And you thought rotary traffic was bad...

By Bob Leponge on Mon., 12/28/2020 - 5:04 pm

The City has decided that having pedestrian traffic move in only one direction (clockwise) around Jamaica Pond will reduce crowding and therefore reduce the chances of COVID-19 spread. So the City designed, printed, and posted signs indicating that the path is one way:

At none of the entrances to the park are there signs directing you to turn left and walk clockwise around the pond.
Pedestrians traveling counterclockwise will at no point will encounter a sign telling them they are going the wrong way.
Pedestrians traveling clockwise will frequently encounter the pictured sign confirming that they are going in the right direction.

As you might expect, about half the pedestrians are walking clockwise and about half counterclockwise. The latter, of course, not because they are deliberately ignoring the "one way" rule, but because there no signs positioned to tell them which way to go. This may be a small thing, but as a taxpayer this utter waste of money offends me. The problem isn't a lack of resources, nor a lack of staff. The problem is that someone actively chose not to think about how people arrive at the park, which way they are facing as they walk, and therefore where directional signs might be posted.

Neighborhoods:

Jamaica Plain

Topics:

Politics

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Comments

If they can't get the message

By anon
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 7:00pm

Submitted by anon on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 7:00pm

If they can't get the message across with physical signs, how would they do it with an online map? How would you even know you're supposed to refer to an online map unless there were signs mentioning it?

Just go clockwise, and you

By Jeff617
Mon, 01/04/2021 - 6:17pm

Submitted by Jeff617 on Mon, 01/04/2021 - 6:17pm

Just go clockwise, and you don't need to worry about reading the signs!

I'd much rather see signs saying, "You must wear a mask"

By Gary C
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 10:55am

Submitted by Gary C on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 10:55am

The risks of walking outdoors, in any direction, are pretty minimal. If everyone wears a mask, I propose that it really doesn't matter which direction you travel. Spend a few bucks on, "Wear your mask" signs and call it a day.

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy

By cw in boston
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 11:51am

Submitted by cw in boston on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 11:51am

has posted signs all along the Emerald Necklace, including the Pond, reminding people to wear masks and adhere to social distancing.

Also, this is round two

By Bob Leponge
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 12:05pm

Submitted by Bob Leponge on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 12:05pm

Also, this is the 2nd attempt at signs. The first attempt was attributed to Matt O'Malley, and the signs said "Keep Left". Of course, they didn't really mean "keep left," in the normal sense of every other "keep left" sign you have ever encountered: they didn't mean that you were supposed to walk on the left side of the path; they meant that you were supposed to walk clockwise around the pond. Maybe. Who knows?

Among numerous incompetences

By Notfromboston
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 12:21pm

Submitted by Notfromboston on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 12:21pm

Among numerous incompetences of the city hall workers (yes, BCC included), is this really the one to highlight?

Why not?

By Bob Leponge
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 3:28pm

Submitted by Bob Leponge on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 3:28pm

Highlighting one example of misbehavior doesn't detract from all the others.

I question your use of the term "incompetence". If someone were mentally incapable of thinking about where you would want to place signs so they would be visible to people arriving at the park for a walk, then that would be incompetence.

I'd bet you my bottom dollar that the person who planned those signs is of normal IQ and does not suffer from any mental impairment that would prevent them from thinking this through. They simply chose not to do so.

You get the level of COVID-19

By anon
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 3:50pm

Submitted by anon on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 3:50pm

You get the level of COVID-19 your environment and behavior promotes.

I did the math on which

By Matt D
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 8:58pm

Submitted by Matt D on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 8:58pm

I did the math on which strategy is most effective for reducing transmission while walking in park - letting people walk in either direction or in a single direction.

I built a very complex model based on probability of transmission and number of interactions. I assumed 100 people walking in the park for an hour at various speeds to count number of times passing and came up with:

Either direction walking:
0% transmission probability x 1000 interactions = 0 cases

Same direction walking:
0% transmission probability x 500 interactions = 0 cases

Zero multiplied by any number is zero.
(This has not been peer reviewed).

0% transmission probability?

By anon
Wed, 12/30/2020 - 10:48pm

Submitted by anon on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 10:48pm

Source?

Wind

By merlinmurph
Tue, 12/29/2020 - 9:08pm

Submitted by merlinmurph on Tue, 12/29/2020 - 9:08pm

All theories get blown apart when you account for wind. Even a gentle 5 mph breeze blows holes in the theory that walking in the same direction will make a difference. Anything stronger makes an even more compelling argument.

I understand your complaint about the placement of the signs, though, along with the partial-loop issue.

Wind calculations are notoriously difficult

By Bob Leponge
Wed, 12/30/2020 - 3:26pm

Submitted by Bob Leponge on Wed, 12/30/2020 - 3:26pm

Wind calculations are notoriously difficult. Also, there's the question, when deciding where to stand while passing gas, whether the objective is to maximize the number of people for whom the event is detectable, or to maximize the impact on the most significantly affected individual.