Mayor Walsh today announced a set of initiatives to make Boston roads safer and less clogged that include lowering the default citywide speed limit from 25 to 20 m.p.h., dedicated bus lanes on Brighton Avenue in Allston and North Washington Street along the North End, special pickup/drop-off lanes for Uber and Lyft cars - but also rush-hour surcharges for riding in them - and free T passes for all students in grades 7 through 12, regardless of whether they're BPS students.
Boston reduced its speed limit from 30 to 25 m.p.h. in January, 2017, after the governor signed legislation allowing such citywide reductions. Walsh says going down to 20 would make Boston roads even safer - but as before, the proposal, first made by city councilors, would require action by the state legislature and the governor.
Walsh said he hopes to build on the success of a morning dedicated bus/bike lane along Washington Street in Roslindale with a similar one for Brighton Avenue in Allston. He also wants to see a 24/7 dedicated bus lane on North Washington Street between Haymarket and the bridge to Charlestown.
He added he wants to work with residents to improve bus service along Blue Hill Avenue.
The mayor continued that the city this month will block off a section of the curb at Boylston and Kilmarnock streets in the Fenway as a designated pick-up/drop=off zone for Uber and Lyft cars - between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.
The goal of this pilot is to ease congestion caused by cars double-parking and to increase safety for passengers entering and exiting the vehicles. The City is currently working with ride-sharing companies, and both Uber and Lyft have agreed to support the City's pilot.
The mayor did not say whether Uber and Lyft have agreed to his other proposal for them - to require them to collect a surcharge from riders during rush hours. This measure would require approval of the state legislature and the governor.
This fee would be invested in local roads and transit, including improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. It would also reduce charges for pooled rides and the use of electric vehicles.
Walsh added the city will begin doling out free T passes to all students in grades 7 through 12, regardless of whether they are enrolled in BPS schools. The city currently buys T passes for roughly 20,000 BPS students a year; Walsh's measure would add another 10,000 middle- and high-school students.
Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!
Ad:
Comments
Mobility issues
By anon
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 11:23am
Part of the use and need for ride shares is that they are able to pick up/drop off at your exact locations. As someone with mobility issues, this is crucial. I would rather pay a surcharge than have to try to get to a pre-selected point that may or may not be anywhere near where I am. They could, however, employ a tactic similar to part of the plan at the airport - designated WAITING areas. Once the driver accepts a ride, they can pick up where the rider needs the pickup point to be.
Another reason people use the ride shares if they have things to carry that cannot be done on public transportation/on foot.
The proposal sounds great in theory, but it severely limits the ability of people to use the services as they should be used.
Let's go one step further
By GoSoxGo
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 11:23am
and eliminate all (or most) street parking on major, key roads -- such as ones that are designated as Snow Emergency Routes.
Make the current parking lanes no parking zones and use them for Uber/Lyft/taxi pickup and drop-off zones, along with loading/unloading zones for delivery vehicles.
As most of these vehicles currently double park in the right travel lane, it should improve traffic flow.
Will there be less parking? Yes. Will that cause local businesses to suffer? That remains to be seen.
Drivers blithely blow through red lights.
By CopleyScott17
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 12:00pm
Pretty sure they'll speed.
We need consistent, aggressive, and ubiquitous enforcement. Human AND technological. Otherwise it will just continue to get worse.
Another issue
By Boston_Bloke
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 6:38am
You raise an excellent point. Walsh is focused 5 miles per hour but ignores the red lights that drives ignore. Another EXISTING law that drivers ignore.
What Nothing About Bus Lanes?
By BlackKat
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 12:43pm
All the comments so far have pretty much been about the speed limit proposal and nothing about the bus lanes.
I will be very entertained to see what happens when the double parking zone on Brighton between Linden and Harvard Ave becomes a bus lane. I don't drive much in the city, because I don't need to and it's wasteful. But every time I do go down Brighton Ave I don't even bother with the rightmost lane because I know it will be bumper to bumper double parked cars all down that block.
If the other bus lanes are
By DTP
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 3:49pm
If the other bus lanes are any indication, it will continue to be a double parking zone.
Bus Lane
By Ben_Quahog
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 9:38am
The only way a bus lane would work for that part of Brighton Ave would be to get rid all the street parking. Yes, there is already a shortage of parking in that area, but I've never found a spot on that stretch anyway because of all the double parking.
I thought the Roslindale bus lane was a phenomenal success. It cut 5-10 minutes off my commute when I lived there. But Washington St. doesn't have the same double parking issue.
Not true
By Kaz
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 11:01am
Due to all the double parking, the right lane is basically not even used anyways. Everyone has to crunch over to the left lane to get through the area.
Turn it into a bus lane and tow the fuck out of all those damn double parkers and it wouldn't change traffic flow at all.
I agree that South Station is
By Rob
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 1:04pm
I agree that South Station is a trouble spot with no enforcement of taxi queue and the no-stopping and no-dropoff zones. That may be MBTA or Amtrak police jurisdiction, though - not BPD.
Congestion due to too many uber/lyft and double-parking, etc by uber/lyft. Well, the city and/or state could actually regulate them like the rest of the industry (medallion & car services) instead of just shrugging. Current attitude is amazingly inconsistent with parallel issue from a few years ago - Chinatown buses were pushed to South Station in the name of level playing field, safety, etc....
The solution at South Station
By DTP
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 9:33am
The solution at South Station isn't more enforcement of no-stopping zones.
It's creation of a legal space to pick up and drop off. The entire street frontage of South Station is either a no-stopping zone, a taxi stand, a bus stop, or a commercial vehicle loading zone. There is NO legal place to pick up or drop someone off, regardless of whether you're a rideshare driver or just a random person. It's the same story at North Station. There is nowhere legal to stop.
Most other major train stations in this country have dedicated pick up/drop off space in front of them (except maybe NY Penn). 30th St in Philly does, Baltimore Penn does, Union Station in DC does, Union Station in Chicago does. So why can't we?
Yes, I agree - some sort of
By Rob
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 12:25pm
Yes, I agree - some sort of reapportionment of space or new space created somehow - but enforcement will still be needed.
Is Boston going to reimburse
By anon
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 2:00pm
Is Boston going to reimburse the T for increased bus operating costs due to longer run times?
And are they going to retime traffic lights to be synchronized at 20 mph, so you don't have to hammer it to avoid getting stuck at every light?
Longer run times?
By adamg
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 2:18pm
Could you explain?
As somebody who rides one of the roughly 672 different bus lines that run up Washington Street in Roslindale to Forest Hills, the dedicated bus lane makes the trip between Roslindale Square and the T stop a lot shorter. The buses never really run very fast, but they also no longer get stuck in gridlocked traffic, so it works out for the better even when there's a bicyclist right in front (and the buses still make stops roughly every two blocks).
If anything, the main problem is one of enforcement - people are beginning to park in the bus lane in the morning to run into the various stores along the way.
If lowering the speed limit
By anon
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 6:53pm
If lowering the speed limit slows traffic, it will take longer to get places. Including for buses.
Buses getting up to 20 m.p.h.? Really
By adamg
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 11:20am
On the crowded streets where this is an issue, I really doubt any bus is getting up to 20 m.p.h. even now. Even if the street were clear of traffic, they still have to make stops every couple of blocks.
The 20 m.ph. would be the default, but the city could raise that on particular streets - look at those 40-mph signs that are still up along Washington Street in West Roxbury before the parkway.
Yeah, I'm sure the city will
By anon
Wed, 03/27/2019 - 4:25pm
Yeah, I'm sure the city will drop everything to post higher speed limits on roads that deserve them.
Washington has those 40 mph signs because the state approved a special speed regulation years ago. It remains in effect until the city takes the effort to apply for another regulation change, which means doing a speed study, which has to show a lower limit would be safer.
Now you've motivated me to measure bus speeds by pulling up Waze the next time I'm on a bus moving along at a good clip. I'm sure buses get above 20 in Boston all the time.
(Too bad the structure of a blog with comments means nobody will ever see followups posted here.)
If you make an account, there
By blues_lead
Mon, 04/01/2019 - 6:41pm
If you make an account, there's a "track" page where it will tell you if a post you've commented on has new comments
I'm able to keep track of
By anon
Wed, 04/03/2019 - 2:15pm
I'm able to keep track of replies to my comments.
My concern is, will *other people* see my comments? The person I'm replying to, as well as other readers who might be interested.
If you make an interesting comment
By Stevil
Wed, 04/03/2019 - 11:25pm
I can see it because I track things I've posted to to see if anyone has replied to me or posted interesting, pertinent information.
But - get an ID - you'll be better for it. Even better than that - pay Adam $5 a month and you can subscribe and get an ad free environment if you like (or be nice to Adam, pay the $5 and tell him to leave the ads on).
Ok, I measured it. The 66
By anon
Sun, 03/31/2019 - 2:51pm
Ok, I measured it. The 66 easily gets up to 25 between stops. Other routes can only go up from there.
BPD and the MBTA should work
By anon
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 10:22am
BPD and the MBTA should work together to make busses enforcement vehicles. install cameras on the front of the bus - which already has time and gps information going into the cloud. the bus is blocked by somebody parking in the bus lane, or worse, the bus stop? it snaps a picture of the plate, batches that and the relevant route, driver, time, place data, sends it to the BPD, and a HEFTY (no more of these pamby 30-50$ fines, let's start at 200$) ticket arrives to the driver within the week.
Making things worse
By Jon Carry
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 2:16pm
Why is Mahhhhty trying so hard to make life worse for us?
Really?
By Kaz
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 10:41pm
My car can't even go 20 mph without stalling.
No Use of Technology
By Tony
Fri, 03/08/2019 - 3:34pm
No packed bus should ever have to wait in traffic, and bus lanes are a great solution. That said, bus lanes are routinely blocked by live parking (let me just run and get a coffee), rideshare (I can't leave or passenger will cancel), and sometimes utility trucks.
Since there's a complete lack of enforcement here (and guessing that will continue), I propose that all buses using bus lanes be equipped with front facing cameras that will snap a picture of vehicles blocking the lanes, and be linked into a system that automatically sends out tickets. People will get wise fast.
As for Uber/Lyft, agreed they double park and cause loads of traffic, but they're in a tough spot and have to pickup where the app says or potentially lose the passenger/ride. The City really needs to work with the apps to set designated pickup areas whenever traffic picks up (not limited to rush hours). THEN ticket if drivers are still blocking the flow of traffic in those areas.
Speed limit 20 MPH? NO NO NO NO. 25 MPH and no turn on red signs all over already, just stop.
Save the money on new signage
By anon
Wed, 03/20/2019 - 5:58pm
Save the money on new signage and put ot toward cops who are soley dedicated to traffic enforcement. Skip the bus only lanes -- they back up traffic in Cambridge and increase the danger for cyclists.
Dunno about Cambridge, but in Roslindale ...
By adamg
Wed, 03/20/2019 - 9:36pm
The bike/bus lane works - except when people park in it to pick something up at one of the two convenience stores on the route. So maybe more ticketing is in order.
Pages
Add comment