Celebrate Comm Ave Improvements (Part 2) This Friday

A bunch of big wigs will be on hand to celebrate the second phase of the Comm. Ave. improvement project.  Come check it out.

From Livable Streets:

——————

This Friday, we are excited to celebrate the groundbreaking of the second phase of the Commonwealth Ave project!

Thanks to the work of LivableStreets advocates like you, our partner advocacy groups, and many others, we were able secure a plan for Comm Ave that includes crucial improvements like protected bike lanes, raised crosswalks, improved bus stops, and transit signal priority for the Green Line and 57 bus. This is a landmark improvement and a big victory for the 100,000 people using Commonwealth Ave.

If you are available, join Governor Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, Federal Highway Division Administrator Jeff McEwen, Highway Administrator Thomas Tinlin, Boston University President Robert Brown and others to break ground on the second phase of the Commonwealth Avenue improvement project.

Event Details:
Commonwealth Ave Groundbreaking
Friday, October 28, 3:00 pm
@ 855 Commonwealth Ave, Boston

This project is an important example of LivableStreets’ larger vision of a seamless network of improved streets across greater Boston that are safe and convenient for all. To learn more about our work to improve the designs for Commonwealth Ave, click here.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Big New Plans For Comm. Ave.!

The city wanted a shitty plan, a plan based on old ideas, on the idea that the car would always be the main form of transportation in the city, and the entire bike community stood up and said “Hell no!” and you know what?  It worked!

The new design has smaller travel lanes, which will keep speeding down, BUFFERED cycle tracks!  I can not wait to give this a try when its done!  Congratulations everyone who worked hard on this.  It’s not over yet, and we are going to need to keep a close on the plans right up till the cement is poured, but

From livable streets (read more here):

The stretch of Comm. Ave. from the BU bridge to Packard’s Corner is about to get an $18 million dollar upgrade, with the project going to bid in fall 2015. The original plan, since 2009 and as of fall 2014, called for wider car lanes that would encourage speeding, narrower sidewalks, and no protected bicycle lanes. The city has since updated its plan to include crucial improvements…

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

City To Install New Bike/Ped Infrastructure, Hire “Cycling Ambassadors”

Boston Bikes announced today that it will be installing new cycling and pedestrian infrastructure designed to improve bicycling safety, mostly by “slowing cycling and walking to a manageable speed”

From the cities website:

“We think cycling and walking are great ways to see our city, but have been disappointed in the high speed that pedestrians and cyclists are traveling through our city.”

Consisting of a series of “pedestrian speed bumps” and “cycling sand pits” these additions are being installed now as the snow fall we had this winter and spring made it impossible.

Standing 3 feet tall the pedestrian speed bumps must be vaulted over slowing the pedestrian considerably, while the sand pits are 4 foot by 6 foot pits of sand placed near the intersections on streets that have bike lanes.

“Our hope is the sand will slow the cyclists enough that they are no longer a danger to cars turning in the intersection.” Said one city official.

In an effort to make sure that motorists don’t feel left out the city has also hired 32 “cycling ambassadors,” highly fit cyclists in spandex to wander the streets encouraging more people to cycle.

“Basically we hang around highly trafficked areas and approach people we see getting out of cars. Then we let them know how much better for the earth and for their health cycling is, and how much nicer they would look in pants, how they could eat more chocolate and not feel guilty, how they wouldn’t have to deal with traffic, how parking is always a breeze, how much better they will feel as parents, how it helps reduce air pollution, how it can help stop wars for oil, how it encourages more efficient urban planning, how it decreases outbursts by children in school, how it helps prevent diabetes, did I mention global warming? That sort of thing. I think its working because I followed one guy around for so long yesterday that he told me he wished he had a bicycle right now so he could get away from me.”

The ambassadors will be around until mid-summer, when they will be replaced by extra meter attendants and mascots for our local sports teams.

“We are going from Bean Town to Green town” Said outgoing Mayor Menino. He then added “GREEN TOWN” speaking slowly and clearly enunciating each syllable.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

City Will Improve Comm. Ave For Cyclists

In response to recent deaths, the city and BU have teamed up to improve Comm. Ave. From BU Today:

More warning signs, better bike lane markings, and highway reflectors will be added to the campus’ mile-and-a-half strip along Commonwealth Avenue to improve safety in the wake of the death of a student cyclist in December.

Those improvements, recommended by a joint BU-city working group, will be made by the city. Safety advocates, including Craig Hill, chairman of BU’s Bike Safety Committee, commended the measures, while cautioning that additional improvements may be necessary in the future.

“I’m hopeful that these changes will help protect bicyclists and pedestrians traveling along this very busy stretch of Commonwealth Avenue,” says BU President Robert A. Brown. “I am also extremely grateful for the city’s continued support of bike safety initiatives that safeguard all people who use the city streets that pass through our campus.”

The improvements will include:

• Signs. New signage will designate a “High bicycle and pedestrian activity zone,” and instruct drivers to “Share the road” and “Yield to bicycles when turning right.” Other signs will post a 25-mile-per-hour speed limit. Part of the stretch had been posted for 30 mph.
• Pavement markings:. The existing bike lanes, installed five years ago, will be painted at intersection crossings with skid-resistant, high-visibility green paint, and white bike-shared-lane markings will be added within the green paint at busy intersections and at long crossings. The width of the bike lanes’ edges will be increased to six inches, from the present four inches.
• Reflectors. Highway reflectors, recessed into the pavement, will be installed along the outside of bike lanes between intersections, and more closely spaced before each intersection crossing.

Warning signs to improve safety will be installed on Commonwealth Avenue. Photo courtesy of Tetra Tech

Read the rest of this long, and in depth article here.

Add to Reddit.

Tweet

Cambridge To Rebuild Western Ave Include Many Cycling Improvements

Seems Western Ave is getting a makeover. Which is well and truly needed, I once hit a pot hole on that street that resulted in a broken rib…boy howdy was that a couple months of slow riding.

Read all about it here, or see the full plan here (pdf).

—————–

Western Avenue is scheduled to be fully reconstructed beginning in fall, 2011. The underground stormwater and sewer system, roadway and sidewalks will all be replaced from Franklin Street to Memorial Drive. The redesign considers all street users: walkers, bicyclists, bus riders and drivers. The public process began in January 2010. Neighborhood walks and community-wide meetings have been held. An advisory committee met regularly. Following are the project goals that were developed in conjunction with the Advisory Committee:

• Ensure corridor is safe for all users
• Maintain adequate traffic flow
• Reinforce residential character
• Ensure appropriate traffic speed
• Improve conditions for walking, bicycling and transit riders
• Meet and exceed accessibility requirements
• Improve access to businesses
• Help meet stormwater environmental goals through green design
• Provide adequate parking
• Promote environmental sustainability
• Improve landscaping

more here

Add to Reddit.

Tweet