicycle traffic. Eastbound bicycle traffic should use the same route in reverse:Alternative 1: From the Bedford Street closure, this detour will be posted with signage at all major junctions.
  • Left onto Bedford Street – .68 mi
  • Right onto Worthen Road – .38 mi
  • Right onto Mass Avenue – 1.01 mi
  • Right onto Wood Street – 1.29 mi
  • Right onto Hartwell Ave – .78 mi
  • Left on to Maguire Road which turns into Summer Street -.37 mi
  • Right onto Wiggins Road-.15 mi

  Alternative 1A for traffic coming from the town center bikes can exit the bike trail at Camilla Place behind the fire Station and connect to alternative 1 at Worthen road. – 500 feet

  Alternative 2, this detour does involve some none paved areas. From the Bedford Street closure. This detour will be posted with signage at all major junctions.

  • Left onto Bedford Street – 150 ft.
  • Right onto Sunny Knoll – .12 mi
  • Right onto Reed Street – .17 mi
  • Left onto Garfield street to the end – .26 mi
  • Travel along the gravel trail to Cedar street – .27 mi
  • Left onto Cedar Street – 275 ft.
  • Right onto Martingale – .17 mi
  • Right onto Freemont – .26 mi
  • Left onto Constitution Road – .17 mi
  • Right onto Paul Revere Road – .20 mi
  • Right onto Mass Ave and follow the remainder of alternative 1

  Alternative 3 for bike traffic coming from Arlington or East Lexington. Avoids the hill on Mass Ave but requires more on-road riding.  Exit the bike trail at the Seasons Four Driveway. This detour will be posted with signage at all major junctions.

  • Take a left onto the Driveway – 270 ft.
  • Left onto Mass Avenue – .31 mi
  • Right onto Marrett Road- 1.9 mi
  • Right onto School Street – .48 mi
  • Left onto Massachusetts Avenue and follow the remainder of alternative 1.

  Alternative 4 – not recommended for recreational bicycle users. From the Bedford closure. This detour will not be posted.

  • Right onto Bedford Street -1.18 mi
  • Bear right into the Jug handle and cross Hartwell at the traffic signal –
  • Proceed to the Hartwell Avenue closure – .62 mi

  Alternative 5 – not recommended for recreational bicycle users. West bound bicycle traffic coming the town center. This detour will not be posted.

  • Right onto Revere Street- 230 ft.
  • Left onto Ledgelawn Avenue- .2 mi
  • Right onto Hamilton Street-  .11 mi
  • Go through the roundabout to Burlington Street – .39 mi
  • Bear left onto Grove Street .73 mi
  • Left onto Eldred Street – .47 mi
  • Right onto Bedford Street then follow the remainder of alternative 4.

Thanks Jennifer for the tip.

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Minute Man Maintenance

Just a heads up, they are working on the path.

All this week from 9:30am-2:30pm between Swan Place (Arlington Center) and Lake Street in Arlington.

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Livable Streets Update

From Livable Streets:

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Save the date: 6th Annual Boston Bike Update Boston Bike Update will be March 27 at the Boston Public Library. It’s that time again. Join us for the 6th (yes 6th!)Annual Boston Bike Update with the Director of Boston Bikes Program, Nicole Freedman. LivableStreets will host this public forum on bicycle planning in Boston so you have the opportunity to get your bike questions answered. Hear the latest on 2013 accomplishments and the path forward under Mayor Martin J Walsh, including: Report back on end of year surveys Connect Historic Boston Network Plan Save the date: Thursday, March 27, 2014  @ Boston Public Library, Copley 5:30pm doors open, 6-7:30pm presentation 7:30-8:30pm Q&A 8:30-10pm LivableStreets member social Interested in sponsoring or volunteering? Email [email protected]. Speaking of surveys… Make your voice heard. Please take the Boston Bikes 2013 End of Year Survey. The survey is one of the best ways Boston Bikes gets feedback on biking in Boston. Take the survey and then pass along to friends, co-workers and neighbors, and hear results at the Bike Update. Take the Boston Bikes survey.   Connect Historic Boston update: Commercial and Causeway Streets   Check out video about Connect Historic Boston  Connect Historic Boston is a project to make traveling to National Park Service sites and other destinations easy, fun, accessible and convenient. The project includes improvements to Causeway Street, Commercial Street, Blackstone Block, Constitution Road and Joy Street, funded by a $15 million TIGER grant. LivableStreets is a partner of Connect Historic Boston as a member of the project’s Working Advisory Group and host of a training that helped plan the initiative. Commercial Street: The North End 4-mile, “family friendly” cycle track design continues to move forward. The current plan also includes the preservation of existing parking, and we are particularly excited about the addition of bike traffic lights at intersections. Details about next meeting here: Tues, Jan 28, 6-7:30pm @ The Nazzaro Center Connect Historic Boston cycle track Causeway Street: The Causeway Street cycle track also continues to move forward. The current plan is to create a 10ft-14ft wide two-way cycle track with a median on the northern side as a pedestrian refuge. Also, the creation of a plaza-like “calm zone,” in front of the TD Garden between Portland and Canal St, is being considered. Read meeting minutes for both streets here. Success story: Cambridge Street community Cambridge St Overpass, Allston Photo credit: Matt Danish After MassDOT first came to the Allston community with finalized plans to revampa crumbling yet crucial bridge between North Allston and Allston Village, a group of neighbors joined forces with a coalition of advocacy groups to fight for better pedestrian and bicycle accommodations on arguably one of the worst stretches of road in the region: Cambridge Street in Allston over I-90. LivableStreets has been working with neighbors and other advocates to push for a livable Cambridge Street. Through this advocacy work, two new public meetings were scheduled.   At the public meetings, the most recent of which was Tuesday, January 14, over 200 local residents came to speak out about slower streets and safer crossings. The coalition of advocates organized the comments into a formal public comment letter cosigned by 14 organizations and 330 residents – and MassDOT listened. The new plans have a sidewalk-level cycle track, better bike and pedestrian connections at the intersections, and a safe, signalized crosswalk on the bridge. The improvements were all won by bringing together designers, the resident, and elected officials through the entire process.   Thanks MassDOT, and congrats to the Cambridge Street community. Read LivableStreets Comment Letters for Cambridge Street Overpass here   Neighborhoods Not Highways: Bowker Overpass   The Emerald Necklace Parks Masterplan Photo credit: Executive Office of Environmental Affairs of MA and Friends of the Charlesgate. MassDOT continues to evaluate long-term options for the Bowker Overpass in Boston, including various options for removing the overpass or rebuilding it, creating a new pedestrian/bike connection between Back Bay Fens and the Charles River Reservation, as well as alternatives for new on and off ramps to the Mass Pike in the Back Bay area to alleviate much of the need for the Bowker Overpass at all. In the meantime, MassDOT is finalizing plans for a 10-year short term structural repair of the Bowker. LivableStreets has been working with neighbors and other advocates to push for grounding the Bowker Overpass, like the Casey Overpass in Jamaica Plain and McGrath in Somerville, and restoring Charlesgate Park. LivableStreets has also been providing recommendations for new Mass Pike ramps that have the least negative impacts on surrounding areas. We also hope to get short-term lighting, maintenance, and artwork improvements under the Overpass for the next 10 years. Stay tuned.

$50 Million for Complete Streets   On January 8th, the House Bonding Committee approved a new Active Streets Certification Program funded at $50 million over the next five years. The action comes after a year of intensive advocacy and organizing by Massachusetts Public Health Association, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the Act FRESH Campaign (which LivableStreets is a member of) and many other allies.   Walking, biking and using public transit across the Commonwealth will be made easier and safer by this program. Streets better balanced for everyone getting around will provide health benefits, advance health equity, and provide economic and environmental benefits to communities large and small across the state.

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New Longfellow Bridge Experience

(picture from the globe)

I got my first chance to ride over the Longfellow this morning with the new traffic layout.  And I have to say its pretty nice.  They need to address some of the lights after you are off the bridge (inbound from Cambridge) to make the left hand turns safer, but other than that it was great.  I think the car drivers have learned to go someplace else/take the T/ride there bike, because there were almost no cars, and A LOT more cyclists than usual.

It would be great if they just left it one lane in each direction and put in giant sidewalks and bike lanes…but I don’t think we are there yet.  Good to know the bridge can function just fine with “extra” bike/ped accommodations though.

Anyone else ride over it yet?  Any other thoughts?

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