Council Looks to Lower Speed Limit (Boston, Cambridge: elementary school, pollution, office)

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by id77

The (messed-up) American driving culture took decades of propaganda to create so it's not going to change in a few months or even a few years. Enough traffic calming obstacles and road diets does force the issue, though.

Tremont post-bike lane upgrade (Arlington to Mass Ave) moves slower than it used to as it's a single lane now. Doing 35 down it during the afternoon wasn't difficult 5 years ago, and now it's nearly impossible. During peak times, it's frequently stop-and-go and during other times all it takes is one driver doing 20 to slow everyone behind them. I'm sure it's enraging many of the drivers along it, but it did slow things down.

Forcing the issue is a start, and locals do adjust to traffic calming infrastructure and road diets (no matter how much they complain). The issue is that many of the people driving these roads are not locals. And most of their lives aren't spent on roads with traffic calming measures like speed humps, bumped out curbs, roundabouts, separated bike lanes, bike paths crossing with right of way, etc. And I don't see the bulk of the MA/New England population doing anything apart from getting angry when they lose a lane or are forced to yield to cyclists/pedestrians in new places. I think these people will continue to be problematic.

That said, driving culture isn't going anywhere in the U.S. But our infrastructure, especially in dense regions like the Northeast, can't continue to add capacity to handle the growth in population and car ownership. It's not sustainable. So I'm all for investing in improved pedestrian, cycle, and transit infrastructure to make driving an option (and a safe one), not a necessity, over a growing part of the region.

[GeePee]

All good points. If people were to stop looking at this as an us vs. them situation, like most other things have turned these days, we could all get each others input on how to make it work for everyone. the anti ____ just makes the situation worse. we are in a position to actually fix a problem before it gets really unbearable. The MBTA is making (slow) progress. The new infrastructure with bikeways and pedestrian walkways have improved immensely. a lot of drivers are too blinded by "what is being taken away" from them, rather than seeing that doing these things will have less people driving cars to do short distance travel in a city.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by GeePee

All good points. If people were to stop looking at this as an us vs. them situation, like most other things have turned these days, we could all get each others input on how to make it work for everyone. the anti ____ just makes the situation worse. we are in a position to actually fix a problem before it gets really unbearable. The MBTA is making (slow) progress. The new infrastructure with bikeways and pedestrian walkways have improved immensely. a lot of drivers are too blinded by "what is being taken away" from them, rather than seeing that doing these things will have less people driving cars to do short distance travel in a city.

The problem with that is twofold: 1) they are not adding parking; and 2) Boston weather.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

The problem with that is twofold: 1) they are not adding parking; and 2) Boston weather.

Adding parking?
The whole goal is to have less cars in the denser parts of the city.
With property prices going through the roof, and drivers are still asking for a free place to put their 2 ton piece of steel?
Here's a handy diagram that shows how much space cars take up.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Adding parking?
The whole goal is to have less cars in the denser parts of the city.
With property prices going through the roof, and drivers are still asking for a free place to put their 2 ton piece of steel?
Here's a handy diagram that shows how much space cars take up.

See highlighted. Unless the people traveling "short distances" live in the city core you still need a place to put their cars. Otherwise, you are giving the rich people the ability to move around, but no one else.

[massnative71]

I have a hard time accepting that reduced capacity is the answer.

[bostongymjunkie]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

See highlighted. Unless the people traveling "short distances" live in the city core you still need a place to put their cars. Otherwise, you are giving the rich people the ability to move around, but no one else.

That's an excellent point.

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by jbgusa

See highlighted. Unless the people traveling "short distances" live in the city core you still need a place to put their cars. Otherwise, you are giving the rich people the ability to move around, but no one else.

Understood. But even if that were the case, wouldn't it still subtract that many cars from the roads, especially in rush hour?

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Understood. But even if that were the case, wouldn't it still subtract that many cars from the roads, especially in rush hour?

Sure...just like it would subtract "that many" people able to get to work. Yay...

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Sure...just like it would subtract "that many" people able to get to work. Yay...

Maybe corporations should be forced to make people work from home to help with this serious issue. But nah...they just want asses in seats.