Newton Gets In On The Targeted Enforcement Game

Much like Boston, and Cambridge, and Somerville, before it, Newton is doing a bit of the old targeted enforcement.

After 20 bicycle-related accidents this year, Newton police will increase patrols this week to enforce traffic laws and educate cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians about sharing the road.

During the weeklong effort, police will monitor many of the heavily cycled roads around Newton and ticket both cyclists and motorists who violate the rules of the road.

“There’s definitely an issue where awareness needs to improve for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists, too,” said Captain Howard Mintz, head of the Police Department’s traffic bureau. “It’s been very difficult.”

With an increase in cyclists and the city trying to add more bike lanes, Mintz said police thought it was critical to ensure that everybody obey traffic laws.

A cyclist died in Newton in 2010 after he crashed into a car that was stopped at an intersection, according to police. Last year, Newton experienced 31 bike-related crashes and incidents, and police issued eight tickets to motorists involved, Mintz said.

I know people cry bloody murder about this stuff, somehow trying to make the argument that they either don’t need to follow the law, or that it would be more useful to target other law breaking groups. But I think its a great idea. Newton also seems to be taking a very “everyone on the road” approach to enforcement targeting cyclists, and motorists. Read the rest of the article here. Thanks Ron for the tip.

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New Cyclist And Pedestrian Bridge Between Newton and Wellesley

From the Newton Tab

This is what all the fuss is about...

Newton —
Nearly a decade after state Rep. Kay Khan set out to restore a dangerous and unused bridge connecting Newton to Wellesley, officials cut the ribbon on the newly reconstructed Trestle Bridge.

“All I can say is wow, what a day, what an accomplishment,” said Khan, a Lower Falls resident, at the ceremony Tuesday. “It has been a great community effort.”
The funding for the renovation of the former rail bridge spanning the Charles River came from Gov. Deval Patrick’s 2008 accelerated bridge program and the project was overseen by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Department of Transportation (DOT). The push to remodel the bridge, which has been unused and decrepit for nearly 40 years, faced stiff opposition from Lower Falls residents whose homes border the bridge and who claimed it would lead to a bike trail through the neighborhood.

“We were astonished at the outpouring of rage from a small number of abutters,” said Alderman Deborah Crossley, who was on the Newton League of Women Voters—one of the local groups involved in the project—at the time the project was being discussed.
Public officials and community members from both Wellesley and Newton came out for the ceremonial ribbon cutting Tuesday.
The project went through seven years of meetings and public hearings before the Newton Conservation Commission finally approved the design in May 2010, Khan said. Reconstruction of the bridge began in late fall 2010 and was completed in May 2011.

Read more: Rebuilt bridge connecting Newton and Wellesley open to bicycles, pedestrians – Newton, Massachusetts – Newton TAB

I love stories like this, heres how they go:

1. Someone thinks “Hey we should turn that old, whatever, into a bike/walking trail!”
2. Great idea!
3. Rich people: “Hells no, crime, murder, the sky is falling!”
4. Ten years later: Trail is built
5. Rich people: “The SKY IS FALLING!!”
6. Five years later: trail needs repair Rich People: “Don’t you dare even think about not rebuilding our trail, its a cherished part of our neighborhood!”
7. Something thinks “hey would should extend that trail!”
8. Rich people “Hells no, crime, murder, the sky is falling!”
etc, etc.

This happens over and over and over. Trails is proposed, people freak out, trail is finally built after years of silly struggle, people love the trail, everyones property values go up. I honestly can’t think of a single example where building more pedestrian and cyclist trail infrastructure lead to the kind of sky is falling results people who are against these things spout. Congrats on the new bridge everyone, a hard fought battle won. On to the next one!

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Bike Jobs: Part Time Mechanic

From Craigs list

———-

Ski and Bike Shop seeking P/T EXPERIENCED Bike mechanic. While we respect those who have worked on their own and maybe friends’ bikes, our needs require someone who has worked in a bicycle shop doing assemblies and repairs. Flexible work schedule. Concept is for the hire to do bike work during the warmer months and also to train to become a ski mechanic which work will carry through the cold months.

Pay depends on experience. Discounted goods and some skiing privileges available. Modest-size shop with informal atmosphere. Convenient to Dunkin Donuts and diverse eateries. Some access by public transportation. Indoor plumbing available. Please respond with resume or information on your qualifying experience

Location: Newton
Compensation: Depends on experience
This is a part-time job.
Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
Please, no phone calls about this job!
Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

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What The F#*$^! Watertown Cyclist Ran Over, Multiple Witnesses, Police Find “No Crime”

So it would seem a cyclist in newton, who was wearing a helmet, and driving in a straight line, on the right hand side of the road, was run over by a driver who just suddenly swerved to the right for no apparent reason, and didn’t get charged with any crime? How the fuck is that not a crime?

According to police reports, a 40-year-old Watertown man was cycling east on Commonwealth Avenue in the 2300 block at about 5:20 p.m. and a car driven by a 38-year-old Watertown woman was heading east as well. According to witnesses, including an off-duty Wayland police officer, the cyclist was wearing a helmet and was traveling in a straight line in the far right portion of the road.

The car unexpectedly swerved to the right, according to witnesses, and hit the cyclist, knocking him under the car. The woman reportedly attempted to back up with the cyclist still underneath. Several drivers pulled over and lifted the car off the cyclist so he could breathe, according to police reports.

The cyclist was treated at the scene by Newton firefighters and EMTs and was taken to Newton-Wellesley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. After interviewing witnesses, police determined there was no improper operation and did not cite the driver, according to reports(via wicked local Newton)

I ask you this, how is it that witnesses say that the car suddenly swerved to the right striking this poor guy, then tries to back over him, and the police find that after talking to these witnesses that there was no crime committed? How is that not a crime, driving to endanger, reckless driving, failure to yield, deviating from the lane, running someone over, trying to back over then once you hit them…take your pick.

It’s shit like this that really pisses me off. When you have a cyclist doing everything they are supposed to, multiple credible witnesses (including an off duty police officer), and they still don’t site this person with a crime. This lady should be in jail right now.

Thanks to Nikki for the heads up.

PS. If you do ever submit a tip via the contact form, and want me to link to a website or something else when I give you credit for the tip please include that as well, I am more than happy to plug your website in return for being my eyes and ears on the street.

EDIT: Teeheehee updated with this link

Where we learn that because the cyclist was riding on the right hand side of the street it was the cyclists fault…holy crap that is so wrong. This lady just turns right into a drive way, and without signaling, and then it seems like she panicked and nearly ran him over again while he was under her car, and the police think that because the cyclist was on the right hand side of the street he “contributed to the accident”

Lt. Bruce Apotheker said the actions of Castagno and other bystanders helped save the cyclist’s life. And according to the investigating officer, Apotheker said, the driver was not at fault for the crash.

“The cyclist’s actions, which were confirmed by his own statements, contributed to the crash,” Apotheker said.

The driver told police she never saw the cyclist, and because he had not previously passed her, she had no reason to expect he would be there, Apotheker said. She was not cited for improper operation.

“The officer felt a reasonable and prudent person would not be expecting someone on their right,” he said.

No no no no no no. You have a legal duty while driving in your car to make sure you are not going to run someone over when you start a turn. You have to look in your mirror, and you have to signal, and you have to NOT RUN PEOPLE OVER.

EDIT: Seems the advocate groups are involved now, both locally in newton and elsewhere…more info when I get it.

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Fatal Crash In Newton

Another young kid, another fatal crash, still don’t know what happened.

A bicyclist who was not wearing a helmet died after colliding with an SUV at the intersection of Commonwealth and Lowell Avenues in Newton at about 5:20 p.m. Monday, according to Newton Police Lieutenant Bruce Apotheker.

According to Muriel Mazzarini, who said she was driving the car behind the SUV, the cyclist was traveling east on Commonwealth Avenue when he hit the tail end of the car, which was crossing Commonwealth Avenue from Homer Street onto Lowell Avenue. The witness said she saw blood on the victim’s hand and chest.

“The light turned green and I saw the bike coming down and he smashed right into the car,” she said. “I stopped the car and I got out and went to help. Other people came around and we were all dialing 911.”

More from Wicked Local and pictures here

It is not clear if someone ran a red light or not. What is clear is that someone did something very wrong. My heart goes out to this young mans family. It rips me apart to have to hear about such young people dying in such a way.

More info when I get it.

EDIT: Some people are preparing a ghost bike…I hate having to publish this.

EDIT: Found this pdf of meeting notes from a pubic meeting last year that seems to indicate there have been previous fatal crashes on this stretch of Comm Ave in Newton. I can’t know for sure if this is the same location, but could there be something wrong with the way the road is designed here? An excerpt below.

John Allen, 7 University Park, Waltham, spoke on the item as a representative of the MassBike Technical Advisory Committee. He urged the city to pay careful attention to the bicycle lanes at intersections on Commonwealth Avenue. There was a fatal bicycle accident at an intersection on Commonwealth Avenue.

EDIT: Here is Andy Von Guerard’s (the cyclists) facebook page, and here is his fathers with a heart breaking message at the top. It is always so strange to see these sort of internet time capsules. A little slice of time captured forever in what is usually a mundane part of our day…

EDIT: Some more discussion on other blogs about this. here and here.

Both of these sites raise troubling questions about just how strange this accident seems. I tend to agree, it seems very odd.

The Boston Globe also has an article here.

Sources seem to indicate he ran a red light and smashed into a car…this is very tragic and preventable. Be careful people, follow the law, and wear a helmet!

Another update here.

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