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New road alignment at Forest Hills driving people nuts
By adamg on Wed, 05/17/2017 - 9:27am
In a few days, maybe people will have adjusted, but at least this morning, the re-alignment of traffic on Washington Street between Ukraine Way and New Washington Street caused headaches for motorists and people trying to get to the T station by bus.
Darryl Houston summed it up:
Complete gridlock into Forest Hills this am.
The state basically created two new lanes immediately next to the T stop to allow for work on the original roadway related, of course, to the creation of a new ground-level Arborway where the Casey Overpass used to be.
Matt Morong reports it took him 35 minutes to go a mile and a half.
Steve H reports:
Utter disaster - doubled the usual commute time to the T and that was before I got off the bus to walk.
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Comments
That sucks. But you should
That sucks. But you should try being a walker/biker in that area. You take your life into your own hands.
I think they hired "Benny Hill Planning" for that project. Whomever thought that having a pedestrian/biker have to go through 4 crosswalks to get to the other side (there's gotta be a joke in there somewhere) has never walked nor biked in their life. It can take 8-10 minutes just to get to the SW Corridor. #SAD
No
Don't you remember the arguments here before the project started. This project is pedestrian/bike centered. That's why they are doing so much to make it easier for us to navigate the construction.
New "temporary" road
New "temporary" road alignment.
Walk If Able
Everyone that is able to physically should just get off the bus and walk Washington St to Forest Hills. I did that this morning once it became clear the bus wasn't going anywhere after Healy Field. Beat the bus to the station easily. Probably the best solution while this is ongoing.
20 minute walk
roughly.
What slowed me down was riding the bus from Cummins Highway to Firth Road. About 5 minutes to go one stop.
I was able to do a midday run last week. I swear there are only 5 guys working on the project.
Oh, Casey/Arborway project. Why do you prove me right to doubt you at every turn?
And you gotta wonder when the design for the roof for the new bus shelter, which they knew was going to be needed before they tore the roof off the old bus shelter 2 years ago, will be completed so that, you know, they can have a roof to shelter bus riders from the elements.
One Track again
And the Orange Line is down to one track again. This time on the other size.
If I bike in I notice around
If I bike in I notice around 7amish that there are never any workers there - all last summer I saw a total of 2 worker about 3x. No wonder it's a year behind schedule!
I sometimes run from work to
I sometimes run from work to FH but if I see it's a cluster f*ck on Washington I just keep going. I'm a slow runner but I seem to make it to the Square before the buses. again #SAD
It's a mess and dangerous
So for those not brave enough to venture there, or have no need...
From Ukraine Way to the old J-Way, has been re-aligned. The Arboretum side of Washington Street is now closed for a rebuild, jersey barriers and all. There is a cross walk between the station and the footpath into the Arboretum but not well marked, and not well lit. Walkers and cyclists be careful.
There are 3 lanes of travel. There are two outbound toward Roslindale. Right side is for a jog at the traffic light to continue to Roslindale Sq. The center lane (outbound) ir marked with an arrow for LEFT turns to Hyde Park Ave. The inbound lane is single and abuts the station proper.
The taxi stand was moved closer to the station.
People seeking to use the automobile drop off place where you pick up people, where the shuttle buses from the hospitals drop off, and where Uber and Lyft often stop and go away because your train was late, do so at their own risk. At peak service hours you may be fortunate - very fortunate - to get in. Getting out however is a crap shoot. When I was there at 7:30 pm it was better but still risky business.
Bike lanes? What are those? Be careful.
Take public transit? Well if you check out the news a disabled Amtrak train west of here saw the passengers order pizza while they were stuck. And they got it delivered to the coach. You may want to see if a local shop can walk in food if you are stuck in traffic that long. If cars can't move, then buses can't move.
Making matters worse is building construction between Ukraine Way and the station on Hyde Park Ave, and just to add some frosting to all fo this, utility digging for the new apartments being built at Hyde Park Ave and Walk Hill. All of these are seeing narrowed roadways.
In short, Forest Hills is a mess, the same as it was back in the 1980s when the current Forest Hills Station was built, which itself saw many of the businesses there close up because they lost business, and that because no one could get to them, and they could not live on the walk-up traffic from the station. As it is, crossing there is already a nightmare, even with the pedestrian signals.
So to be clear here... None of these projects are talking to each other. No one knows what the other is doing, or when. While the police may know for traffic details, and fire and EMS would know for traffic needs (or to re-route), the construction companies operate independently. This is because there is no city ordnance or any policy that requires them to coordinate.
I have advised my senior citizen wife that my getting there could be compromised at times to get her around 7:30 pm. If so, she will have to arm herself and walk to Harvest or Emporium Gas and I'll get her there. The taxis can't hang a U-Turn either now. Add a quarter to your fare.
As the saying goes, "Ya can't get they-yah, from hee-yah."
the old j-way
you mentioned 'Ukraine Way to the old J-Way' ... where was the old Jamaica Way? What street(s) did it change into?
Ukraine Way is that small street that goes over the Commuter Rail tracks kinda like a bridge between Washington and Hyde Park Avenue....
I am having trouble imagining how that little street could've fed into ye olde Jamaica Way of the former Forest Hills area....
Help me understand this if you don't mind - I love the history of that area in particular and this seems like a particularly interesting street configuration of yesteryear and before.
thanks,
Jenny
Arborway
For drivers, one road as many name.
You get on the Arborway at Forest Hills.
Before Jamaica Pond, it becomes Pond Street.
At the lights by the boat house, Pond Street takes a right and straight becomes the Jamaicaway.
I believe north of Route 9 it becomes the Riverway.
After the Landmark Center it becomes the Fenway.
Exactly
However, to the natives, the road with the trees, from Forest Hill to Fenway Park is the "J-Way." It's a bad habit but anyone born and raised here knows what you are talking about.
It's like talking about Rt 128, when in fact it was renumbered to use Rt 95 decades ago. Even the TV traffic people still refer to it as Rt 128 - since in fact it runs concurrent with 95.
And Rt 93 is the "The Expressway."
You can always tell the natives from the newbies with the lingo they use.
J-Way definition...
Ha... this is good to know.
I'm far from a newbie as I was born/raised just outside of Rossie Sq. on Belgrade and I agree with all of your colloquial references to our roads with the exception of the J-way being from Forest Hills to Fenway.
To me and the wholesome youth I grew up with, we've always referenced the road from the rotary right before Jamaica Pond until it hits Rt. 9/Boylston St. as the J-Way (i.e., Jamaica Way).
Also, the road from the rotary near the Poor Clare Nuns convent until the rotary preceding Jamaica Pond in addition to the road between Forest Hills and rotary near the Nun Convent (Nunnery/Penguin Factory!) as the Arborway.
Not saying this is accurate or right or whatever but it is funny to see how different people view different roadways.
Thank God few of us need directions from one another or we'd be fk'd... ha
Reconsidering biking again
But lordy is Washington Street just a nightmare. Any more experienced bikers know of a safer way to get from the square to the station? Really, really don't want to be on Washington.
The only silver lining of this nonsense is school is out soon so that should hopefully alleviate a little of it.
soon?
BPS still has another full month to go :(
Saw an idiot biking on
Saw an idiot biking on southst next to arboretum
Yes
And?
Fully legal, and necessary if you work at the state lab.
I biked it yesterday and it
I biked it yesterday and it actually was pretty smooth because traffic was moving slowly and orderly. Not the intended effect but maybe a benefit for now. The road itself at least until you get closer to Forest Hills is in rough rough shape though.
If you're not aware of it, please lend your support to the proposed Arboretum Gateway path that would connect Forest Hills to Roslindale Village through the Arboretum and MBTA right of way. That would eliminate the need to use Washington St for many cyclists and pedestrians. http://www.walkuproslindale.org/weblog/2015/10/10/the-rozzie-arboretum-g...
Leave bike at FH and take bus
Leave bike at FH and take bus there - then ride:)
Bad, bad, bad
I knew it was bad when traffic was backed at Firth Rd pass Florence at 7:50am! Never seen anything like this, and never been happier of biking to work, particularly in a day like today with the most beautiful weather possible (will see how it goes at 5pm).
This is a mess
It took 25 min for me to ride on the 38 Bus yesterday from Faulkner Hospital to forest hills. I got off just before Forest Hills and walked. The walking took 15 min because of the way the lights are. I had to use the bathroom badly and just made it. Its a royal pain now.
Fist wave
I hate being inconvenienced by progress. Damn progress! Thanks Obama!
This section used to look
This section used to look like part of the fabric of the neighborhood and now it looks like a flat tree-less mid-western inspired concrete and pavement wasteland. Can we get a ctrl Z on this one?