Boston Herald via Streetsblog.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Brady bikes
Monday, June 1, 2009
What's the MUTCD all about?
There is a great deal of confusion about what the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is and how it governs decisions about signs, stripes, and signals on Newton's streets. (The confusion is no doubt exacerbated by traffic engineers talking about "warrants" and not using the simpler "criteria," but that's the stuff of another post.)
Wednesday, city Traffic Engineer Clint Schuckel will, one hopes, start clearing up the confusion when he presents to the Public Safety & Transportation committee about the MUTCD. Learn about how traffic engineers (are supposed to) make decisions about signs, stripes, and signals. This should be of particular interest to those who are unclear on decisions about the installation of stop signs.
7:45
Wednesday, June 3
City Hall, Room 202
Note: Health Commissioner David Naparstek is scheduled to speak at 8:00 about the flu outbreak.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Globe Editorial: Paths are good
The Globe has editorialized in favor of a rail-to-trail conversion in Lower Falls. While it comes to the right conclusion, it kinda misses the point.
The Lower Falls trail will never be a Minuteman trail, for good or for bad. It needs to be assessed on its own terms.
Adding roads doesn't solve traffic problems
I've noted before that increasing roadway capacity creates induced demand, in which additional traffic absorbs the new capacity and creates more problems in streets feeding the new capacity. There's more to the story. Traffic engineers are finding that more roadway choices causes more congestion because of something called Braess' paradox. One day I hope to understand it well enough to summarize it. Until then, there's this excellent explanation.
Boston T Party
There having a party. On the B line. While the train goes from stop-to-stop.
Sunday at 7:00 PM at Washington St. inbound. Then at 7:11 at Packards Corner, 7:40 at Kenmore, and 7:35 at Government Center. (Interpolate times for stops in-between.)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Globe story on Lower Falls bridge/path
The Globe has a story on the Lower Falls rail bridge/path, which is very similar to the TAB's article of a few weeks ago:
- There's a 1.1 mile bike path in the works
- It's causing great divisiveness in the neighborhood
- Proponents think it will connect the neighborhood
- Opponents think it will divide the neighborhood
And, by the way, there's an old train bridge to be turned into a pedestrian bridge.
Two nuggets from a bridge/path opponent:
- State Rep. Kay Khan supports the trail because she wants to increase her property value (she's an abutter)
- The path will be a "major thoroughfare"
The first point is an odd argument, and a telling concession. Until now, opponents have been arguing that it would make abutters' properties less valuable.
The second point is not really new, but it continues to be odd to think of a bicycle/pedestrian path -- which is too short to be a destination recreation rail trail and is kind of long to be heavily used by Wellesley commuters walking to Riverside -- as a "major thoroughfare." It would be interesting to know the number of users that the opponents anticipate.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Mayor of London nearly killed
There is so much to this video: London's mayor nearly got killed, he was on his bicycle, he was out scouting bike routes, the cause of the crash was very clearly the truck driver's impatience with the mayor's group of bikers.
At about 1:15, the mayor comes around from the back of the truck, helmet in hand, to inspect the damage.
More at the New York Times.
Recall that Mayor Menino of Boston was hit one day on a morning ride.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Steven Baddour thinks driving and talking on the phone is safe
The state Senate passed a bill that would make driving and texting illegal, apparently having come to the conclusion that it's okay to "legislate against stupidity" when said stupidity will lead to the death and serious injury of others. In fairness, there are lots of stupid activities that could lead to driver distraction and an argument could be made that we don't need or want legislation that identifies and bans every last activity. Still, it shouldn't have required a high-profile T crash to make the point that texting and driving might constitute a special problem.
The Globe article on the vote contains this doozy:
"A lot of us who opposed this in the past realize that there's a new generation of drivers who think it's OK to text while they're driving," said Senator Steven Baddour, a Methuen Democrat who is chairman of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation and was one of the leading opponents of previous proposals. "This generation clearly doesn't get it. It's not the same as talking on a cellphone. You can't text safely while driving." (Emphasis added.)
Does Steven Baddour really think that it's safe to drive and talk on a cellphone? Does he get it?
There may be reasons not to ban cellphone use while driving, but it's just plain irresponsible to suggest that it is the safe counterexample to texting while driving.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Stop Signs as Traffic Calming
Tonight, City Traffic Engineer Clint Schuckel suggested to the Public Facilities committee that they Google stop signs and traffic calming to see the policy reasons against stop signs as traffic calming.
Here's what such a search returns:
- Northampton, Mass.
Research has shown that unwarranted STOP signs and STOP signs that have been used for speed control, do not have the effect desired. Speeds between the STOP signs increase as drivers try to make up for lost time. Drivers tend to roll through the unwarranted STOP signs with higher frequency (over 50%). - Kirkland, Washington (scroll down to the bottom)
All-way or 4-way stop signs are usually not an appropriate traffic calming tool on neighborhood streets. Citizens frequently request all-way stop signs at a neighborhood intersection to slow cars down and make the intersection safer. However, all-way stops that are placed in inappropriate locations do little to to slow traffic and can actually make the intersection less safe. - Portland, Oregon
Stop signs may often seem like a good solution to neighborhood speeding, but traffic studies and experience show that using stop signs to control speeding doesn't necessarily work. - Victoria, British Columbia
Stop signs should not be used as Traffic Calming devices. - Anacortes, Washington
Overuse of stop signs may actually reverse the benefits. Studies have shown that motorists may ignore stop signs or increase speed between controlled areas if the stop signs are poorly placed. - Virginia Beach, Virginia
The City installs STOP signs to indicate right-of-way. Installing STOP signs for speed control goes directly against federal guidelines. The guidelines are based on previous engineering practices and studies, and have determined that STOP signs can actually exacerbate problems after extended use. First, people tend to speed in between STOP signs, to "make up" for their perceived lost time. Second, when drivers must constantly stop for traffic, but do not see good reason to, they will develop contempt for STOP signs.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Cell Phones and Bikes
A recent Newton Tab article discussed traffic enforcement for bikers. Bikers could also help enforce traffic rules for cars as follows: when a motor vehicle is illegally parked in a bike lane, bikers could stop, take out their camera phones, take a photo of the offending vehicle with license plate showing, and phone the picture to a city traffic enforcement phone number. Offending motor vehicle drivers could receive a friendly warning on a first offense, with steeper penalties for multiple offenders. When Newton gets bike lanes, the city should consider setting up such a system.
Cell Phones in Cars
Today on my ride in to Boston, through Newton Center at Beacon and Center streets, I was momentarily irritated by a motorist turning left in front of me in spite of my right of way. She was talking on a cell phone. I wagged my finger at her, and then a more sympathetic thought washed over me: all these isolated people in these large metal boxes, reaching out to connect and communicate. How much of the phenomena of cell phone use in cars a symptom of the social isolation wrought by our single-occupant-car-dominated lifestyles?
Pedestrians rule! and other rules
I would love to have been in the various meetings where they came up with the appropriately vague fifth rule: "Untangle Intersections," which advises cyclists to "Take a break and relax at red lights."
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