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Councilors say with Boston streets emptying out of cars, it's time to give some of the asphalt over to pedestrians
By adamg on Fri, 04/24/2020 - 10:41am
City Councilors Michelle Wu (at large) and Liz Breadon (Allston/Brighton) want the Boston Transportation Department to begin looking at carving out some asphalt for pedestrians, bicyclists and people in wheelchairs so that they can better socially distance themselves as they go out for some air or a trip to the local market.
At next Wednesday's virtual council meeting, the two councilors will formally ask for a hearing to get the wheels turning on the idea of extending sidewalks into the street, at least for the current pandemic. Cities around the world have done so and even neighboring Brookline has re-marked space on some of its thoroughfares to allow for greater non-car social distancing.
Along with that, the councilors say Boston needs to reprogram all of its intersections with "beg" buttons to automatically give pedestrians a walk signal and to look at ways the city could nudge the T to increase service as the economy recovers so that people can safely take public transit.
In their formal request for a hearing, they write:
Improvements for safe, sustainable mobility will be especially important as Boston enters a recovery period with transition to more economic activity and travel while still requiring physical distancing.
Neighborhoods:
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Comments
Those cars will never be back?
Or is this a "chance to implement real societal changes".
Marty dragged his feet long enough
And just like BDB in NYC, the mayor refused to do what was needed so now the city council is picking up the torch.
Not sure where this is but eventually neighborhoods are going to get fed up with the lack of action and will take matters into their own hands.
https://twitter.com/CoachBalto/status/1252378410761871360
Disclaimer that this isn't about bikes or me, shocking to hear but sometimes people do advocate for societal improvements that might not benefit them directly but instead help others in the community.
Bikes are already legally
Bikes are already legally entitled to use the full lane of the road, so that part doesn't make sense. Creating a dedicated place for walkers and wheelchair users to feel safe however would be great. Dodging speeding cyclists sucks for pedestrians, esp. those that may not be able to move out of the way fast enough.
Dedicated cycle tracks
could also be given over to pedestrians, so that cyclists use the road as before. (Speaking as just one cyclist, I'd be fine with this—in my view, pedestrians always get top priority, as transportation modes go!)
Right there with ya
Take the bike infra and dedicate to pedestrians, put cyclists in the road and maybe cone off a car travel lane too in some major arteries.
In some neighborhoods cycle
In some neighborhoods cycle tracks absolutely make sense. As a pedestrian you have to deal with sandwich boards, over-sized trash receptacles and recycling bins in addition to weaving cyclists so I agree that pedestrians and wheelchair users are the lowest on the totem pole so getting cyclists off the sidewalks and onto tracks if they feel uncomfortable riding on the street would be beneficial to walkers and those physically challenged.
Cycle tracks already are used
Cycle tracks already are used by pedestrians, everywhere. https://goo.gl/maps/zHfpTDJDfuRWT6QC6
https://goo.gl/maps/fLdRhDM6RQNTM6AP7
And I don't blame them, since they are in fact sidewalks.
Yes it does
The cars that are on the road are driving faster than typical. There are plenty of would-be cyclists who don't feel comfortable riding in mixed traffic.
That's two reasons why carving out blacktop for cyclists (too) makes sense.
This is a great idea.
Cities across the entire world are looking at how they can create safe space to move people into, around and out of their cities. All options should be on the table. Kudos to Councilors Wu and Breadon.
These councilors are disgracing themselves
Would it help in a few spots? Maybe. A lot of people think it will attract crowds.
Larger point:
The mayor and many City departments are working around the clock to open up new treatment facilities, testing sites, PPE sources, free meal sites, staff nursing homes that the state has abandoned, get rental relief and small business grants out the door, and a hundred other life saving things.
Council members and their progressive Twitter champions are sitting at home looking for secondary issues to over-hype, criticize the people actually responding to the crisis, and get some attention for themselves.
It's disgusting that the City Council is so contemptuous of the strain on their fellow City of Boston employees right now.
These councilors have
These councilors have responded to direct requests from their constituents by filing a formal, measured plan for a hearing at which to discuss the issue.
They expressed no contempt for the Mayor or anybody else. They blamed nobody and didn't describe the current situation as a failure.
Why are you throwing around strong words like "disgrace" and "contempt"? Why are you making this a political issue? Why are you accusing these councilors of "over-hype" in order to "get some attention" when all they've done is set up a hearing to discuss the merits?
I sincerely do not understand your unprovoked anger.
We do need to think ahead
We do need to think ahead about what our city will look like once things start opening up again. We will have to consider all of the following:
- Boston had the nation's worst traffic congestion before COVID-19
- COVID-19 means that pedestrians and transit riders need much more room than they did before
- Many people will be reluctant to ride transit and will be tempted to drive
- We could very easily end up with even worse traffic congestion than before
UNLESS:
- We create more space on our streets for walking and biking
- We carve out more lanes for buses so they don't get stuck in the coming traffic congestion
- We make it as appealing and safe as possible and actively encourage people to walk, bike, or use small electric vehicles like e-bikes, e-scooters, e-mopeds, etc
How will making more space
How will making more space for pedestrians reduce congestion?
People who drive in from the suburbs aren't going to walk instead if there's a wider sidewalk. Instead, we should improve the Commuter Rail (boost the frequency, cut the fares, look into electrifying) and bus network (express buses to where the jobs are today, like Longwood and Kendall, not just where they were in 1952).
pEoPlE aRe SaYiNg
Like people are gonna be "oh hey they gave over a lane of some street somewhere to pedestrian traffic SO I'LL GO THERE AND WALK AROUND"?
Alternate explanation: they're doing their part to make this crisis bearable for people. You may not think it's important (to you). That doesn't mean it isn't making things better for someone. Stop being a dog in the manger.
It needs to be done carefully.
On Sunday, which was sunny and warm, my normally quiet residential street felt and sounded like Newbury Street, with people gathering on stoops and sidewalks and not social distancing. People drove here and parked, and neighbors came out to the car to visit with them, usually without masks. Families and couples on bikes and scooters spread across the sidewalk, minus masks or helmets. Some were blocked by parents chatting near their double-wide strollers, without masks.
Runners, joggers and bikers were everywhere, usually without masks, passing people well within 6 feet. (This may not seem like a problem until one passes you at close range, going fast, breathing hard, and coughs in your face. There's no time to escape.)
It would have been a charming, happy scene except for all the people in our hospitals working to save lives while risking their own. And too many other people sick and dying. And too many of us are infected but don't yet know it, or know we're contagious.
It's like our mayor never said a word about social distancing or masks. It's still considered voluntary, or for other people.
I've been noticing who wears masks and it's always less than 50 percent of us, and sometimes 90 percent, especially on the Esplanade. Mostly it's younger people, and people still working in the construction trades. If you can keep a good distance from others and stay that way, fine. But that's tough to do now, even in alleys and other less-pleasant walking locations, let alone parks. Pedestrian bridges are often busy and there are areas everywhere where it's too narrow and/or too crowded for anyone to skip wearing masks.
We could use some rules and a tutorial on how to be safe and considerate outside now, with some enforcement. If you can't run in a mask, don't run. If you can't rig up some kind of mask, don't go out. Don't bike on sidewalks, especially when the streets are empty of cars. Put masks on your kids, too.
Less important (except for mental health) but it needs saying: Stop playing instruments and singing outside if no one aside from your parents ever has, or ever would, ask you to perform.
It "needs saying?"...
Telling people to stop singing and playing music outside "needs saying"? Really? You're kind of a dick, aren't you? You seem to be the kind of person who desperately wants order and 100% agreement on what the rules should be. It's fair to desire that. But what's not fair is to act like it's the only correct desire to have, or that anyone who disagrees with you, or chooses to weigh their risks and benefits differently, is wrong. I'm the kind of person who is willing to accept a certain degree of personal risk in order to save other things that are dear to me and essential to my mental health, e.g. running, supporting local restaurants and bars, musicians, museums, etc. I recognize that other people may be more risk averse, and that I need to do things to respect your health like try to keep a wide berth around you if I pass you while running. How about instead of focusing on implementing more restrictions and enforcement (!), we assume that 99% of people are just doing what they can to stay healthy and sane while balancing considerations of public good and accept the fact that perfect coordination of behavior is not entirely possible, and that we're all better off living in a world where we don't all feel entitled to police each other's behavior. There are degrees here, sure. Should people feel pressured to stop congregating, intentionally disregarding the guidelines to keep distance, etc.? Sure. But as soon as we start to go down the road of enforcing one set of strict behavioral protocols, we run roughshod over the (often legitimate) reasons people have for doing what they do. Maybe the parents spread across the sidewalk chatting are savoring their first social encounter in weeks and are just trying to keep 6 feet apart. Does that clog up the sidewalk? Yes. But it's understandable why they might be doing it. Maybe the person shittily playing guitar outside has decided that the enjoyment they get from playing in the fresh air (one of the only things they CAN still do) outweighs the minor annoyance it might cause others. We're all in damage control. This isn't going to look perfect any way you slice it. What we need is more empathy, not more rules, and certainly not more punishment.
except
The CDC says masks only need to be worn when socially distancing isn't possible, and gives grocery stores/pharmacies as examples. Common theme being both are indoor establishments.
"If you can't run in a mask, don't run"
Further, other studies suggest running/exercising with a mask poses MORE of a hazard, as the mask will get wet with breath rendering it obsolete, and the wet mask now collects more germs.
Sure, people should wear masks when going out to run errands, but I wish everyone would stop freaking out every time they see someone walking around outdoors without one, which by all accounts is perfectly safe to do.
A lot of people think?
Can you cite those people?
Because cities all over the world are embracing measures like this to tackle the recreational needs of the population while maintaining social distancing.
Berlin put these in overnight with nothing but cones and tape. Easily done for pedestrian-only spaces.
https://twitter.com/berkie1/status/1253420511469555712
Oakland has setup 4.5 miles and growing of closed road space:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/oakland-slow-streets
Milan is looking to prepare for post-pandemic reduction in car traffic to build more space for bikes and pedestrians:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-pos...
In Denver, they have some pretty simple barriers and signage to block of through traffic in some neighborhoods:
https://twitter.com/rightlegpegged/status/1249059273633660928
Bogota is already planning (with data!) for a post-pandemic world where transit usage shifts from public transit to more walking and biking:
https://twitter.com/carlosfpardo/status/1252648421573513220
This seems like a very reactionary and baseless argument, better question then. If we don't close down roads for social distancing needs, parks are limited and some don't live close to them, how do we expect our population to be able to get our for recreation and mental health need while maintaining social distancing?
Whats your plan?
Where are the crowded sidewalks and parkless neighborhoods
Boston has narrower streets and more parks than practically any city in the country.
Every resident of Boston lives within a 10 minute walk of a park.
There's a 500-acre Olmsted right in the middle of the poorest neighborhoods in the city.
This is a minor issue, maybe could help in a few spots.
But it's one that progressive Twitter geniuses are obsessed with.
Hence the needless hearings.
"A lot of people think it will attract crowds."
Where are those people you cited?
In Brighton, I have anecdotally seen people in my neighborhood taking to the streets as they walk by my house on a one-way street.
Again, anecdotally, I'm sure you've seen comments here on UHub of people dealing with crowded sidewalks, kinda hard to socially distance when someone is walking the opposite direct of you on a sidewalk and stepping into the road puts a risk because of dangerous motor vehicles.
As for the comment about every resident in Boston living with 10 minute of a park, great. Some of those parks can't handle the entire neighborhood volume, couple that with the sidewalk issue from above and well, can't you see how your original concern about crowding would be an issue there?
So again whats your plan?
And whats the deal with all these other cities around the world embracing measures like this? Are they misinformed? Do you think they are citing public health experts as they plan efforts like this? Another liberal conspiracy perhaps?
Yeah, but you have to get to the parks first.
Sidewalk space is not equitable around Boston. There are sections of Huntington Ave in Mission Hill where the sidewalks are pretty narrow and the current amount of traffic does not need two lanes. Mission Hill (Brigham Circle specifically) is also home to quite a few hospitals and sadly many homeless folks with not a of whole lot places to go. It can be hard to get 6 feet unless you walk in the street.
I don't know where you live, but my work during this time of Covid has taken me around Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan, Eggleston Square, etc. There are very densely populated neighborhoods with narrow sidewalks on what used to be on busy streets (Blue Hill Ave for example). These are neighborhoods with many people at higher risk who are dependent busses and getting places on foot.
Maybe things are different in your neck of the woods. From your tone (intended or not), you are coming off as a bit of a selfish ass--after all, if you are staying inside and not taking any unnecessary trips--how does this personally affect you?
Nope
I live in Uphams Corner and I don't see it being a big issue on the sidewalks. People wear masks and/or give each other space in passing. There isn't some great need to run onto Columbia Road. In fact, none of the neighborhoods you mention working in are particularly dense -- not like the South End or Back Bay are dense. They do have plenty of multi-generational households and essential workers and that's a big issue. But taking roads back for pedestrians is the fever dream of amateur urbanists on the leafy side of JP, not working class people in Boston's neighborhoods.
The reason it affects me is that I have city employees in my family and friend circles who are busting their ass in 20 hour days and the Council wants to drag their bosses into hours-long hearings over issues like this that would also then take tremendous manpower to institute and enforce.
"tremendous manpower"
Its cones, barriers and tape in some cases, can be laid out overnight.
https://twitter.com/berkie1/status/1253420511469555712
https://twitter.com/rightlegpegged/status/1249059273633660928
https://twitter.com/CoachBalto/status/1252378410761871360
https://twitter.com/jen_keesmaat/status/1253664988167888896
Do you have any information to cite the claims you've made?
Again whats your plan?
Plan for what?
Nobody who isn't already obsessed with this nonsense thinks this is a huge need or wants to click on your list of Twitter activists heaping contempt on hardworking transportation departments. And none of them will have to clean up the mess when someone gets hit by a driver who didn't expect a line of taped-down cones in the middle of the street.
You don’t think social
You don’t think social distancing on sidewalks is a big deal? Some sidewalks aren’t even 6 feet wide! I guess you want pedestrians to die of Covid as long as the transportation department doesn’t have to work for their paycheck.
Careful
Some of our resident concern trolls/tone police will accuse you of prioritizing road safety over responding to Covid-19.
A driver who can't deal with a line of cones...
is someone who shouldn't be behind the wheel, in any conditions. I wouldnt put that on the city, public works, or anyone else but the driver should that occur.
That's just it -
That's just it -
Besides the deserved bad reputation of Massachusetts drivers, accidents do happen. Should that happen through a flimsy line of cones and tape, it might be the driver's fault, but it would indeed be ON the pedestrian in harm's way, ON the public works crew that has to clean it up and rebuild it, ON the City for allowing something unsafe.
Maybe you missed this
https://www.visionzerocoalition.org/covid_recommendations_for_cities_for...
Oh but its from some road safety advocacy group, so they are obviously biased to the sinister anti-car lobby with the evil intentions of making roads safer.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh you're almost getting it, you are so close to seeing the root of the issue.
Not an unexpected object in the travel lane!
Why, that certainly doesn't happen every fucking day (covid19 aside) on Huntington, Broadway, Hyde Park Ave, Boylston St, Newbury St, Comm Ave, [insert all major roads in Boston here] where some dingdong double parks their car.
How could we ever cope.
I don't know where you live,
Dorchester? Roxbury?
Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road actually have good wide sidewalks in most places - and what I've seen is high-percentage of people who are out and about in Dorchester are actually observing precautions.
By the way, if more space is
By the way, if more space is needed - why put pedestrians in a traffic lane?
Why - when the center reservation is there already (on parts of Blue Hill Avenue and Columbia Road) and not used for anything else?
Hey got some polling for ya
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2020/04/24/boston-streets-coronaviru...
https://www.visionzerocoalition.org/covid_recommendations_for_cities_for...
What criticism?
Could you please give some examples?
Turning some roadways into pedestrian only, and making some lanes bicycle only, would give people more options. Some areas are harder than others to keep that six feet away. The city is restricting parking near some major ope spaces, like the Arboretum, and others such as Forest Hill Cemetery, are completely closed. Everyone needs some fresh air, what's wrong with making it easier and safer?
Where are these masses?
Where in the city are there teeming masses of people on the sidewalks?
The logic has to be a bit better than, "Well, Brookline's doing it."
"Well, Brookline's doing it."
Yeah it isn't like multiple cities around the world are embracing measures like this.
Also completely ignores that when the weather gets warmer, more people are going to be trying to get our of their houses.
Berlin put these in overnight with nothing but cones and tape. Easily done for pedestrian-only spaces.
https://twitter.com/berkie1/status/1253420511469555712
Oakland has setup 4.5 miles and growing of closed road space:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/oakland-slow-streets
Milan is looking to prepare for post-pandemic reduction in car traffic to build more space for bikes and pedestrians:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/21/milan-seeks-to-prevent-pos...
In Denver, they have some pretty simple barriers and signage to block of through traffic in some neighborhoods:
https://twitter.com/rightlegpegged/status/1249059273633660928
Bogota is already planning (with data!) for a post-pandemic world where transit usage shifts from public transit to more walking and biking:
https://twitter.com/carlosfpardo/status/1252648421573513220
Berlin put these in overnight
Ummmmm- No.
They didn't "put these in overnight". It. Doesn't. Work. That. Way.
It takes people who know what they're doing some time to take a good idea (or a bad idea and fix it as much as the people upstairs will let them). They figure out what materials they need and how much. Then they assemble the pieces. They prep them for installation. Then they bring in the people who know how to install it. And sometimes this is all a mad rush for days behind the scenes.
...so that people who know what they are doing can, yes, put them in overnight.
Your insisting - "overnight", "nothing but --- & ---", "easily done" - is the exact same sort of armchair savant idiocy that makes sweeping pronouncements about the unstudied use of a malaria drug to treat COVID when said savant's closest thing to any sort of qualification about even the known issue of malaria (to say nothing of the unknowns of COVID) is using a high-quality tonic with their gin!
On the weekends you don't see
On the weekends you don't see crowded sidewalks?? Do you even live in Boston!?
Why wait for a catastrophe?
Why can't we work to mitigate small issues before they become massive problems? It should be clear to anyone who's out walking around in Boston that there often isn't room on the sidewalks to safely pass - why does there need to be "teeming masses" before we take a sensible and low-cost approach to improve this situation?
thinking ahead
reactionaries are specifically ill-suited for it. see: the white house.
Any time it's sunny and above
Any time it's sunny and above 50 in Jeffries Point.
How do people maintain 6 feet
How do people maintain 6 feet of distance from each other when some sidewalks are five feet wide and full of crap for drivers like parking signs, poles etc?
Not to mention trash bins ...
.... and smokers.
We are going to need the space
Soon we will all be jobless walking the streets like zombies looking for a handout, but we can do it 6 feet apart from each other.
blanket statements don't help
Let's be specific. On the side-streets near me (Back Bay / South End), runners and walkers are already using the street. Once in a great while, they move to the side for a car, but it's working well without cones or paint.
On the main streets, there is normally room to walk down the sidewalk without often coming within 6' of anyone. Maybe this will change as weather gets nicer, but not seeing it yet.
I've walked and run a fair amount recently, and very rarely come near anyone not wearing a mask. People mostly move to the side or into the street, etc.
So bottom line, maybe cones are needed in some places with a moderate amount of car traffic plus busy sidewalks, but can we please be specific on where it's really needed?
PS- I have definitely seen cars driving faster. Some random BPD enforcement would be great, but that's not really a new problem.
This has been an interesting
This has been an interesting one to watch unfold. It seems like common sense to do this when people need to distance. But groups that usually champion these things like LivableStreets Alliance have opposed it, saying people just need to stay home. Walsh is rarely ahead of the curve so Wu probably sees a good 2021 campaign issue here. It’ll be interesting to see if her usual coalition groups agree with her.
The T is the answer
Nubian station still has groups of gentlemen hanging in the station as does the plaza at Ashmont and as the Dig reported people are riding buses and trains with no place to go.
I know asphalt is evil
But how about using the lack of traffic to pave a few streets? Greenbrier in the Bloomfield/Park section of Dorchester is an absolute disgrace.
Yes, pave the streets that need it and...
... add the bus lanes, speed humps, raised crossings and bike lanes we’ve been promised for a few years now. This is the time to get them in place.
Brookline
Brookline is going the other way and doing a big gas pipe update project all over Brookline Village this summer.
This could easily be done on divided streets
Turn one of the halves into two-way traffic. Turn the other into a pedestrian/bike way only. This could be done with minimal effort on at least the following roads:
Commonwealth Avenue
Brighton Avenue
Melnea Cass Blvd.
Columbus Avenue from Jackson Square to Egelston Square
Seaver Street
Columbia Road
Blue Hill Avenue
Hyde Park Avenue
and there are probably others I've forgotten right now.
Traffic Lights not set up
The traffic lights are not set up to display its colors on only one side of the road on a one way (Comm Ave) or divided arterial (Blue Hill Ave). You wouldn't be able to properly see if the signal is red or green and an expensive undertaking to make it happen for a temporary period of time.
You could just power down the traffic lights entirely
There is so little car traffic now, you don't really need them. This would give pedestrians the right-of-way in all crosswalks at all times.
Busy out there today...
With this nice weather we are having, there are quite a few more vehicles out there than what has been. This seems to be a trend as the weather improves....not that I at all agree with it. Stay home.
On Blue Hill Avenue
this is already done during the Haitian parade and the J'ouvert parade. The northbound side becomes the parade route, and the southbound side becomes two-way. It works pretty well.
Aren't the Cops....
Aren't the police details managing the traffic at those intersections on parade day? I don't see them out there 24/7 directing traffic.
I like this idea
There have been a few places in Roslindale square where this could be useful - out in front of the post office, along Corinth street By village market and the bus stop in front of Romano’s, and along south street by the bus stop where the uniform place used to be. I’ve had to walk in the street several times now to get around other people, and people have walked in the street to get around me. It would be a lot easier if the city just blocked off a handful of parking spaces. I wouldn’t mind walking in the street if people weren’t driving like maniacs right now.
Also - I like having the bike lanes - I’ve been realizing that it might be good to for the city to put in more bike lanes with bollards so it’s easier to walk right now and when things go back to normal these lanes will be there for the bikers. I usually take the T but I’ve been thinking that when I go back to work I am going to start biking more. I’d like to see more bike lanes like the ones I’ve seen in Europe - where they’re on the sidewalks.
Activisits taking advantage of the crisis
A lot of this is just activists taking advantage of the crisis to get their agenda and keep it there after it's all over. They hate cars and always have. Funny how all the environmentally incorrect things are what keep us safer right now. I much rather drive my own car than take public transit. No more recycled grocery bags, back to plastic. And paper towels in bathrooms are probably much preferred to air dryers blowing germs around.
They want every single intersection in the city to always have a walk whether anyone wants/needs to cross 24 hours a day. Sounds great until you consider how many all-walks the city has where all traffic stops. On the big streets like Tremont/Columbus Ave and Blue Hill, these crossing times for pedestrians are well over 30 seconds. That's a lot of dead time and would create driver frustration waiting so long for their turn with no one even crossing the street. They end up running the red light light as it changes to avoid waiting or blatantly run it when they think no one is around. And don't say the police should enforce, they haven't and won't start now. The city already has many normally busy pedestrian intersections automatically display the walk every time. And even public health doesn't consider the push button to be a significant threat to contract COVID-19 versus standard hand sanitation practices when outside. Plus you can use your sleeve, elbow, foot, etc to push the button.
Same with taking lanes away. Easy to do now but then they won't want to give it back when the demand returns. And we will have even worse traffic than before. I think it will be a long time before people will feel safe on transit. And riding a bike doesn't work for the commuter outside of Rte. 128.
I am not saying you can't change certain busy locations to better accommodate pedestrians, but not a blanket wide policy.
All-way walks are stupid
All-way walks are stupid whether they're automatic or you have to push the button.