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Boston to add more than 9 miles of bike lanes over next year
By adamg on Tue, 09/06/2022 - 12:24pm
Mayor Wu and BTD today announced plans for 9.4 miles of new bike lanes to be marked out and built in Boston by December, 2023, part of a three-year plan to ensure that half of all Bostonians will be within a three-minute walk of a "a safe and connected bike route."
Along with the new bike lanes over the next year, the city is also planning to expand the number of Bluebikes rental stations, to make streets safer for pedestrians through more speed bumps and raised pedestrian crossings in at least ten area across the city and hiring more staff to design the new lanes and traffic "calming" measures.
Rough list of new bike lanes:
- Allston-Brighton: North Beacon Street, South Street, Western Avenue, Winship Street
- Back Bay and Downtown: Berkeley Street, Boylston Street, Milk Street
- Fenway/Kenmore: Commonwealth Avenue, Hemenway Street
- South End and Bay Village: Albany Street, Berkeley Street, Charles Street South/Tremont Street
- Mission Hill: South Huntington Avenue
- Jamaica Plain: Boylston Street, Green Street, Eliot Street, McBride Street, Seaverns Avenue, South Huntington Avenue
- Roslindale: Poplar Street
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
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Comments
Weird that they left out the cost of this project
Adam, do you know how much these additional bike lanes will cost and the 12 new positions?
The cost of striping?
They restripe streets every few years, and repave every few more years. This is the prime opportunity to change the street to be more efficient to accommodate more people by bike, transit or other modes. So in other words, many of the selected projects were likely due for maintenance anyway.
So how much will it cost (in lives, or injuries, or increased pollution?) by not implementing these bike lanes!?
Ok, what’s it going to cost?
You don’t think that’s an important metric?
Why are you focused on the cost?
These are low cost improvements like roadway paint or installing flexposts and new signs. These are not major road construction projects for the most part.
People who first ask about the cost instead of the benefits have some sort of beef with the concept of the project to begin with.
I presume since you are interested in cost that you ask about every road project that the city does? MassDOT currently has over 100 projects in design within Boston. Are you up to speed on those costs?
Wait till robo hears about the $8.4 billion revenue shortfall
https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2019/02/21/report-sounds-alarm-o...
*I believe the $6.5 million is a typo and is supposed to be billion*
MassHighway, which hasn't
MassHighway, which hasn't existed since, ummm.... 2012? 2014?
I mean sure, whats one more typo when you're grabbing at straws
Nice dodge though, does this do better?
https://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/report-transportation-fu...
Robo wants to have his fake argument about freeloading cyclists
He wants to keep ignoring that the services for private car ownership is paid for by all taxpayers. He wants to pretend that bike lanes costs more to maintain than car lanes. He also wants to ignore the cost saving of human safety.
The cost will be
The cost will be 9.4 miles of car lanes.
Right
It's the same cost as re-striping 9.4 miles of car lanes.
The stripes
The stripes of paint are peanuts. It's the real estate between the stripes that's the big expense.
The real estate's not going anywhere
So it's not really an expense.
no
why would I think this is an important metric?
You are leaving for another state
Kindly be quiet while the grownups are talking.
Aren't you the guy who made a
Aren't you the guy who made a big deal about moving to a different part of the country a while ago (like anybody cared to know)? Why do you give a shit?
Aren’t you the guy that said he wanted to punch someone
In the face? Ya, you are.
Unfortunately for you, I’m still here and with the way things are going in Boston I can’t wait to get out. Definitely the right choice getting the f out before things implode.
Lol you're still mad that I
Lol you're still mad that I said it's ok to punch Nazis? Jesus Christ. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.
Violence is always the solution to you, apparently
I bet you’re a real tough guy in person too.
Fortunately for me, the door is broken like everything else in this state
Which state is that?
Massachusetts, or the one you fled to but apparently don't care enough about to spend your time on whatever local forum they have there?
What part of I haven’t left yet do you not understand?
I’ve literally been asked this question three times and have said the same answer yet you’re confused? I’m still paying taxes in MA so go pound sand.
What part of "go away"
Do you not understand.
This doesn't affect you or your pathological need to validate your poor judgement in vehicle choices by attacking other road users.
He'll definitely get out
once he can figure out a place where no freeloaders will impede his four car garage.
He wishes it were a tax haven in the Cayman Islands. Instead he's left arguing bicycles on UHub.
My effective tax rate was 37% last year
Biden’s was 24%. Keep trying to spin it as though I don’t pay my fair share though. Do you know what the sales and excise tax is on a 200k car in MA? Ya, I’m definitely not paying my fair share….
you know that you are not.
The cost of gas and the roads your car uses are kept artificially low.
Yes, and it’s because of people like me
They’re able to do that. I pay A LOT of money in sales tax and excise tax yearly for vehicles that I almost never drive. Sales tax alone on the R8 is over $12k. Excise is $5k a year, in perpetuity.
What do you pay for bike lanes again? Right, same as me for something I’ll never use.
Robert, we've been over this
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/driving-true-costs/...
That’s as a whole
Just like income taxes paid, the top 10% pay over 71% of the entire income tax revenue. You understand how averages work, right? I’m paying way more than 50% of my slice of the road costs. Way more!
four cars
You're are a couple thousand below your share.
What?!
You don’t even know what my other cars are!
not relevant.
not relevant.
How much each car costs that are driven less than
A thousand miles a year isn’t relevant to me paying my fair share? Excise tax is based on vehicle cost, not use. Every time we do this I get more and more confused with your logic.
every time we do this you lie
So you want to pay per mile now? Do you want a discount for sidewalks you don't use?
No, never said that I want to pay for use
I’m explaining to you that I pay excise tax regardless of how much I drive so that $5k a year on the R8 goes to the roads even though I drive it 500 miles a year. Hence, that one vehicle is paying into the roads way more than 50%. Probably more like 200%. I have three more vehicles and only one of them is driven more than 1000 miles a year.
I’m sure you’ll misconstrue this post too and come up with some other wild accusation like you do every single time.
you have never paid excise tax in boston
If you expect me to believe that you paid 5k on a car worth 200k
Wow, you’re delusional
200k *.9(90% first year) = $180k taxable value.
$25 for every $1000 in value
$180,000/$1000=$180*$25=$4500
Mouth meet foot. Have you ever paid excise tax because this is all pretty basic and you seem to struggle with it.
https://www.mass.gov/guides/motor-vehicle-excise
wow you're bad at math
5K>$4500
$8.4 billion revenue shortfall over the next 10 years
What you and others pay isn't enough to keep up basic maintenance.
You dodged that earlier, remember?
Without me it would be less than 50% so
You’re welcome?
It doesn't matter what you spent on your Hot Wheels collection
It ain't enough and there needs to be drastic reforms on bringing in that revenue.
Are you imagining that you shouldn't have to pay more in that case?
Nope, and I’ve said this numerous times before
They should raise the gas tax and other means to cover the road costs. However, with this big push for EVs, the gas tax is almost irrelevant. We need to switch to a use tax, which I’ll definitely benefit from considering my fleets fuel economy and the limited number of miles I drive a year.
And that use tax is gonna reduce the $8.4 billion shortfall how?
You've had years of subsidized usage of the roads. Usage tax would be great moving forward but seems a little self serving on your part.
It has nothing to do with me and what I want
All these EVs you see driving around pay zero gas taxes. Come 2035 ICE vehicles won’t even be allowed to be sold in the US. The braintrusts need to figure out how they’re going to fund the roads before it gets way worse than 50% subsidy and a use tax is the only thing that makes sense. While they’re at it, they should throw a use tax on all the bicycles too ;)
Plenty to do with you
All those years of driving around on subsidized roads and gas. Now the consequences of that have come to roost and thats only for maintaining the current road/highway networks, doesn't account for expansion and decarbonization projects.
And remember Robert, the true cost of driving means non-drivers are already contributing to your subsidy.
https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/10/driving-true-costs/...
Applying a price on the carbon contained in vehicle fuels (including EVs source of electrical power) should happen, along with taking into account that EVs are heavier and contribute to more wear and tear on the roads.
Feel free to show me the data where bike lane infrastructure and usage is responsible for several billion dollars of budget shortfalls.
You don't want to know how much I pay in taxes
But it doesn't matter because, even though it is a lot more than you do, it has nothing to do with bicycle infrastructure.
I could easily afford a four car garage and lots of motodildos to fill it. I could, like you, delude myself that my neighbors and general others would be impressed by my sinking so much money into consumable things.
I'll stick to my ebike and retire early, thanks.
Wait?!!!! You don’t even ride a real bike?
Oh my, the irony!
Curious though. I paid $263k in taxes last year. You? Great for you if you paid more. I’m not even close to a ‘big’ earner, but I’m certainly comfortable.
This is cool. Hopefully they
This is cool. Hopefully they'll put some in West Roxbury soon. I would ride my bike more if it was easier to avoid getting run over in my neighborhood.
Most dangerous road around
I can’t think of a street more in need of a bike lane than Centre St. in West Roxbury. I know all the bike haters would fill their yards with signs, but this street needs bike lanes and a turning lane in the middle. It’s possibly the most dangerous non-downtown street in the city for any kind of traffic, car, bike, bus, or foot.
Agree
I completely agree with the center turning lane and bike lanes. Does that road really need to be 4 lanes? Why not 3 and use that space for safety purposes for other modes of travel?
Because
Hal Shurtleff and a bunch of his fellow buttholes who received their education from Howie Carr University will throw hissyfits.
True.
I feel like they've been quiet so I'd forgotten about them.
yuk
Wow
Boston's Politics Of Revenge - Alive and Well, just run by a person who says Rawt instead of Root for the word Route.
Here is the map of the 2021 Mayor's Race.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2021/11/04/boston-mayoral-election-results-pre...
Compare that to the new bike route map. Zoinks.
Not one part of the city that went for Anissa gets anything here in terms of bike lanes despite a big demand out of Dot for restrictions along the Avenue and Neponset Avenue could connect into the Neponset River bike path. I know EB and C-Town parts which went for Wu aren't on here yet but geography in Charlestown needs work for bike lanes, but how naked an bleep you is that to the remainder of the city? It is a huge bleep you.
"Everyone Deserves Safe Streets"*
* Most of Dorchester, South Boston, Readville, and West Roxbury excepted.
More likely the path of least
More likely the path of least resistance than revenge. The neighborhoods who voted for AEG are also chock full of anti-bike cranks like yourself.
That's Not Governing
That's revenge.
You are missing my point. Take a seat.
If everyone deserves safe streets, why are huge pieces of the city being excluded?
PS - I am not anti-bike. I want bike lanes that work, not pieces of plastic that get taken out by snowplows. I also don't want to take my well being into danger when crossing with the walk light downtown by someone who disregards the rules whether they are in a car or on a bike.
The city needs lane separation like on Route 9 in Brookline Village where I almost and hugged a person the other day for actually using the red / green lights for bikes like they were intended.
I'm already sitting. Nobody
I'm already sitting. Nobody said these were the last bike lanes they were ever going to install. If you've only got a limited amount of resources, it makes sense to start building out the bike infrastructure in bike friendly neighborhoods first. There is less push back and when people in other neighborhoods see how well the new infrastructure works they may start to come around to it.
I dunno John, correlation ≠ causation, etc.
But on the more thought out points you made, one issue needs to be taken up with BPD. If the rules of the road aren't being followed, thats really the only place you're gonna get meaningful impact to your concerns.
The other one about better protection than plastic bollards is a good point and I'm with ya there. But some bike infra was protected with jersey barriers and it had to be removed because motorists kept running into them. Maybe another case with enforcement of the law would help, who knows.
I think something along these lines is what you want? If so, we are def on the same page:
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2022/06/10/dot-announces-better-barriers-in-...
This Is Exactly What Is Needed
*
Need to check my meds.
Need to check my meds.
I am agreeing with John.
Even though I don't view it as Revenge per se.
I view it more as an issue of the Elites, including the Mayor, of not being willing or capable of dealing with the hoi polloi. The issues are just too complex for them so they walk away. This is an example as is their overall response to Mass and Cass.
The approach seems to be - We are smart, watch us! If it doesn't work or causes problems, - call my assistant. Bye!
Nah, you're anti-bike
That's how I view people wishing that cyclists get doored anyway, and tag that asshat Mike from Woburn.
https://twitter.com/streamside1070/status/1561762634013319168?s=20&t=dim...
Oh my
Xanax was invented for people like you.
With your temper and incessant transhumanist exotransport you'll be in the same metabolic/cardiac boat as a certain other commenter in no time.
As usual
Roxbury (the geographic center of Boston) isn’t included, but neighborhoods further out (with more wealthy people and more white people) are getting improvements.
Hate To Agree With Eeka
But she's right.
Warren Street should be connected by a path from Nubian all the way to Franklin Park, which then allows for connections through the park to Roslindale and JP. That gap between Grove Hall and MLK makes no sense, especially with a high school there.
If you connect Nubian to Cass through Harrison Ave, the bike paths connect even more. Sad that this isn't being done sooner.
Eh.
That could be useful down the road (see what I did there) for recreational cycling or to benefit people coming into the city from further out.
Right now we need protected lanes or separated paths connecting the places large numbers of people go for work, shopping, appointments.
The whole length of Malcolm X/Dudley, Warren, Washington, Ruggles St where they’ve been saying they’ll make a path on that Northeastern lawn strip for like 10 years, Harrison or a street that parallels it, Tremont between SW corridor and Huntington. Oh, and separated/enforced existing lanes on MLK and Longwood. Also Northeastern University cruisers not driving over the flex posts and pulling into the separated lanes on Columbus Ave. And a safe way to get from South Bay to either Nubian or the Melnea Cass path.
According to a recent globe article
There was push back from Roxbury when some locals claimed the proposed lanes were racist insofar as they took away parking spots that would otherwise be used by lower income locals who said they didn't have the time/ability/money to bike and felt the lanes were gentrification that would further push them out.
Bike lanes are the ultimate Rorschach test. Whatever faults you see in city government, they can be manifested in the installation (or lack thereof) of bike lanes.
Like Blue Hill Ave busway?
That is apparently a fraught issue in Mattpan for, I believe, the same reasons. The locals (who have cars) like their cars and don't want have any impact on their ability to drive to and park on the street, even if it improves public transportation in their neighborhood.
They’d be less poor if they
They’d be less poor if they ditched their cars. But you can’t expect common sense to work with entitled drivers.
Someone hates “those people”
It I think we all figured that for a while now.
no its a complicated thing
Cars are money pits. I have owned a car since I was about 25. I have always had old junkers, just enough to run. It is weird all the social pressure I get to buy a new car. At some point I really tried to go without and my brother gave me a car. mY father fixed it up and spent a ridiculous amount of money to ship it to me. It made me realize that it was a luxury not a necessity. But there is a lot of social expectation that all adults have a car.
The difference between you and Kinopio is
You do not have a distain for poor people.
And honestly, I think he’s one of those classic “progressives” who kind of don’t like black people.
Yep
Every time I make a repair or buy tires or breaks it costs a new bike worth of money.
I credit the fact that we paid off our house a decade early and didn't have to make our kids take other than minimal loans with not having more than one car to pay for.
Thankfully I drive so little this doesn't happen very often anymore. But with a 90 year old MIL in NH (and the pandemic road trips) we still keep it on the road.
Seriously thinking of figuring out a car share with a neighbor that needs a half car. I already loaned it out to neighbors a couple of times this summer. I don't even know what gas costs anymore.
Roxbury NIMBYs
I live in Roxbury. Been here 14 years.
There are small but vocal groups that fight off literally everything here. I've watched people fight against park improvements, transit improvements, speed humps, subsidized housing, unsubsidized housing, new school buildings, and more.
Every single thing is turned into racial warfare or decried as a coming harbinger of gentrification. There's a group of people here who argue about the correct placement of the city lines in 1867 because they're convinced that all of Roxbury belongs to certain groups and the boundaries should be set in what was a salt marsh 150 years ago so that those groups can today decide what gets built in said former marshland, even though it's miles from their residences.
It's not surprising to me at all that the mayor is skipping over the battleground here. Why deal with the hostility and naysayers? Let them wait and then they can come back later and complain that they got left behind like they alway do.
Bike lanes or "bike lanes"
Unless there's some sort of physical barrier they don't mean shit.
Traffic calming is good but there needs to be a "so be it" attitude toward sacrificing parking for safety, and I'm not sure we're there yet to the degree they are in Cambridge.
Yes
Paint-only bike lanes do nothing.
See: this “right lane bike only” sign, which absolutely no motorists including/especially cops heed.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5aig1ASpuEAMQsz16?g_st=ic
See also: all the mail trucks and police cruisers in the bike lanes all the time. They need high curbs/fences/Jersey barriers.
Paint does nothing
Like eeka said, paint does nothing. When I'm driving and I see those sharrows, I'm still not sure what that means. It's not a lane, it's just paint on a road.
Sharrows
A lot of safety advocates hate sharrows, because many motorists infer that they only need to allow cyclists to take the lane if there’s a sharrow.
Sharrows aren't bike lanes.
Sharrows aren't bike lanes. They're reminders in regular lanes.
Better than nothing!?
Well except in south Boston, where it is nothing
Puzzling list
Well...okay, but it's already super wide and not even that busy....meanwhile, Washington St from D-14 up to Comm Ave is scary as hell going uphill without even paint to protect you.
Uh...done! Look at that, they're ahead of schedule! I can think of, literally, only half a block where the bike lane disappears inbound just before Charlesgate where they could even be talking about "adding" any bike lane to Comm Ave between Packard's Corner and the Public Garden. Is that all they meant??
The one meaningful bike lane on the whole list! They're finally going to put one in on Charles Street! Wait...Charles Street South??? Oh, fuck you.
This whole list reads as the most obvious/easiest places to put paint and call it a day.
Granted I ride a single speed everywhere
But when I lived up near St. Gabe's, I would avoid going up/down Washington street and instead took the longer, less hilly approach taking Winship with connections to Union/Wallingford.
One quick take
In looking at the website, it is interesting that on the map provided, Mattapan Square and most of Hyde Park do not exist. Perhaps telling.
There are, em, issues with some of this plan. For example, I don't really know South Street in Brighton, but it seems the entire plan for that is to tell cyclists that it's okay to go the wrong way down the street. No lanes. No protection. Just a sign saying one can do that.
Check the bottom of the user interface
There is a zoom in/zoom out feature in the bottom right. Cuts off parts of Charlestown and East Boston too by default. Seems like a reach that its indicative of anything telling.
I agree with your comments on the South St. proposal, not really sure what they are envisioning there from the language and imagery.
I have to admit
After I posted what I posted, I went back to look at the proposals. The map had indeed changed to show the southern end of the city.
I guess I was looking at things like Costello did. Hyde Park was the last neighborhood to get Blue Bikes, after even West Roxbury. As you inadvertently noted, no new infrastructure for East Boston or Charlestown, either. I nice path from Sullivan Square would do wonders, no?
Oh 100%!
The omissions are interesting though, seems like they quoted a lot of data and lower usage in those areas with regards to BluBikes.
But of course it is a "built it and they will come" thought process with most bike infra, so I'm just puzzled as to why those areas are underserved in the planning.
Pot holes first priority?
Its been 2 years FFS
Ah bikes...
The only thing that unites the left and right, complete disdain for cyclists of any sort.
And nothing shows complete disdain for something...
than building more infrastructure to support it.
Huh?
I don't consider bike haters to be progressive in the least.
Boomers who consider themselves left wing are often inflexible car-addled blowhards that would put their parents to shame in the moral dudgeon at anything new department.