Racing The Red Line

I have this thing with the Longfellow Bridge I will putter through my whole commute but when I get to this bridge I drop the hammer, and just go for it. Its a stretch of road where I know no one is going to pull out of a drive way, its very unlikely any peds will try to cross the street, and no one is going to be making any turns. Plus its a long hill perfect for really making your legs sing.

On some rare occasions I will enter the base of the bridge just as the red line is departing the MGH station, or just as its coming up from the Cambridge side…I look to my left, see the red train lumbering up to speed, and the battle has begun. I have been told that the red line can go about 30 mph over the bridge, I have no idea if this is true, but I would like it to be true because its how I judge my performance.

The battle starts as a mad uphill dash, the red line accelerates slowly but inevitably like the specter of death (or taxes.) I have the initial advantage my much lower weight allows for much faster acceleration, but the train has a higher top speed, and it will catch me if I stop accelerating.

The WHHHRRRRRR of electric engines bearing down on me, speed is my only escape. Faster and faster I redouble my efforts as my legs start to protest. “Why for the love all all things holy do you do this to us!” they scream as I froth and struggle, “shut up legs I am the boss of you!”

Meanwhile someone has cleverly allowed the expansion joints to get so bad that each one is like a mini speed bump. I am turning myself inside out in a futile attempt to show my speed supremacy against an big dump inanimate object, and the road surface as the audacity to supply me with moguls? The nerve.

As I reach the crest of the bridge I am usually a car or two behind. Like Jure Robič the red line never sleeps, and has slow and steadied past me. I don’t give up, the downhill portion of the bridge has arrived and my legs are rejoicing. My lungs however usually take this moment to remind me that they fucking hate me and are about to exit the building if I don’t slow down.

Digging deep for the last of my breakfast energy I force my lungs to shut up and my legs to spin even faster (fixed gear + speed + downhill weeeeee). I look over, the red line is approaching the station/tunnel entrance, its her and me, me and her…and its over. The red line comes to a stop, or disappears into the ground, and now I am left alone panting and sweaty at the red light.

In the end it doesn’t matter who wins, but that we battled. We shall meet again red line, this isn’t over.

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The Longfellow Bridge And I

The Longfellow and I have an agreement. I agree to attack the bridge as hard as I can, putting forth every effort to fly over its metal and stone structure. To fight its persistent and fickle head winds with every ounce of energy I have. To go as fast as I am able every single morning and every single night, never once succumbing to the urge to take it easy. In return the bridge agrees to stick up really far out of the water, and catch as much wind as possible.

So far its been a good relationship.

Anyone else have a part of your ride that holds a special fixation for you?

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DCR Closes Longfellow Sidewalk For The Fourth

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Friday closed the sidewalk on the west side of the Longfellow Bridge until further notice, after an inspection late Thursday night discovered a support beam in need of immediate repair. Pedestrians will be detoured to the opposite sidewalk, which remains open.

The inspection was conducted by DCR engineers after a consultant’s report determined that load distributions on the sidewalks should continue to be evaluated. The DCR inspection revealed that the upstream sidewalk (the side carrying Cambridge-to-Boston vehicular traffic) needed to be closed to all pedestrians due to serious deterioration of a steel support structure under the sidewalk.

“Nothing is more important to this agency than public safety,” said DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. “We have been conducting inspections and repairs on the Longfellow bridge nearly every day since last August, and the minute we see a problem, we take the action necessary to protect the public.’’

On April 30, the engineering firm of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) began conducting load testing on the Longfellow Bridge sidewalks. The portions of the bridge tested, which did not include the segment where the deteriorated support beam was discovered last night, showed they were capable of supporting normal loads. But in a report DCR received this week, SGH suggested large crowds should not be allowed to gather on the sidewalks without further load testing. Specifically, SGH recommended that the sidewalks be closed for the Fourth of July celebration.

“Based on the SGH recommendation and today’s decision on the sidewalk, DCR will close the entire Longfellow Bridge to spectators on July 4,” Sullivan said. “We recognize this is an enormously popular local, and even national, event, but our top priority is ensuring public safety.”

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