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Walsh: Time for city contractors to equip trucks with side guards to reduce odds of bicyclists, pedestrians getting crushed when the trucks turn
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Comments
ban cell phones
By Harrison
Tue, 09/09/2014 - 11:43pm
Just like the T, while driving city vehicles.
...splash on mud guards,
By Chris Rich
Tue, 09/09/2014 - 11:45pm
..two way sneeze through wind vents, chrome fender dents, and factory air conditioned air from a fully equipped air conditioned factory.. with the look of real wood.
(bonus points if you know the reference).
On a more serious note, it is nice to see mounting evidence of a modern data driven approach to urban governing after that long night of paper piles, arbitrary enforcement, myth making and peruke revivals.
I wish boston would crack
By anon
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 5:20am
I wish boston would crack down on dangerous and aggressive drivers
Think the DOT might have
By kvn
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 7:15am
Think the DOT might have something to say about that , amongst others,
"The Court held that the means used to achieve safety was unrealistic and that the increase in the number of trains and train operators actually enhanced the likelihood of accidents. "
(Insert truck in place of train language )
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Comm...
That will be the tell.
By Chris Rich
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 7:35am
Did they do legal research skillfully?
If anything, it is smart constituent responsiveness and if it gets shot down, it is at least some evidence of thinking about the problem rather than doing a photo op with a bicycle.
This is the cool pattern. Look at the data on Allston Christmas and see if there is a useful city response besides a photo op series.
Look at the overall data set and send a bunch of audit observers on a city wide exploration to see the details of exactly what is there.
your legal arguments are
By anon
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 8:12am
your legal arguments are dubious.
The referenced case were trains that crossed state lines in their duties, clearly interstate, and there were unclear effects on safety. And what makes you believe the DOT will even step in on this? Arizona was hurting transport of goods. This does not reduce capacity of any trucks or prevent them from driving any routes.
They already tried to
By kvn
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 8:45am
They already tried to institute safety idiosyncrasies years ago , it didn't hold.Interstate could be interpreted to mean the parent company is from out of state. Or , all it would require is tagging the truck with an "apportioned " plate. Dude , I am by no means a lawyer, but have been around the block a few times , many blocks as a matter of fact.This action is a placebo, it will never fly. People just need to use more diligence in operating whatever they are operating.Commerce is the life's blood of our society, it's three dimensional.You can't email everything. You have to be realistic with respect to time , space , and distance. Don't like big trucks in the city to feed the economic monster, smaller ones will cause congestion , more of them , and increase the unit cost of the products they convey.
Did you miss this part ?
(Insert truck in place of train language )
Where does the trash end up ? Out of state....
Increased amount of trucks if you limit size or capacities , or time restraints.
I object...!
By mrzip
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:28am
Read the Mayor's statement again, it doesn't require all trucks in the city to be so equipped, it says something to the effect that, if you want to bid on city jobs, your trucks have to have these guards, a far cry from limiting the number a railcars in a train, requiring certain sized mudflaps on ALL trucks, etc. Municipalities and other non-federal agencies have required increased pollution control equipment, use of bio-diesel, alternatives to standard back-up beepers and lots of other things without running afoul of the Commerce Clause. I say this is a proper use of the City's role in the marketplace, to promote smart innovations.
>Don't like big trucks in the
By eddiil
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:34am
>Don't like big trucks in the city to feed the economic monster, smaller ones will cause congestion
I don't think this is accurate. Any time you have a truck that makes multiple stops, the limiting factor may be the speed of loading/unloading. More trucks with same number of deliveries/pickups = more people loading/unloading, meaning the whole process is faster and the trucks get off the road faster. At the very least, it's probably a wash.
Smaller trucks have the additional benefit of being able to use urban-sized parking spots and loading zones without needing to obstruct a travel lane.
" More trucks with same
By kvn
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:25pm
" More trucks with same number of deliveries/pickups = more people loading/unloading, meaning the whole process is faster and the trucks get off the road faster. At the very least, it's probably a wash."
That's not how it works in the real world. If it were , the driver would be dropping pallets of goods on the sidewalk and be moving on to his next delivery. Anyone want to guess how many pallets fit in a 53' trailer ? Businesses aren't going to put their entire workforce on the street to receive product, that's a fact , jack !
And with respect to fitting in the peanut size loading zones , you still have to have additional space in the rear to offload and stage. good luck with that !
Fed law
By Lunchbox
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:57am
Federal law prohibits municipalities from regulating even intrastate transportation; but it has an exception for safety-related laws, which this seems to be. Still, I would expect litigation challenging any such ordinance.
Not a bad idea
By Scratchie
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 8:53am
But somebody's going to have to explain to the drivers that they still have to look out for peds and cyclists even though they have a "side gahd".
But somebody's going to have to explain
By anon
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:53am
to the cyclists why it's a bad idea to pass vehicles on the right (desite an idiotic state law that makes it legal to do so), and explain to the pedestrians that - NO, you do not have absolute right of way and should not walk blindly into traffic.
There, fixed it for you.
NO, you do not have absolute
By Scratchie
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:15am
Don't tell Matthew.
You need to be fixed
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:25am
Somebody should tell truckers to NEVER EVER EVER pass a cyclist half way and then turn, running them over.
Also, NEVER EVER EVER turn such that you RUN OVER PEOPLE ON THE CURB.
But you probably think that guy waiting for the crossing light deserved to die so horribly in central square because TRUCKS ROCK!!!!
THAT is the PROBLEM.
Somebody should remind cyclists
By roadman
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:44am
to NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER pass a large truck on the right (regardless of what the idiotc state law says).
And we also need to change the laws to require cyclists using bike lanes (where provided) to STAY IN THOSE LANES. A driver in a car is expected to stay within marked lanes on the street - it should not be any diferent for cyclists using
special entitlementbike lanes.Funny how these types of accidents never happened before when cyclists were expected to use the same facilities as other road users, and were expected to follow the same laws (like only passing on the left).
A driver in a car is expected
By Scratchie
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:47am
ROFLMAO. I needed a chuckle this morning.
And your citation for this factoid is, what?
He always drives in the right lane
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:02pm
And when he encounters a double parked car? Well, he STAYS IN THAT LANE because you aren't allowed to change lanes, ever.
Right.
How am I supposed to turn
By gotdatwmd
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 12:57pm
How am I supposed to turn left, smart guy?
You can make a "left" without
By eddiil
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:28pm
You can make a "left" without leaving the bike lane using a hook turn: http://cycleguide.dk/2010/05/how-to-do-a-hook-turn/ It's a useful technique when you need to make a left across a fast, multilane road (e.g., 3 lanes of traffic, 40mph+).
Cyclists are already bound by the same traffic rules as cars requiring them to use the rightmost lane, with the usual exceptions for passing, turning, safety, etc. If Boston drivers want to clamor for enforcement of lane usage rules, well, good luck with that!
Your Hobby Horse's
By whyaduck
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:55am
wheels are squeaking.
Although I do agree with the idea of bike guards in theory, however, as a cyclist I know enough to hold back when I see a truck turning right, knowing that they do indeed have blind spots. I also hold back for cars turning right as I do not want to be caught between them and the curb. I do not place myself in dangerous situations but, unfortunately, I see way too many cyclists still blowing (at fast speeds) through red lights and stop signs and displaying dubious riding techniques (like the dudes who like riding down the Harvard/Mass. Ave. bridge between two lines of traffic going in to the city, instead of using the bike lane. An accident just waiting to happen.)
Riding a bike
By Kathode
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 11:16am
in between lanes on the Mass Ave bridge is a pretty regular thing, as it is on many other city streets. Sometimes, there is a bike in the bike lane, a bike in between the travel lanes and a bike on the double yellow lines!
I'm not talking about "bike passing on right"
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:09pm
I'm talking about the ever common "right hook".
I'm sorry so many of you motorons are so dim with regard to actual conditions. The reality is that most cyclists killed in such a manner did NOT pass on the right - the vehicle passing THEM on the LEFT and then turning across/through them did the killing.
The classic example of this didn't even involve a moving cyclist, but a pedestrian on a sidewalk in Central Square.
Gotta agree with Swirly here
By anon
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 12:43pm
I suburban bike. When I'm stopped at a stop sign, a huge number of cars will pull up next to me until I'm in their blind spot, then turn. Or they'll give up their turn at a four-way stop to wave me through, only to zoom past me 6 inches from the edge of my handlebars half a block later.
Responsible bikers don't want to die, so they stay out of your way. Don't put them there.
Swirls , too many people ,
By kvn
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 3:15pm
Swirls , too many people , too big of trucks , something's going to give. Faneuil Hall used to be a market , now it's loaded with people. They are there to get stuff,somewhat do you do, email it ? I was there when it was a market , now it's a people magnet. That's reality, it's crowded. EVERYONE has to be careful.Calm down ,now !
I forgot to mention, Swirls , that they just did over the Plymouth waterfront, and now there is a marked bike lane on Water Street. Can you dig it?
Would be helpful. There was
By anon
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 9:26am
Would be helpful. There was a bicyclists hit this morning in Cambridge between Inman and Central by a garbage truck. Hopefully the cyclists is ok.
This is what a sideguard looks like
By Charlie Rosenberg
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:12am
This is what a sideguard looks like.
http://tinyurl.com/k2kno5c
This is a half-measure
By perruptor
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 10:31am
The city should mandate Nerf trucks.
Or
By stummo
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 12:50pm
Or adobe.
Walsh, it's time to fix
By Fix schools
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:20pm
Walsh, it's time to fix Boston Public Schools. Can that be a higher priority than padding trucks?
Your logical fallacy is...
By Scratchie
Wed, 09/10/2014 - 1:43pm
[img]http://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/assets/icon-black-or-white.png[/img]
Curb feelers?
By Markk02474
Sun, 09/14/2014 - 5:50pm
Where are they in the regulation? Major oversight! So, where is the data on side guard cost vs. effectiveness? How much does it cost for each life saved?
Stop narrowing roads and tightening corners!!!
By Markk02474
Sun, 09/14/2014 - 5:57pm
That will make trucking safer in the city!
Having spent time recently visiting a patient at Tufts medical center, I was frequently entertained by the feat of Silver Line tandem buses turning from Kneeland St on to Washington St. and only able to do it by a couple inches. Bad planning! More entertainment came at the pedestrian crossing at the T station. Frequent red lights always run by cyclists and frequently by pedestrians.
You haven't read the latest studies
By SwirlyGrrl
Sun, 09/14/2014 - 8:02pm
Go ahead - google stuff. It is good for you. Road diets work to improve traffic flow, and adding cycletracks in NYC improved speeds on some streets and did not affect others.
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