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City, state block parking along Arnold Arboretum
By adamg on Fri, 04/10/2020 - 9:08am
Update, 11 a.m. The Arborway is now lined with "No Parking" signs, but Bussey Street and the parking lot on Water Street were still unmarked and in use.
The Arnold Arboretum announced this morning:
Beginning Friday, April 10, the City of Boston and Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be reducing public parking along the perimeter of the Arnold Arboretum to marked, handicap parking only. All other street parking, particularly along the Arborway and Bussey Street, will be temporarily eliminated. Consider this if planning a visit, and please avoid hours of peak visitation, 4:00pm-7:00pm on weekdays and 2:00pm-7:00pm on weekends. While in the Arboretum landscape, all pedestrians, runners, and cyclists need to wear a mask or other facial covering. Help us all support the Commonwealth’s and City’s efforts to reduce overcrowding and encourage social distancing.
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Comments
This will cause people to take the T there instead
In normal times, that would be wonderful. But during a pandemic, I wonder if it's the right choice.
Enough people live around there.
They can walk.
People who can walk there are already walking there
Closing the parking spaces will displace the drivers onto the MBTA, which I'm not sure is the best idea, as it will put people into enclosed spaces for longer.
Don’t think that will happen.
People who drove there will just drive somewhere else. They aren’t going to take the MBTA there.
Just my guess
I’m glad you
Recognize that there is a Pandemic. Stay home it’s that simple.
Close the parking lane,ok, but ...
...make it and another pedestrian only.
Less public space use is worse
You can check out Google’s measurement of public space use here:
https://www.google.com/covid19/mobility/
The countries with the biggest drops after the declared pandemic, France, Italy and Spain have not done well at all. And they continued to see worse outcomes well after the pandemic and high enforcement of social distancing were declared.
They also all border each other.
Probably more of a factor....
They all closed their borders
They closed their borders when they locked down.
Ahhh, so did many other countries...
And yet that doesn’t seem to be a common problem in those countries.
This rubs me the wrong way
If people could voluntarily maintain their social distancing, these parking bans wouldn't be needed. In my experience, basically every person who is out walking in my area is VERY aware of keeping their distance. People glance up the street and cross to the other side if someone is coming. People treat other walkers like they are a vicious dog and get the hell out of the way. If this is the case on the street - people really DO get it - why can't it be the case in the Arboretum?
Sadly people are not
Sadly people are not distancing in the Arboretum. I have seen it first hand. The mayor has mentioned it a couple times. This is fine but will just cause people to park on the adjacent residential side streets. We’re on track for the City and Harvard to close the Arboretum because people cannot be responsible adults.
Not just about getting it or not getting it
Have you been to the Arboretum lately? It's packed. Utilization is well above capacity and maintaining a six foot separation is nearly impossible at certain sections. So it doesn't take many non mask wearing walkers or joggers to create a dangerous situation. People are coming from all over the city, and I don't blame them because it is probably our most beautiful park, but it can only take so many people at once.
I'm normally not one of those stay out of my neighborhood types, just the opposite. But right now, I have to say that it should be left for people in Roslindale and JP. There are parks in every neighborhood, people have to adjust to only using what is local.
Agreed. The people driving to
Agreed. The people driving to the arboretum are ruining it for everyone. It’s way too crowded. People should stay in their own neighborhood for now. Keep the arboretum open for people who live near it.
Kinopio, please consider
Kinopio, please consider renting a blue bike isntead of driving: it's better for your health AND you can ride the rental to the Arboretum as opposed to driving which is now pointless bc they're banning parking.
Nobody goes there any more
It's too crowded.
Or so says my friend Yogi.
Nobody goes there anymore
That's my favorite Yogi ism, and I've used it a lot lately.
I live a 3 minute bike ride form the Arb and have been avoiding it for a few weeks because of the crazy crowds, many of whom drive there. last week I noticed there were no parked cars but it took me a few days to realize that parking was banned. Now the level of use is so much more manageable. I tend to not like NIMBY behavior either but honestly people should be staying closer to home not driving all over to overcrowd these open spaces.
A major issue with all this
A major issue with all this reduction in parking is it ignores the fact that many non higher income people actually live in areas without large green lucious open spaces.
So when people say "well just walk to what's best you, duh" what I hear is "I enjoy my private park and don't want you poor people in it"
This is why some cities are opening networks of car-free roads
I know in some cases like Minneapolis its on parkways but the idea is a network that can give people outdoor space that they might not otherwise have access to.
Sure, its not a park but its better than nothing and don't try to pretend that mismanagement and supply of parking just started to exist now, demographics of low-income households also being car-free households that heavily rely on public transit. That also completely ignores the proximity of Arboretum and Franklin park to lower income communities.
Build networks of open streets in every neighborhood so everyone has something to access.
https://twitter.com/BlineTransport/status/1248330832277909504
https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/74-miles-of-Oakland-streets-...
https://twitter.com/CityofDenver/status/1248340944513990656
https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2020/04/coronavirus-city-street-p...
https://twitter.com/ban_SUVs/status/1246553864914042880
https://www.minneapolisparks.org/activities__events/road_closures/
I fully support this...
I understand why the arboretum is doing this and I support it. You can't event get entitled dog owners to keep their animals on a leash (despite signs at every entrance) - or prevent them from dropping their bags of dog S%$t everywhere. Bottom line, people don't follow the rules in the arbs and this is what happens.
Outdoors is SARS-COV-2 Virus Free
Once again -- You can not catch COVID-19 disease by just walking or even running around outside [well OK I suppose that you can -- like you can win the lottery] even if you encounter a person walking about Jamaica Pond with the opposite handedness.
The Sunlight will rapidly evaporate any droplets containing virium whether in the air or on a surface, and the UV in the Sunlight will denature the SARS-COV-2 virus. Any amount of wind will rapidly disperse any cloud which an infected person has emitted into the air and the solar UV will take care of the rest.
Two caveats:
So to make sure that you don't get infected while recreating:
That's an awfully long-winded way to say ...
You can be infected outside.
You say you can't, then give examples of how you can. No, of course the problem is not sniffing flowers in the Arboretum, but all the other people (or, for that matter, you, if you're infected and just don't know it).
You might want to take a ride to Jamaica Pond and see how many examples there are of people running head on towards people coming the other way (hint to Matt O'Malley: Those "walk counterclockwise" signs aren't working), some of whom are not moving fast enough to escape all those germy aerosolized particles.
ruh roh
1. So then it's ok when the jogger, biker, skateboarder practically nicks you as they pass by while huffing and puffing and sometimes outright coughing? Phew! I was worried about this.
2. Touching exercise apparatus is safer than touching doorknobs and just about anything on the T? Who knew?
3. Wow! When you hit a nice single and hang out on first, shoulder to shoulder with the infielder, you are safe! That's fantastic.
4. I'm almost with you on this one.
5. If this play is in one of our overcrowded parks, should we worry when the assembled masses beat up the frisbee player for running around willy-nilly?
6. I HAVE NO WORDS.
so much is wrong with this
but I don't have all day so I'll just state (one of) the obvious:
You make it sound like Boston is California. We've had like 3 full days and 3 half days of sun this month so forget the idea that the sunlight is going to be your friend in Boston in March April or May (or really most of the year when it comes down to it).
My God!
What are all those Mini-Cooper owners with the MV stickers in their back windows that park there so that they can let their dogs shit in the Arboretum and not pick it up when no one is looking going to do now?
Take an Uber?
Is that
On the non-Jamaica Plain side?
Thats good besides this
Before the pandemic the JP side that stretches from the rotary to the train station gets filled with cars that barely pull off the road to park. Should be banned year round.