WBUR reports on Boston's speed-hump program, which aims to install some 2,000 of the traffic-slowing humps.
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WBUR reports on Boston's speed-hump program, which aims to install some 2,000 of the traffic-slowing humps.
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Comments
Is there a link to a map by
By Rwgfy
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 1:52pm
Is there a link to a map by any chance?
Map here
By bostonzest
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:59pm
https://www.boston.gov/departments/transportation/...
The city's website has these
By dvg
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:22pm
The city's website has these maps around the middle of this webpage -see link below. Some of that info is nearly a year old and I am not sure if the plans have changed since then.
Some speed humps were implemented in my neighborhood a few months ago -although not yet on my street unfortunately- and they are a major improvement.
My main issue is the ridiculously wasteful and over the top amount of street signage associated with this program. Up to a dozens new street signs per block in some cases. The speed hump already have very visible white chevrons painted on them. Moreover some wise city people think it necessary to advertise Speed Zone End with big signs even though it is the same type of residential street where people really don't need to be encouraged to pick up speed. Near my house, there is one of these End Speed Zone sign, and then a 15 MPH posted right after. In an other case, there is a End Speed Zone just before entering a school zone.
The city needs to hire a logician and someone who cares about what happens to tax payer's money.
https://www.boston.gov/departments/transportation/...
Pics of ridiculous speed hump signage here
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ae7ELsHULAKAjnN3A
https://photos.app.goo.gl/gdnbKxVFmvjDk8CV9
From the website :
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:53pm
“ Speed humps are only used on smaller neighborhood streets. They are not appropriate for wider, busier streets or for streets with MBTA bus routes.”
That’s a bit disappointing as the wider streets are also the ones that become speedways.
Some MBTA bus drivers speed. However they could leave them out of the bus only lanes. Narrower streets will still benefit from these.
I've seen speed bumps on some pretty busy streets...
By necturus
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 10:03pm
...albeit not in the City of Boston.
Storrow Drive
By perruptor
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 11:39pm
There used to be two speed bumps on Storrow Drive inbound. Both of them were on curves.
Fantastic!!!!
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:12pm
Please put some in my neighborhood!!!
Love the new speed bumps!
By tjridesbikes
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:12pm
Now, lets go even farther with modal-filters, chicanes, and pedestrian-scale infrastructure!
Thank you!
By CopleyScott17
Fri, 07/12/2024 - 5:22am
I wasn't aware of the terms modal filters and chicanes until your post. I love that experts are taking these problems seriously and studying innovative ways to solve them. Science!
Car destroyers
By Mark-
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:18pm
These things don’t just slow you down, they cause damage and premature wear on your car, even if you’re driving 10 mph under the 25 mph speed limit. They are a threat to bicycles, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, everyone on wheels. I’d much rather see 2,000 traffic cameras all over the city enforcing the reasonable 25 mph limit.
Nonsense.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:34pm
Don’t speed and you won’t damage your car.
Emergency vehicles do just fine with them. If they didn’t they wouldn’t pass muster with the fire and police departments. In fact, with these in place, there will be less crashes, injuries and deaths. Thus less need for emergency vehicles.
I’ve ridden my bike over or through the bike groove on many occasions and never had a problem.
"You won't damage your car."
By perruptor
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:44pm
For values of "your car" that do not include Corvettes, Lamborghinis, and the like. If you do drive one of those, you'd better understand that there are local road hazards that can ruin your day.
Won't somebody think of the Lamborghinis?
By epeemike81
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:53pm
.
LOL!
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:05pm
.
and IndyCars!
By Angry Dan
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:06pm
At this rate, we'll never have a Boston Grand Prix.
Sure we will, just as soon as
By Matt_J
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:07pm
Sure we will, just as soon as we get the Olympics.
Imagine...
By CopleyScott17
Fri, 07/12/2024 - 5:25am
...the imminent Paris Olympics were supposed to be ours.
Right!
By lbb
Fri, 07/12/2024 - 9:25am
Damn those French anyway.
The only real “hazards” on
By Kinopio
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:17pm
The only real “hazards” on the road are the losers who speed everywhere. Luckily these speed bumps will slow them down. My street now has them and it’s been great.
“Don’t speed”
By Mark-
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:22pm
Depends on your definition of speeding. I like to think of it as exceeding the posted speed limit of 25 mph. Try driving over a speed bump at 25. You may get a concussion from hitting your head on your car ceiling. Fortunately I don’t know of too many speed bumps around, but you could try Florence Street in Chestnut Hill at 25 mph.
I have been reading UHub for a long time, I knew all the slow driving people would come out cheering for this. But you should be honest. If you want speed bumps that force drivers to go 15 mph, first of all get that speed limit through your city legal system, then post it next to your speed bump.
25 is the speed limit in ideal conditions only.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:49pm
Not the speed requirement. You’re still speeding if you’re driving too fast for many conditions such as sight hazards, poor lighting at night, children and pets at play near roadsides, bad weather, speed humps, etc.
You bump your head going over a speed bump too fast, tough luck, pal. Slow down and save lives.
25 is the speed limit
By Waquiot
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 9:53pm
And if a vehicle cannot go over the humps at 25, they are poorly designed.
I was in Ireland last summer and did urban driving. Almost all of the humps there were passable going the speed limit. There was one big exception, but by and large I came away with the feeling that humps can work if properly done.
Then the city started installing them in Roslindale.
If I'm being honest, thats a moronic take
By spin_o_rama
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:58pm
Whats the behavioral differences you think a 15 mph speed limit sign is compared to a speed bump sign? Remember, motorists are already ignoring the 25 mph posting and BPD is beneath traffic enforcement, so whats it gonna do?
The way you phrased it, its another kick the can down the road take. We need solutions now.
Also, you think its the slow drivers cheering for this and not, I dunno, people who are sick and tired of reckless driving in this city?
Speed bumps are marked by signage
By mediagenic
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:45pm
So you slow down.
Cameras are a great idea, but it. would require an act of the Massachusetts General Court on Beacon Hill where all good ideas such as that go to die in Committee.
20 years ago
By Plen-T-Pak
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 7:56pm
Walnut St in Brookline got some highly visible traffic calming features installed and then the same residents that wanted it then complained about "sign pollution". Honest to god.
I can just imagine the compilation
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 8:03pm
... set to Yakkity Sax, of course!
"I'd much rather see..."
By spin_o_rama
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 2:57pm
"....this thing that isn't legal under our state constitution."
Same vein as "Fix the T first", another excuse to kick the can down the road and stick with the status quo.
Seems like its the only way to get motorists to not drive recklessly, I hear plenty of stories of motorists crying about narrowed roads and speed bumps making them go slower to avoid damaging their cars. Good.
Too bad, so sad
By Angry Dan
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:00pm
Everyone knows there isn't going to be any enforcement of any kind. So the easiest alternative to get motorists to slow the f*** down and pay attention is to threaten the lives of their oil pans.
If you don't go racing through side streets it won't be a problem for you.
“ they cause damage and
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:24pm
“ they cause damage and premature wear on your car”.
Even if this were true, which it isn’t, it’s better than damage to pedestrians, cyclists and other road users.
How will the Popo chase ..
By Friartuck
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:59pm
Scooters and four-wheelers?
Same as they always do.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:40pm
By parking in a crosswalk or bus stop to make a Dunkin’s run.
Want to see car-destroying speed bumps?
By Ari O
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:07pm
Go to Mexico! They have speed bumps (Topes) seemingly at random, sometimes on major highways, sometimes with no signage and if you're lucky the paint hasn't worn off.
The ones here are benign. They are most certainly not a threat to bicycles, because of the shorter wheelbase people riding bikes can just bike right over them. (Source, me biking over lots of these.)
A threat to bicycles?
By tjridesbikes
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:24pm
Funny, I ride over the speed bump on my street multiple times a day on my bicycles, and I have yet to have any problems. Interactions with speeding cars, on the other hand...
I know, right?
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 6:44pm
The only ones that come close to being noticeable on a bike are the 10mph ones in areas of Somerville.
Speaking of which, I saw someone on FB who pulled aside to let a raging driver pass and the raging arse did serious damage to their car when they engaged the accelerator without engaging their brain. That isn't the fault of the speed bump but the speeding lump behind the wheel.
In my experience...
By lbb
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 9:13am
...they're actually kind of fun on a bike.
Slow down
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 6:41pm
And stop cutting through residential neighborhoods.
That will help a lot.
Better yet, think about when a car is needed and when it isn't and transport yourself accordingly.
My car has more than 300,000 miles on it...
By necturus
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 10:05pm
...and it's been over many speed bumps in its time.
You have never ridden a bike over one of these.
By Tim Mc.
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 11:14pm
If it's the same kind Somerville has installed, with the wide, sigmoid curve shape, they're *amazing* to ride a bike over. I can go 15-20 mph over one on a bike and it feels perfectly pleasant. (25 mph gets dicey; that's more in the range of "fun" in the way a skate park is.)
They do make most cars slow to about 15 mph, depending on the suspension and the driver's appetite for excitement. Some drivers only slow to about 25. But if you made the bumps lower, those drivers would go faster, which is... kind of the thing we're trying to avoid.
Cool. Now go hit a bunch of
By MrToad
Fri, 07/12/2024 - 4:12pm
Cool. Now go hit a bunch of speed humps going 25 mph, you know, the speed limit.
Curious, how would this
By Matt_J
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:04pm
Curious, how would this impact snow plows and street cleaners city wide? Not that we get much snow any more, but would the installation of these througout the city slow down the process of snow removal after a large storm? Would it slow down street cleaners?
Or is this not an issue for these applications?
Thinking about unintended results from a city wide program.
That could be a good thing.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:28pm
Snow plow drivers often speed and drive dangerously.
True, Im not saying it bad,
By Matt_J
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:38pm
True, Im not saying its bad, but everything has a downstream impact.
Say it takes 10% longer to clean the street with speed humps. The city would have to budget for that extra 10% in labor or additional equipment or streets would get missed on a rotating basis that may result in trash remaining on the street longer.
For snow removal, say it take 24 hours to remove all the snow in an area, but with the speed humps it now takes 36 hours to remove snow. That extra time could impact people getting to work, school buses, etc. Or the city would have to budget to bring in extra plows.
This is all hypothetical but change on a population level has potential impacts and should be planned for accordingly.
Good points.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:34pm
Here’s hoping the city is proactive on planning for the possible changes.
Boston will have police on overtime
By StillFromDorchester
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:07pm
At each speed bump watching a flag person inform the plow driver to lift the blade a foot off the ground. It's all very efficient and cost effective.
Haha! Good one.
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:34pm
.
Doesn't seem to matter to Montreal
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 6:45pm
Just an anecdata point, but Montreal has put in a bunch of humps and still manages to plow their streets.
They're still groaning under the yoke of the British crown
By necturus
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 10:08pm
It's much more complicated and expensive here in the Land of Freedumb.
Signs, I imagine
By lbb
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 9:16am
I've seen signs on roads warning plow drivers to raise the plow at certain locations, so I imagine this would be the same.
Good!
By FenwayRyan
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:30pm
They've noticeably slowed traffic on sections of Hemenway St. I wish they could be added to Fenway & Park Drive.
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:45pm
Magoo luvs speed humps when riding Mrs. Magoo. Giggity giggity Magoo. Magoo.
Fanfuckingtastic...
By Friartuck
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 3:57pm
Rollup over a speedbump and right down into a pothole. What could go wrong?
Imagine being mad about the
By Kinopio
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:21pm
Imagine being mad about the city doing something that has been proven to save lives.
No anger, no hate.
By Friartuck
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 5:29pm
Just the irony of shitty streets that damage cars and no focus on that
Know what fixes both issues?
By SwirlyGrrl
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 6:47pm
Paying attention to your speed and looking around and at the road when you drive.
If you can't avoid damaging your car when you drive, you might want to look into a skills refresher course from AARP or AAA. https://northeast.aaa.com/driving-school.html
I’ve always regarded potholes…
By Lee
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 8:56pm
… as serendipitous unintended traffic calming features.
#ProTip
By Ari O
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:10pm
Here is how to go over a speed bump:
What you want to do is to accelerate over a speed bump. When you are decelerating, your car pitches forward and downward. So if you decelerate late and/or aggressively into a speed bump, it's a harder hit since you hit it with a lot more mass. Conversely, if you maintain speed or even accelerate across a speed bump, the center of mass moves towards the back of the vehicle and the front rises up and the crossing is much more benign. So the best way to cross a speed bump is to slow down well before the speed bump (for these, say, to 10-15 mph) and then accelerate across the speed bump up to, say, 20.
This doesn't mean you go any faster or slower: the speed bump is still just as effective in limiting your speed. However, it is better for your vehicle and the passengers inside.
oh boy...
By coffeeweasel
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 4:15pm
This is gonna be fun. The FAQ says they won't install speed humps on main emergency vehicle routes, but the map says they plan to install them on half of the main fire truck route between the Chestnut Hill Ave fire station and Comm Ave.
Why only half, why only that particular half, and are they going to change their minds about the speed humps, or reroute the fire trucks?
Seems like a certain writer
By Guanden Villenge
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 6:30pm
Seems like a certain writer prefers humps to bumps. Meanwhile, rumor was emergency vehicle types (fire, EMT) don't like them because they have to slow down. Snopes?
Disappointed
By John-W
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 11:04pm
Yes, I'm quite disappointed in the UHub community for not rolling out more juvenile puns and lame jokes about humps in the road. You people let me down with your conversation on traffic calming measures.
It's a term of art
By Tim Mc.
Wed, 07/10/2024 - 11:18pm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_bump#Compariso...
"Speed bumps" are the traditional, narrower ones that are extremely jarring to drive over. Usually used in parking lots. "Speed humps" are wider and smoother so you can go faster over them, more appropriate for roadways.
Don't you dare bring facts
By Rob
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 1:19am
Don't you dare bring facts into this conversation!
It's not clear how many
By Rob
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 1:46am
It's not clear how many different contractors are doing this, which would give some indication of the variety to expect in the quality of installation.
The locations I have encountered (mostly in Dorchester) seem very well done. No problem going over them at or just under speed limit.
They seem smooth and seamless. Part of that is the 'nature' of the beast, compared to speed bumps - but it also speaks to the quality of the work.
It will be interesting to see how durable they are, and how well they are maintained/repaired. I am waiting for the Murphy's Law corollary of one of the utility companies swooping in on one of these newly-modified streets and trenching it from end to end to work on a main, and leaving the usual scarred landscape in their wake.
I've seen them installed in Somerville, and it's interesting.
By Tim Mc.
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 8:19am
They grind the existing asphalt down by a few cm to provide good adhesion and ensure the lip is at or below grade. Then they put some temporary markings on it, because apparently proper road "paint" (actually a thermoplastic) can't be applied to fresh asphalt. That'll get scraped off by plows eventually, but the thermoplastic they put on later will probably fare better. Haven't seen it go through a winter yet here, though.
If they get trenched through, maybe the result is a cut-through for bikes. :-P
Mayor Gridlock
By Fenway Crank
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 1:04pm
is at it again
You poor thing
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 8:07pm
The Mayor doesn't create gridlock - your driving does.
I want to thank all of the
By Rob
Thu, 07/11/2024 - 8:49pm
I want to thank all of the commentors, gremlins, and commentors in Gremlins for jinxing it.
After all of the exchanges yesterday, my neighboring block that I take to get home, the one that I said how impressed I was at the quality of the installation and the lack of disruption to normal safe driving, etc...
Now has a pair of fairly large (for the location) neighborhood speed zone signs at the beginning of the block, an unnecessary speed limit reduction, a pair of large SPEED HUMP signs (at each hump), a pothole forming after one of them, a badly-placed pair of SPEED ZONE ENDS signs at the end of the block (obstructing the view of the traffic signal), and two people riding bikes wrong-way down the middle of the one-lane, one-way street.
This is why we can't have nice things! /s
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