City councilors Josh Zakim (Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Fenway, Mission Hill) and Michael Flaherty (at large) say it's time to curb a proliferating number of road races that tie up neighborhood streets, particularly in the Back Bay, but also in the Fenway and Beacon Hill.
"Parades, road races, the National Realtor's Race, the National Whatever Organization Happens to Be in Town road races," Zakim sighed. Especially because these events are often little publicized outside the groups themselves, kids trying to get to piano lessons or people trying to get to the dentists find themselves seriously detoured and late, he said.
Flaherty said he realizes many of these events help "very important charitable causes," but added, "there are other neighborhoods that can host races." Besides, that would mean more foot traffic for stores along the routes in other neighborhoods, so it would be win-win, he said.
The council agreed to schedule a hearing to consider what to do about the issue. Flaherty said that, in addition to city transportation officials, it would be important to invite DCR to the table, because of the multiplication of races along the state-owned Esplanade.
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Comments
Counterpoint
By Steve Brady
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:12pm
The streets belong to everyone, not just drivers. And the only things being overrun are cyclists and pedestrians, by drivers.
Countercounterpoint
By Guy
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 9:02am
Still waiting on that pedestrian excise tax ... (would a size 13 man pay more than a size 6 woman?)
Sales Tax
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:47pm
Buy shoes or boots that cost more than $175 and you pay tax.
How many are there actually?
By fungwah
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:13pm
Are there really that many road races that this is that large of a problem? What's the maximum number that we should allow?
No more critical mass events!
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:19pm
By that I mean the twice daily 20K fun "runs" known as single occupant car commuting.
Wait 45 seconds or less for
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 6:21pm
Wait 45 seconds or less for the light to change and you can cross rush hour traffic.
How long do you have to wait to walk across a road race?
15 years ago
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:30pm
15 years ago, I had no problem crossing the Marathon route to get to HSPH. I just waited with my bike and the cops working the event would escort peds and cyclists across when there was a break in the traffic.
So very sad
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:16pm
These lovely local community events (they aren't all for charity) are inconveniencing sedentary people who want to drive their cars and avoid contact with all other humans!
Oh the humanity!
Darling, the Boston Marathon
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 7:01pm
Darling, the Boston Marathon is an international event of thousands not some quaint lovely local event as are many of the walks and races Back Bay is happy to hosts. Thanks for chiming in though!
I love the marathon
By RichM
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 9:05am
But the stock market is open and it's a normal working day for everybody but city employees, it should be held on Sunday.
"The trick is to say you're
By baustin
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:18pm
"The trick is to say you're prejudiced against all races."
this guy
By Refugee
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 9:30pm
Found the racist.
"kids trying to get to piano
By J
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:23pm
"kids trying to get to piano lessons "
Truly a man who understands the needs of the masses
Daily Show and Charity Walks
By EastieGirl
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:37pm
How can anyone forget this gem from 2006, Dan Bakkedahl on the Daily Show and the man kvetching about too many charity walks in Back Bay interrupting him getting around.
I actually agree with this. I
By cden4
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 3:58pm
I actually agree with this. I think street closures for festivals and public events are fantastic, but the number of charity races and essentially private events requiring street closures is getting a bit out of hand.
And, with many of the street
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 7:12pm
And, with many of the street closures there is no advanced notice. Of course the big events we all are prepared for and the city lets people know what will be closed and when. However, this is not the case with the lesser known events/ races/ walks. There are plenty of residents who have family and obligations outside of the area, and in neighboring states. So, while some of you sneer at missing appointments and being late for family events keep in mind that not everyone lives the carefree lifestyle you do.
Sorry for posting my above
By anon
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:04am
Sorry for posting my above comment as a reply to the comment above it -- my mistake!
This is a simmering issue in Somerville, too
By Ron Newman
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 4:05pm
Every few Sundays there seems to be another road race that starts and ends in Davis Square, using this route that loops around through Ball Square, Powderhouse Circle, and Teele Square. The problem is that this entirely encircles a residential area, making it impossible to enter or leave except on foot or (with some difficulty) bike.
Ron, there’s about 5 of those
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 5:13pm
Ron, there’s about 5 of those over the course of the year. Is that the same as “every few weeks�
Is that all? It feels like there are more
By Ron Newman
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 6:01pm
I don't have a car and live just outside the encircled area, so it doesn't affect me directly. But I hear discussion about this on Davis Square local forums (Facebook and the former LIveJournal group)
I got almost caught trying to
By anon_wd
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 10:53pm
I got almost caught trying to get to the other side of Davis Square on way to work/ suburbs for one of those runs on a Sunday morning last fall- live about a mile away and had no clue it was happening and I'm in that area pretty much every day
Somerville also seems to also have a number of weeknight/ post-work impromptu 5k's that don't close the streets- but jam the sidewalks with a group of runners that seems to materialize out of nowhere
Try going to Castle Island or
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 4:18pm
Try going to Castle Island or Marine Park for a Sunday morning walk/jog etc. Ever more frequently there has been races stopping you from even getting close. And try getting to MGH for a sick family member when one of these road races have closed down Cambridge St and all surrounding main roads, causing gridlock on streets that are left open. Not fun to say the least. Glad that it has finally been brought up.
All for it
By roadman
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 4:26pm
And they can start with the biggest WASTE of them all - the Boston Marathon and their discriminatory practice of having separate races for the snobs (elites), the ordinary rabble, and those who'll would never qualify but give a sob story to get in.
I knew you’d come out on this one
By Waquiot
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 7:09pm
But sorry, I would bet anything that Zakim was not talking about an internationally renowned race that pumps millions into the local economy while raising money for charities.
"sob story"?
By fungwah
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 8:13pm
Are you referring to those running on behalf of a charity? Pretty sure that's the only major group that doesn't need to qualify.
Reading Resident, Right?
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 8:16pm
Sounds like REI needs to up its game!
I think I'll suggest that they hold regular events at that location. Training rides and runs. Raise money for Rails to Trails, the Nature Conservancy, and the Appalachian Mountain Club.
"little publicized"
By coffeeweasel
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 4:29pm
The lack of notice is a huge problem. Years ago I actually wrote to the city about the lack of notice for the Allston-Brighton Day parade and 5K, because a lot of the traffic gets detoured up my street and causes confused and annoyed gridlock all over. Complaining didn't do any good back then, but for the last couple of years I've at least gotten a flier in the mail announcing the date.
Way too many
By anon
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 8:12pm
South Boston probably has more roadraces than any section of the City. Unfortunately all are on DCR roadways.
Call me a NIMBY, but there are parking restrictions and traffic rerouting occur on every weekend, you can call me whatever you want.
Read remarks of a favorite City Councilor....
By theszak
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 11:30pm
Read remarks of a favorite City Councilor from the Stenographic Record, request Steno Record via the Office of Council President Campbell https://www.boston.gov/departments/city-council/an... or via City Clerks Offices Legislative Support Program https://www.boston.gov/departments/city-clerk
Who drives?
By Kaz
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 12:38pm
Who drives to Back Bay for piano lessons or a dentist?
If you live there, you're walking right? Or are you leaving to go to a dentist or piano lessons outside of town? Who does that?
I get that a neighborhood can have too many road closures. The reasoning is odd though.
Arrange to head in an hour earlier for dentist or piano lessons.
By theszak
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 2:42pm
Knowing there could be traffic shutdowns from time to time arrange to head in an hour earlier for trips to the dentist or for piano lessons. Life in the City is a life of unanticipated transportation events routinely.
Keep a Plan B in mind for all trips! It could be worse, for example Manhattan, Venice, etc.
I'm totally with the
By Milwaukee Mike
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 3:55pm
I'm totally with the councilors on this one.
Back when I lived in Somerville, some assholes were nice enough to organize a road race that went down our street. We had to sit in the car for half an hour just waiting for a chance to leave our own driveway. If you want to get fit, join a gym or run down a community path that's bicycle/pedestrian only--Boston has a ton of them. If you want to support a charity, simply donate your money and ask others to do the same. (As an aside, I'v always thought that charity runs are goofy in the same way that drinking games are goofy: if you want to drink, then drink already--no need to pull out a deck of cards or a ping pong ball.)
What right did these joggers had to take up an entire public thoroughfare to the exclusion of the residents who actually lived on it? If I had infinite time on my hands, I'd find all of the people involved in this narcissistic crap and pick a random day to jog in place at the end of their driveways when they're trying to get somewhere. Preposterous and dickish, right? So if it's not okay for one person to do such a thing, how is it perfectly fine when several hundred do?
Gyms
By eeka
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 4:16pm
Hey, if we're discussing the public good here, let's not encourage gyms though, except perhaps for lifting weights, and limited special use for disabled people or people rehabbing from an injury. Let's encourage people who are able-bodied to get their exercise by walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing sports, etc. They can get places without carbon emissions and get exercise at the same time. It's not really great for the common good to have all these people in gyms using electricity to run or cycle when they could be out saving energy. Plus so many of them drive there.
(Also, why have we not made it so the treadmills and exercise bikes generate electricity rather than run on it? This seems like an obvious step to take.)
Here's the problem with treadmills
By Waquiot
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:16pm
They decide how fast you go. It's yet another reason to hate them. You power them up and you get your 9 minute per mile pace. Relentless.
Check out what happened to Taylor Swift('s stunt double) when she forgot to go the speed of the treadmill.
The Ultimate Smug Alert
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:24pm
I was wandering through an area of San Francisco on a mild night and there was a house with the garage door open.
Inside the garage was a guy rocking out on a stationary bike ... plugged into his plug-in hybrid car.
If that makes you mad
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 7:25pm
Try RUSH HOUR when people in vehicles far larger than themselves have the nerve to block all the roadways with their excessively large and polluting vehicles!
As for the road races, etc., well, I like them. They keep the cut-through traffic out of my neighborhood for a whole half day!
This'll be fun. Blocking them
By anon
Thu, 01/10/2019 - 9:38pm
This'll be fun. Blocking them from whom? Who are these more deserving road users, the chosen ones, who are being blocked, pray tell? The majority of commuters, who travel by car should be stepping aside and self flagellating in favor of _____________ (fill in blank, please).
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