tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41836052365295608432024-03-13T05:36:14.652-04:00The Walking BostonianMatthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-22116894630608623332015-09-06T06:47:00.000-04:002015-09-06T06:47:55.444-04:00A change of placeAs the fourth year has now passed (so fast), I have to say that I've been putting off the writing of this post because I am not sure how to proceed afterwards: As an academic, I always have to worry about funding. In fact, I haven't had a research grant for the past year, and so I finished my doctorate using the funds from a teaching fellowship instead. The new grant application that was supposed to fund the next stage of my research, for a few more years, did not receive approval. However, instead, I was offered a great opportunity to continue my research career at a different university. Unfortunately, that will not be in Boston, but rather in Cambridge -- the original one, over in the United Kingdom. I am sad that I will miss all of the wonderful people and great things happening in Boston for the next few years, outside of the occasional visit home. But on the other hand, it's also an exciting chance to travel, live in a different country, and (oh, by the way) advance my career.<br />
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I think there will be a lot of interesting things to see and write about in Cambridge. It's a traditional city that is many centuries older than Boston, with lovely small streets, and good train connections to London. They have their own lively set of transportation and housing issues to observe, in a different cultural context. I'll have to spend some time learning the language, of course. And possibly visiting Boston, UK for the heck of it, not to mention the rest of Europe.<br />
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But this blog is supposed to be about Boston, MA. And also, I'm not entirely sure how much time I'll have available to write. I guess I'll just have to see how things play out. I'm not going to turn off or delete the blog, but depending upon how I feel, content might be slow to come out.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-36065043626858211502015-08-17T21:47:00.000-04:002015-08-17T21:47:04.310-04:00The abuse, misuse and absence of motor vehicle regulation and the problem of politicsIt's been a bit over a week since <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/08/statement-death-anita-kurmann-from-lab-director/H6fVpT0aF8TIGUGwnIlTGN/story.html">Anita Kurmann</a> was killed in a crash with a turning truck that then drove off without stopping. Few details are available but there are two things that we can be certain about: first that it is a terrible tragedy, and second that little to nothing will be done to prevent such tragedies in the future. There are possible alleviating measures that exist and could be required by proper regulation, including <a href="http://www.fairwarning.org/2015/06/truck-side-guards/">truck side-guards</a>, or restrictions on the size, weight, number of axles, and length of trucks that are allowed on certain city streets. Our public street rights-of-way were laid out long before the concept of a 5-axle, 40 ton, 53-foot long truck was ever conceived. And it is difficult to imagine how a human-friendly environment could ever be compatible with such behemoths.<br />
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Although technically receiving more oversight than the personal car, the trucking industry is remarkably regulation-free compared to other transportation sectors. No other form of transportation allows size, weight and maneuverability concerns to be so radically dismissed in the same way. Air traffic control would never allow an oversized jumbo jet to land at a tiny airport. Railroad companies would never tolerate oversized freight cars that slammed into bridge abutments. Yet, for some reason, when it comes to the road, we simply shrug when oversized trucks cause death and destruction on a daily basis. It is curiously ironic that city planners have spent the past century meticulously separating people's homes away from industry, but still continue to design extremely dangerous, high-speed roads carrying heavy industrial truck traffic right next to those very same homes.<br />
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When it comes to regulation of motor vehicles, all the furor seems to focus around <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/08/03/cambridge-taxi-drivers-start-day-strike/jRRN9oHExMkvLgnRSHUstL/story.html">taxicabs vs Uber</a>, where the regulations have no safety purpose, but are just one piece of a tug-of-war between the few dirty 1970s-style dirtbags who run the taxicab business and the slick B-school douchebags who run Uber. And when it's not about profits, it's about <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/upshot/blame-uber-for-congestion-in-manhattan-not-so-fast.html?_r=0">traffic speeds</a>, because the only thing, besides money, that seems matter to people in power is convenience for suburban drivers. Such regulation has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with privileging the powerful. Meanwhile, some drivers manage to keep their license long enough to score <a href="http://www.universalhub.com/2014/state-police-repeat-drunk-driver-flips-his-car">four OUI offenses</a> and kill someone. Or even when the police determine that a driver is an "immediate threat" the antiquated system cannot process the paperwork in time <a href="http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/20141011/News/310129997">to prevent him from killing</a>. Those are some real examples of problems that could be fixed with proper rules, procedures and regulations. I wonder if it will ever happen.<br />
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The trouble is, of course, that regulations are not created solely based upon merit in achieving objective goals such as safety. Regulations are a product of politics, a swirling morass of money, culture, personal vendettas, and tribalism. <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/08/17/car-crashes-killed-people-mass-first-six-months/azyvCtNIN9E3NmI2B10ODI/story.html">149 people</a> were killed by motor vehicle crashes in the first 6 months of this year. But no politician is going to be held accountable for that carnage. Few voters even spend much time thinking about it. So the perverse story doesn't change from year to year. I won't pretend to have an answer, but I will note that if the problem is politics, then the solution has to be too.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-61581927101943114992015-07-28T15:21:00.001-04:002015-07-28T15:21:30.319-04:00The subversion of fair housing law by pernicious zoning ordinances, part 2 <div>
[continued from <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-subversion-of-fair-housing-law-by.html">part 1</a>]<br />
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Massachusetts has, in the past, attempted to address the problem of snobbish, exclusionary zoning. The section of law known as <a href="http://www.chapa.org/sites/default/files/Tufts40BStudy.pdf" target="_blank">Chapter 40B</a> was passed in 1969:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This law was seen as one of the earliest recognitions of the racial and economic segregation often imposed by exclusionary zoning practices such as minimum lot sizes and bans on multi-family housing. The purpose of the law is to “address the shortage of low and moderate income housing in Massachusetts and to reduce regulatory barriers that impede the development of such housing.”</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Often referred to as the “Anti-Snob Zoning Law,” the “Comprehensive Permit Law” and the “Massachusetts Affordable Housing Law,” Chapter 40B is seen as a “one-stop” permitting process for developers proposing low and moderate-income housing projects. Rather than applying to many local boards, the developer applies for a “comprehensive permit” to one local authority—the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Chapter 40B is significant in that it was one of the first instances in which a state exerted authority over local control in land use zoning.4 Therein also lays its controversy. Under 40B, a developer has the right to appeal to the state Housing Appeals Committee (HAC) if it is denied a comprehensive permit for a qualified project, or if it is granted one with conditions making the project uneconomic. Under 40B, ZBAs are able to approve projects with higher density than current zoning allows, making it more economically feasible to develop affordable housing.</span></blockquote>
Chapter 40B only applies to municipalities that have less than 10% of their housing stock designated as 'affordable', and it does not apply to Boston at all (due to the Boston Redevelopment Authority). It's success has been limited: 48,000 units were created from <a href="http://www.chapa.org/sites/default/files/Tufts40BStudy.pdf" target="_blank">1969 through 2008</a>, of which 26,000 were designated as affordable. That's an average of 1,230 units per year, or 666 affordable per year -- far lower than the demand. And only 55 municipalities (of 350) had met the 10% requirement after nearly 40 years of the law.<br />
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The law happened to go into effect not long prior to Boston's school busing crisis, an era that exacerbated the divide between city and suburb, as 'white flight' brought many new residents to the suburban towns, eager to shut the door behind them as they arrived. From <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Ground_(book)" target="_blank">Common Ground</a>:</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Indeed, barely a month after Garrity’s ruling on the constitutional violation, the Supreme Court effectively cut off one possible avenue of remedy. <b>In Milliken v. Bradley, it over-ruled a district court which had required cross-busing between Detroit and its surrounding suburbs</b>. Since the lower court had found de jure segregation only within the city and not in the suburbs, the Supreme Court held that a metropolitan-wide order “would impose on the outlying districts, not shown to have committed any constitutional violation, a wholly impermissible remedy.” Milliken marked an important turning point in the Court’s approach to school segregation. Albeit by the narrowest margin (5–4) in any major school case yet, <b>the Court halted the advance of school desegregation at the city line</b>. Although many students of the matter believed a clear pattern of “state action” could be detected in the suburbs—<b>notably in government housing loans and highway construction policies which operated to keep them predominantly white</b>—the increasingly conservative Court majority declined to push its broadened doctrine of de jure segregation that far.</span></blockquote>
The anti-busing protesters could no longer maintain segregated schools in the city; instead, they moved to the surrounding towns where they could promote segregation through the use of regulatory tools such as zoning codes. The borders of municipalities acted as effectively as segregated neighborhood boundaries had before. Since then, a <a href="http://www.shelterforce.org/article/2891/fear_of_affordable_housing_perception_vs._reality/">common complaint</a> of town NIMBYs opposed to residential development is that it <a href="http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/sites/jchs.harvard.edu/files/rr07-14_obrinsky_stein.pdf">might bring 'too many' students</a> to the public school system, thereby 'overwhelming' it. Such 'pseudo-engineering' of the school system by laypeople -- as if they were engineers designing a waterworks -- is more likely to be a cover story for their true motivation: the exclusion of people unlike themselves. And this effect may partially explain why the Chapter 40B requirements have not been met by the majority of towns in the Commonwealth, even after nearly half a century has passed.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-18517028341967828202015-07-26T12:55:00.005-04:002015-07-26T12:55:39.444-04:00Affordable housing money wasted on pointless parking spacesJust a quick blog post on something I noticed yesterday. A quote from <a href="http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/1a6dafb3-9966-4dc0-84e3-affe65c7f482">a letter</a> filed with the BRA regarding a new project on Telford Street:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">At the recently constructed Charlesview project across Western Avenue from the Telford Street project site, the fully occupied 240 unit residential development has about 180 spaces of its 248 space parking garage used. Since there is no additional fee for parking above monthly leases at Charlesview, these numbers represent a true parking demand of about 0.74 spaces per unit.</span></blockquote>
Think about how much affordable housing money has been wasted on these luxurious accommodations for automobiles -- which aren't even being utilized.<div>
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Sickening.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-45283061745225680852015-07-23T09:45:00.001-04:002015-07-28T15:21:57.683-04:00The subversion of fair housing law by pernicious zoning ordinances, part 1I'm not a religious person but I think there is genuine evil in this world. And one of those evils is the persistence of segregation fifty years after the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZTdTsdlB1Hbd9Dd8N1jDtCQ6bRxhz-gnsnbceCYw0OkADFwQhh_wPVksjXwc1KijtEbVEEYIXsJ0BdXRYnqcDcY_nCvoO9J_LGy27f0Mgd6iG2KAlu7ow9vibQ_vm2yQh70qPrTCZRD5/s1600/racial-pop-distribution.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZTdTsdlB1Hbd9Dd8N1jDtCQ6bRxhz-gnsnbceCYw0OkADFwQhh_wPVksjXwc1KijtEbVEEYIXsJ0BdXRYnqcDcY_nCvoO9J_LGy27f0Mgd6iG2KAlu7ow9vibQ_vm2yQh70qPrTCZRD5/s400/racial-pop-distribution.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010 Census Block Data showing distribution of population by race in Boston (<a href="http://demographics.coopercenter.org/DotMap/index.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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One of the more important Supreme Court decisions of the year was handed down last month. <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/texas-department-of-housing-and-community-affairs-v-the-inclusive-communities-project-inc/" target="_blank">Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities Project, Inc.</a> ruled that 'disparate-impact' claims are valid under the Fair Housing Act of 1968. This ruling ensures that an important tool in the fair housing toolbox continues to be usable: the notion of 'disparate-impact', or that government policies can have an <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2015/06/symposium-the-sweetness-of-the-status-quo-the-court-upholds-over-forty-years-of-precedent/" target="_blank">unstated yet implicit racially-biased effect</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The Inclusive Communities Project brought suit over how the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs distributes tax credits for low-income housing. The Department’s policy, the group claimed, causes almost all affordable units to be built in racially segregated low-income areas, providing minorities with few opportunities to move to integrated or wealthier areas. Though the creators of the tax credit policy had no racial intent, according to the Inclusive Communities Project the results of the policy confined minorities to segregated areas.</span></blockquote>
From the <a href="http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-1371_m64o.pdf" target="_blank">opinion</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Recognition of disparate-impact claims is consistent with the FHA’s central purpose. See Smith, supra, at 235 (plurality opinion); Griggs, 401 U. S., at 432. The FHA, like Title VII and the ADEA, was enacted to eradicate discriminatory practices within a sector of our Nation’s economy. See 42 U. S. C. §3601 (“It is the policy of the United States to provide, within constitutional limitations, for fair housing throughout the United States”); H. R. Rep., at 15 (explaining the FHA “provides a clear national policy against discrimination in housing”). <b>These unlawful practices include zoning laws and other housing restrictions that function unfairly to exclude minorities from certain neighborhoods without any sufficient justification. Suits targeting such practices reside at the heartland of disparate-impact liability.</b> See, e.g., Huntington, 488 U. S., at 16–18 (invalidating zoning law preventing construction of multifamily rental units); Black Jack, 508 F. 2d, at 1182–1188 (invalidating ordinance prohibiting construction of new multifamily dwellings); Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center v. St. Bernard Parish, 641 F. Supp. 2d 563, 569, 577–578 (ED La. 2009) (invalidating post-Hurricane Katrina ordinance restricting the rental of housing units to only “‘blood relative[s]’” in an area of the city that was 88.3% white and 7.6% black); see also Tr. of Oral Arg. 52–53 (discussing these cases). <b>The availability of disparate-impact liability, furthermore, has allowed private developers to vindicate the FHA’s objectives and to protect their property rights by stopping municipalities from enforcing arbitrary and, in practice, discriminatory ordinances barring the construction of certain types of housing units.</b> See, e.g., Huntington, supra, at 18. Recognition of disparate impact liability under the FHA also plays a role in uncovering discriminatory intent: It permits plaintiffs to counteract unconscious prejudices and disguised animus that escape easy classification as disparate treatment. <b>In this way disparate-impact liability may prevent segregated housing patterns that might otherwise result from covert and illicit stereotyping.</b></span></blockquote>
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This is an important ruling if and only if the Federal government backs it up by strengthening and enforcing the regulations based on the Fair Housing Act. Unfortunately, over the past four decades, successive administrations including the current one have largely <a href="http://www.propublica.org/article/living-apart-how-the-government-betrayed-a-landmark-civil-rights-law" target="_blank">done nothing or acted to undercut the law</a>. That <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/08/obama-administration-to-unveil-major-new-rules-targeting-segregation-across-u-s/" target="_blank">might</a> change <a href="http://www.housingwire.com/articles/34459-obama-new-fair-housing-rule-will-help-further-american-dream">now</a>, with the Supreme Court's fresh ruling.<br />
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This is significant if it is used to reverse some of the most pernicious and widespread zoning code techniques that effectively cause economic and racial segregation through disparate-impact. Zoning has long been about exclusion, even continuing after explicitly racial zoning was struck down by the courts. From <a href="http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/04/22/book-excerpt-dead-end-a-look-at-sprawl-and-the-rebirth-of-urbanism/" target="_blank">Dead End</a>, a book about the history and effect of sprawl, by Benjamin Ross:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Village_of_Euclid_v._Ambler_Realty_Co." target="_blank">Euclid v Ambler, 1926</a>] moved quickly beyond the specifics of Ambler’s property; from the beginning, the principle of zoning was at stake. <b>And the main principle was the exclusion of people, the people who lived in apartment houses</b>. “In the last analysis,” Judge Westenhaver wrote perceptively in his opinion, “<b>the result to be accomplished is to classify the population and to segregate them according to their income or situation in life</b>.” The Supreme Court saw the issue similarly. The village’s power to keep out factories was not really in doubt, it observed: “The serious question in the case arises over the provisions of the ordinance excluding from residential districts apartment houses, business houses, retail stores and shops, and other like establishments.”</span></blockquote>
And <a href="http://www.asu.edu/courses/aph294/total-readings/silver%20--%20racialoriginsofzoning.pdf">The Racial Origins of Zoning in American Cities</a>:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">"What began as a means of improving the blighted physical environment in which people lived and worked," writes Yale Rabin, became "a mechanism for protecting property values and excluding the undesirables." The two interest groups that were regarded as the undesirables were immigrants and African Americans.</span></blockquote>
While instances of explicit racial exclusion through zoning and restrictive covenants are generally overturned by the courts, that has not been the primary mechanism through which segregation is created and maintained. Instead, the racially biased effect is engineered through neutral-seeming zoning codes that provide an aura of plausible deniability. For example, a zoning code might mandate a minimum lot size, such as a quarter-acre, for construction of housing, while forbidding anything larger than a single-family home to be built. None of the language used has any explicit mention of race or class, but the net effect is to restrict residency on that property for only a single family capable of affording a quarter-acre of land. In any reasonably attractive neighborhood, the price of that 10,860 square feet of land is beyond the reach of low- or middle-income families, thus effectively excluding all but the wealthy.<br />
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That is not the only type of regulation that is used to make land and housing unaffordable. For example, onerous requirements for front yard, back yard, and side yard ensure that only those people wealthy enough to afford 'conspicuous waste' can live there. Minimum parking quotas force residents to pay for parking spaces whether they use them or not. And, most infamously, the prohibition against apartments or multi-family housing in many zones makes it impossible to divide the cost among several families. Generally, the net effect of these regulations is either implicitly or explicitly intended to lower density. One glance at the population distribution map above should confirm that there is more than a passing correlation between 'low density' and 'overwhelmingly white'. That is disparate-impact at work: it is subtle in the wording of zoning codes, but the net effect over time is clear. The question now is: will the government begin to tackle the inequities created by local zoning codes? And how?<br />
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[continued in <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2015/07/the-subversion-of-fair-housing-law-by_28.html">part 2</a>]<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-80394834834677329752015-07-07T13:59:00.000-04:002015-07-07T13:59:35.809-04:00The Epic Journey Across Ruggles Street at Southwest Corridor ParkI've been gathering footage around town with my digital camera. Here's my first attempt at creating a video, about a poorly-timed signalized crosswalk near Ruggles Station:<br />
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<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-25926657657500965052015-06-15T17:33:00.001-04:002015-06-15T17:33:40.867-04:00Might does not make rightYears ago, when I was learning how to drive, my mother made sure to emphasize the fact that a motor vehicle is a lethal weapon. Nearly two tons of steel and plastic, moving at speed, is dangerous when misused or mishandled. That's not cause to be passive, but rather, to be cognizant of the consequences and continually vigilant. As a teenager, it was easy to get excited about the new power available to me, while not considering the risks, nor giving thought to others in the world around me -- except as obstacles. And like most Americans, I managed to make it through those years without serious incident, despite some mistakes, with the help of a few lucky breaks here and there. Because I was okay personally, I didn't think much beyond that, at the time.<div>
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Having spent several years on walking, bicycling and transit advocacy, I have a different, "outside-the-windshield" perspective on these matters nowadays. The power of the motor vehicle I can still appreciate, but I can also see how it is too easily abused. With one barely perceptible pedal push, a driver can blast past a child waiting at a crosswalk, and hardly notice at all. Or seeing brake lights ahead, a driver swerves to pass the one car that had yielded, and barely skims past a person crossing the street. The noise, grit, and grime caused by the passage of fast-moving motor vehicles is out-of-sight, out-of-mind to those drivers that create it. Even if nobody is physically harmed, the physical characteristics of living environments that facilitate speeding, heavy vehicles are unfriendly to human beings.</div>
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To behave humanely behind the wheel takes hard work, and a commitment to consider the other people around you. "Might does not make right" is the ethical principle that I believe is most applicable to transportation projects in our cities and towns. My feeling is that we have an obligation to protect the vulnerable from the powerful, and not only to protect, but to promote and serve. That is what forms the ethical basis of what I try to do.</div>
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The coalition of people who promote automobile interests are usually very strong, very rich, and very powerful. Motor vehicles are expensive to own, to maintain, and are highly wasteful of space. Any available room on the roads is quickly consumed by even a small increase in the number of vehicles. The resulting congestion can be enraging to drivers, as their expensive and powerful machines are trapped in a mire of their own making. At both home and destinations, without a readily accessible 300 square-foot piece of land for storage, these machines become a enormous burden on their owners, who then proceed to lash out in frustration.</div>
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Automobiles can provide convenient and quick transportation when everything works out, but when the systems quite frequently fail, the problems that stack up are often 'solved' at the expense of other people, especially the most vulnerable. Sidewalks are narrowed. Trees are cut down. Crosswalks eliminated. Bike facilities are completely omitted. Fences are put up. Transit is dis-invested. Highways are blasted through neighborhoods. Children aren't allowed to walk to school, or the park. Desperately needed housing development is canceled for imagined fear of "parking problems." Economic growth is stifled because "it might cause traffic." We can no longer properly build cities for people because all of our modern rules and regulations are designed to produce cities that only a machine could love.</div>
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Motor vehicles are powerful, and many of the people who own them are powerful. Motor vehicles are also very useful, and are a great boon to our civilization when used safely and prudently, within reasonable limits. But that does not make it right to give in to their every need. Without check they would take away our land, our natural resources, and the quality of our air. Thankfully, over the past several decades, the work of countless citizens has produced some legislative and political help, through endless community organizing. It's a continuing effort, and it's very important that everyone participate. Being obstructive is not enough: a great deal of damage was done by the Utopian automobile idealists of the 1950s who never gave any thought to the communities that were harmed by their schemes. That damage has yet to be repaired in many cases.</div>
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To give a concrete example: on June 17th, MassDOT will present the latest installment in the ongoing saga to rebuild the Allston Mass Pike interchange (6:30 pm, Jackson-Mann school). Fifty years ago, the Mass Pike extension widened the railroad right-of-way, taking houses, and leaving behind a huge scar across the Allston/Brighton neighborhood that has never been properly managed. The crossings are decrepit and crumbling, and not accessible to many people with disabilities. The streets that were rebuilt back then were given designs that had almost no consideration for people on foot, much less on bicycle. Dangerous highway ramps cut in at sections that seem to be designed to interstate highway-spec, despite being city streets.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNtXSj4_mH9h6NMM5KskMYpkbP7rnRtxtRhq8eL6NGltm-x8ZJx2sclyadr7DAHH7LAxsTRBx4cJEGGtLAn-KNPBCuX73PM_Ok569nwXcwKWglsl9IK5HBBCbpQqhiRnNX3IipNlRGgvF/s1600/IMG_20141123_131716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBNtXSj4_mH9h6NMM5KskMYpkbP7rnRtxtRhq8eL6NGltm-x8ZJx2sclyadr7DAHH7LAxsTRBx4cJEGGtLAn-KNPBCuX73PM_Ok569nwXcwKWglsl9IK5HBBCbpQqhiRnNX3IipNlRGgvF/s400/IMG_20141123_131716.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some bike lanes were painted in an effort to try and do something, anything at all, but despite the well-meaning effort, the street remains a major problem.</td></tr>
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<div>
Two years ago, the Patrick administration announced a project that had the potential to fix all kinds of problems with the interchange. A dangerous curve in the highway would be straightened. The old-fashioned tollbooths would be replaced with modern, automated systems. The whole mess of city streets left behind by the 1960s extension project could be reworked, finally reuniting North Allston with south, and building a whole new neighborhood in between. And to top it off, a new 'West Station' on the Worcester line would finally give Allston back a railroad station somewhat near the site of the original station around which the community was founded.</div>
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But it seems that potential is being squandered. Despite months of community engagement and a professed commitment to "multi-modal thinking", the design team went off for the winter and nothing came out until finally this June meeting was announced with this plan shown, that seems to have more space allocated to roadway than non-roadway:</div>
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<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGmoKq7UYAAFbal.jpg:large" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CGmoKq7UYAAFbal.jpg:large" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the past year, the DOT design team told us often that they "don't do city planning" and it appears that they don't intend anyone else to do so either. It's hard to imagine anything neighborly fitting between those massive connectors (that will rise on earthen berms above grade, by the way). West Station is included, but can you imagine making the connection to or through that while walking precariously on a pathway above 10-12 lanes of roaring highway and some number of railyard tracks? This design is a highway design, engineered for the comfort of drivers first, and everyone else second. Yes, it's an improvement over the old ways, in that it will all satisfy accessibility regulations, and there are connected sidewalks and protected bike lanes. But with this car-first design, it seems that those facilities will only be used by necessity, not by choice.</div>
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We have often been told that "the computer models" require this many lanes, or that size an intersection, etc. The models, of course, have been programmed by engineers to try and predict the future. They say that they can tell us what the behavior of people in the year 2035 will be, with precision. They will tell us that unless they build all of this road space, we will be threatened by some kind of 'traffic armageddon'. It's a bullying tactic, plain and simple. Common sense should tell anyone that trying to predict the future is impossible, much less making precise predictions about conditions on a particular road 20 years from now. The models that they create are nothing but a set of equations and parameters chosen by the people who designed it. These models are as fallible as the people behind them, and can be used to say anything at all. Usually, they are used to say whatever it is the people who hired the modelers want them to say.</div>
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In this case, the powerful have spoken, and they have said that they want more automobile capacity in our neighborhood, at our expense. Whenever you hear an engineer say "the models predict increased traffic by X" what you should translate that to is "automobile interests want increased capacity by X, and nothing else matters."</div>
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Let's contrast this situation with what it might be like if MassDOT took the other side and tried to help provide space for a new neighborhood with good connections to the surroundings. Then the street network would be laid out at a human scale, with smaller blocks, smaller streets, and a collaboration with city planners in Boston. When it came time to talk about automobile capacity, instead of sending us an ultimatum that "we must tolerate a massive additional influx of vehicles or else", they would calculate the maximum capacity that is compatible with the city planning goals, and work to keep demand for the highway under that level. For example, perhaps it could be considered that commuter bus or train tickets should not be more expensive than paying the toll on the highway. Or that all employers that offer parking benefits must also offer '<a href="http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm8.htm" target="_blank">parking cash-out</a>' as a benefit for people who chose not to drive.</div>
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The reason that this way of working is so tough for them to do, politically, is because it requires that they go to the powerful automobile-promoting interests and tell them: <i>there is a limit, and beyond that, demand for the road is going to have to be managed somehow</i>. An ever-increasing level of traffic on the Mass Pike is not an inevitability. That will only happen so long as more capacity is forced on us, so long as officials are too timid to use the tools of transportation demand management to control the problem at its source, and so long as might makes the right-of-way.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-14346900776176405502015-05-26T01:55:00.003-04:002015-05-26T01:55:29.075-04:00Happy 115th birthday to the Green Line "B" branch, and thoughts on the future<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_1885Map_H_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_1885Map_H_Lo.jpg" height="306" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Commonwealth Ave when it was provisionally named 'Massachusetts Ave' in 1885 (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWest.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The section of Commonwealth Avenue between Packard's Corner and Chestnut Hill Avenue was <a href="http://www.bahistory.org/HistoryCommAve.html" target="_blank">largely built in the 1890s</a>. Trolley service along this relatively new stretch of Comm Ave began <a href="http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=157793&start=0#p1297864" target="_blank">May 26th, 1900</a>. Prior to that, service to Lake Street typically ran via Beacon Street and Chestnut Hill Avenue.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve1896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve1896.jpg" height="202" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction of Comm Ave near Lake Street (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWall1900%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWall1900%20.jpg" height="176" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trolley service near Wallingford Road, in the early years (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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A description of a journey that was <a href="https://archive.org/stream/bytrolleytrough00derrgoog#page/n32/mode/2up" target="_blank">published in 1904</a>:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">From the Newton line, by taking a Commonwealth Avenue car, another attractive ride is afforded for the return journey. The car turns off to the left and runs through a delightful combination of city and country until it reaches the Brighton junction, off to the left being the links of the Kenilworth Golf Club. At Pleasant Street, on the left, may be seen the links of the Allston Golf Club, and one of the most picturesque county clubhouses in the country is visible across a little pond. The car comes back into Beacon Street again after passing Cottage Farm station</span></blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/AllstonGolfClub2_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/AllstonGolfClub2_Lo.jpg" height="235" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, it existed: the Allston Golf Club house (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/AllstonGolfClub.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_TudorManor_Trolley_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_TudorManor_Trolley_Lo.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tudor Manor, 1930 (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWest.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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<div>
The electric streetcar service would eventually attract the transit-oriented development of the avenue that we see today, with large, graceful apartment buildings of various styles from the early to mid-twentieth century. Sadly, the <a href="http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/getattachment/219fb7a1-90ac-4f11-81dc-14ecd99bddda" target="_blank">current zoning code</a> (from 1990) has chosen for aesthetic reasons to retroactively ban these kind of apartment buildings, and so none of them could be built today without many variances. That's a strange policy to maintain in a city that is ostensibly trying to generate housing units that are attainable to people of middle-class means.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwelnnyovpMWt4PihckdY5C6JxVDNlV_f0WY_TSJAbz9kGgflXtozS_3Rys-w9ZeDhRZ-MjAIq9bAdQEOZAKcjyLG77unqP1AqkIm3s5VxjUpWJqUoe-Db_14wJurE6_PcsC-cjwe_qIx1/s1600/IMG_20140914_160803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwelnnyovpMWt4PihckdY5C6JxVDNlV_f0WY_TSJAbz9kGgflXtozS_3Rys-w9ZeDhRZ-MjAIq9bAdQEOZAKcjyLG77unqP1AqkIm3s5VxjUpWJqUoe-Db_14wJurE6_PcsC-cjwe_qIx1/s400/IMG_20140914_160803.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comm Ave near Allston Street, present day</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_SummitAve_Trolley_1958_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_SummitAve_Trolley_1958_Lo.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1958 view from near Washington Street, during road-widening construction (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWest.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_WarrenSt_MiddlemasFarm_1938_N3_Lo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAve_WarrenSt_MiddlemasFarm_1938_N3_Lo.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow didn't stop them in 1938, near Warren Street (<a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWest.html" target="_blank">source</a>)</td></tr>
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I was fortunate enough to view a presentation on the history of Comm Ave last year but it was not until recently that the slides and pictures were made available on-line. For more of these pictures and history, please <a href="http://www.bahistory.org/CommAveWest.html" target="_blank">visit the website</a>.</div>
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What we now call the Green Line "B" branch has gone through many changes over the years. Obviously when the MBTA was formed, the rebranding changed it from merely having a streetcar number into being integrated as part of the color-coded 'rapid transit' map (sadly, while not really improving service). The reservation has been shifted towards the center as part of road-widening efforts in the 1950s and the 1970s, resulting in the awkward intersection at Warren Street, where work ceased. The trolleys gave way to big 'light rail vehicles' that now carry approximately 30,000 passengers a day, averaging a snail-like <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2015/01/taking-look-at-green-line-average.html" target="_blank">6-10 mph</a> due to overcrowding and degrading infrastructure. The stations have not seen much in the way of upgrades, either, largely remaining as tiny asphalt strips with the occasional concrete barrier or plastic shelter added.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigceaOEWlx94nR1iq6a3BnkaxALP2NX0216wnUiv5-b2T2Z6JT7iS5kZkPDlfrMgBLh3yiqg4OD2A66gjLZKry7WKxVyqhEALdH_ogw1K9TG6gw-G5Sxgi3CHLZ_0LQMOY3XI2UjPBrHTG/s1600/8003278556_2652649467_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigceaOEWlx94nR1iq6a3BnkaxALP2NX0216wnUiv5-b2T2Z6JT7iS5kZkPDlfrMgBLh3yiqg4OD2A66gjLZKry7WKxVyqhEALdH_ogw1K9TG6gw-G5Sxgi3CHLZ_0LQMOY3XI2UjPBrHTG/s400/8003278556_2652649467_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chestnut Hill Avenue station platform (for thin people only)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdhNSWhJbXP01lF8rz04wSCNn8A9YLBTJ_Rc62rtAuqdycfASKhJkh_mDB7es-lMjWecATvcNfbTq09Ok5_sm1Xv4sqvGmefApNANvl_xsefgeOxLQF7ZCRx239PlX1AI37RFMyNIOo-A/s1600/8500890947_20190d9680_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdhNSWhJbXP01lF8rz04wSCNn8A9YLBTJ_Rc62rtAuqdycfASKhJkh_mDB7es-lMjWecATvcNfbTq09Ok5_sm1Xv4sqvGmefApNANvl_xsefgeOxLQF7ZCRx239PlX1AI37RFMyNIOo-A/s400/8500890947_20190d9680_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down the hill</td></tr>
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At times, many stops were <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/02/thinking-about-station-elimination.html" target="_blank">eliminated or consolidated</a>, most recently about ten years ago, when Mt Hood Rd, Summit Ave, Greycliff Rd, and Fordham Rd were permanently retired to help improve spacing. We're looking forward to having another four closely-spaced stations <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/10/at-long-last-mbta-announces-station.html" target="_blank">be consolidated</a> into two appropriately-spaced, fully accessible stations. The T has promised us <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/02/transit-signal-priority.html" target="_blank">signal priority</a> for years, and claims to be experimenting with it. We're still waiting for the use of <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/09/vision-for-green-line-moving-forward.html" target="_blank">all doors</a> on the surface to help speed up boarding and alighting, as well as <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/09/vision-for-green-line-moving-forward.html" target="_blank">full accessibility</a> for everyone.</div>
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As the twentieth century progressed, Comm Ave was turned more and more into an asphalt wasteland: big sections carved out for angled parking, with a few sickly looking trees inhabiting the neglected median islands that were left. The Green Line and its riders were largely disregarded, probably considered relics of the past that would be replaced by mass car ownership and buses. But the Green Line is a survivor. Despite how poorly it has been treated by the city and the MBTA, the "B" remains the busiest branch of the Green Line, and the surroundings remain highly transit-oriented, with some of the <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-first-look-at-37-million-mile-data.html" target="_blank">lowest car ownership rates</a> outside of Boston proper.</div>
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We have an opportunity to change the future. The city is brewing up a design for what they call Comm Ave Phases 3 and 4. That covers the section of Comm Ave from Packard's Corner up to Warren and Kelton Streets. This is part of the section that was constructed in the 1890s, and it's 200 feet wide, a lot of space. Despite that, <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/03/light-rail-and-traffic.html" target="_blank">daily vehicle volumes are very low</a>, about 12,000 ADT, a figure which is low enough that it could easily be handled even on a street with merely a single lane in each direction. Clearly, this should be a street designed for people. The city has claimed that they are going to do something to make the avenue much more friendly for walking, biking, and riding the Green Line. They claim that they will do something about the fact that there are extremely long intervals between crosswalks (and then those are also inaccessible to the disabled), with a fence blocking off part of Allston/Brighton from another. They claim that they can restore the idea of a Comm Ave 'greenway', an echo of its original conception, a park that connects from the Charles River to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. The 21st century version of Comm Ave could be a lot friendlier to the community. But only if we remember to show up and hold them to it.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-17245532689917297272015-04-23T12:20:00.000-04:002015-04-23T12:20:14.626-04:00Median Zillow Rent Index per square foot in Boston and CambridgeAfter seeing <a href="http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/22/least-expensive-neighborhoods-in-boston-boston-rent-prices-by-neighborhood-zillow-data/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this article</a> on BostInno I knew something was not quite right about their reporting. West Cambridge in the top 5 median rents? Brighton rents being a third less than any other neighborhood? Their charts use the median unit price data, which does not distinguish between different types of units. I downloaded the <a href="http://www.zillow.com/research/data/" target="_blank">Zillow data</a> myself and prepared a few charts of the Median Zillow Rent Index per square foot, which I believe produces a lot more sensible looking results. And in case you are curious, I have plotted all of the data available since 2010:<br />
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<center>
<iframe height="400" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQ-P-1eW97WlQoBAyxmUjSirtmB-EBEtUPu76LirzUA/pubchart?oid=79440608&format=interactive" width="550"></iframe></center>
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<center>
<iframe height="400" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XQ-P-1eW97WlQoBAyxmUjSirtmB-EBEtUPu76LirzUA/pubchart?oid=2010126546&format=interactive" width="550"></iframe></center>
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Here is the data for March 2015 in a sorted table:<br />
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<center>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cols="3">
<colgroup width="157"></colgroup>
<colgroup span="2" width="85"></colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17"><b>Region Name</b></td>
<td align="LEFT"><b>City</b></td>
<td align="LEFT"><b>ZRI per SF</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">South Dorchester</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.584">1.584</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Mattapan</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.69">1.69</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">West Roxbury</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.708">1.708</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Roxbury</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.726">1.726</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Roslindale</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.762">1.762</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Hyde Park</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.78">1.78</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">North Dorchester</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="1.878">1.878</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">East Boston</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.038">2.038</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">West Cambridge</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.11">2.11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Jamaica Plain</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.128">2.128</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Mission Hill</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.22">2.22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">North Cambridge</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.22">2.22</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Aggasiz - Harvard North</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.27">2.27</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">The Port - Area 4</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.388">2.388</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Cambridgeport</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.502">2.502</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Wellington-Harrington</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.524">2.524</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Peabody</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.546">2.546</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Brighton</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.652">2.652</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Riverside</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.654">2.654</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Charlestown</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.666">2.666</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">South Boston</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.684">2.684</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Allston</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.702">2.702</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Mid-Cambridge</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.868">2.868</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">East Cambridge</td>
<td align="LEFT">Cambridge</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="2.918">2.918</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">West End</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.094">3.094</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Downtown</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.258">3.258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">South End</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.276">3.276</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">North End</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.462">3.462</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Back Bay</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.512">3.512</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Chinatown</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.622">3.622</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Kenmore</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.658">3.658</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Beacon Hill</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="3.726">3.726</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="LEFT" height="17">Fenway</td>
<td align="LEFT">Boston</td>
<td align="RIGHT" sdnum="1033;" sdval="4.144">4.144</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<br />
I hope that this is more useful than the BostInno presentation.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-85684425155854353152015-04-21T15:54:00.001-04:002015-04-30T13:18:51.700-04:00Two charts showing development in Boston over the decadesI've been playing around with the Assessing data from the city of Boston, here are a couple of charts to start. First, a summary by decade of the total amount of gross floor area, living area, and parcel land developed:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe height="400" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1atV6is2oGXszaFD5j-XQmearDlBP9N0FYtLVDuIkrfg/pubchart?oid=1692273072&format=interactive" width="550"></iframe>
</center>
<br />
Second, the corresponding Floor Area Ratio (gross floor area divided by land area) of all properties built within each decade:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe height="400" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1atV6is2oGXszaFD5j-XQmearDlBP9N0FYtLVDuIkrfg/pubchart?oid=1292778253&format=interactive" width="550"></iframe></center>
<br />
It's important to remember that the Assessing data only contains properties that continue to exist to this day, so anything demolished would not be recognized in this data set. I also noticed that in older properties, year of construction was sometimes rounded off to the nearest decade. And it's possible there are other errors. I had to correct a few more egregious and obvious ones (like fields being swapped), but more subtle errors could sneak by. Condos are handled by summing up the gross floor space for each unit and linking it to the land area used up by the overall building.<br />
<br />
Without spending too much time on analysis (that's for later), I'll note that we live in a turn-of-the-twentieth century city: most of the floor space created and still existing seems to have occurred between 1890 and 1930. The 1930s and 1940s had some fairly obvious reasons for a lull, but construction never really picked back up afterwards at the same rate. My hypothesis: Zoning in its modern form was enacted in the mid-1950s, which has put a heavy damper on construction ever since.<br />
<br />
The FAR chart shows that development generally hovered around 1.0 floor area to land area, but started to drop precipitously after 1930, until finally tanking at a miserable 0.21 during the 1960s. Although the amount of floor space developed increased from the 1950s into the 1960s, the amount of land area consumed zoomed up even higher. Zoning could explain some of it, <strike>but it's not clear to me why the 1960s are such an outlier in terms of land area consumed</strike>. (Turns out it was MassPort's harbor holdings, at 101 million s.f., which I have cut out from the data). By the 1970s, overall floor area ratios returned to a more historically normal average of 1.0 or so. More recently, overall construction averages have exceeded 1.5 FAR, albeit using incomplete data for this decade.<br />
<br />
For the curious reader, here is the result of summing over all the parcels in the database:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Boston parcels gross area: 651,202,719 s.f.</li>
<li>Boston parcels land area: 1,268,597,774 s.f.</li>
<li>Boston parcels FAR: 0.51</li>
</ul>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-46179249635754988512015-04-15T01:03:00.000-04:002015-04-15T09:09:12.670-04:00It's not so easy to re-route buses in BostonThe Boston Globe ran an <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2015/04/14/time-for-mbta-change-its-bus-map/kUN5xxHnG5c7xIcZlnYjiO/story.html">editorial</a> today calling for the MBTA to radically re-examine its bus routes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">If Charlie Baker wants to find inexpensive ways to improve the T, he might consider one fact: In 1954 — two years before he was born — the 34 bus ran from Forest Hills, down Washington Street past Roslindale, and onward to the Dedham line. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">In 2015, it still does.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The map of where the T runs its buses would appear to be etched in stone: In some cases, today’s MBTA buses are still running along the same routes as the trolleys that preceded them. Yet the city surrounding those buses is unrecognizable, with huge population shifts and the emergence of whole new employment centers.</span></blockquote>
That sounds like one of those "smart managerial" pieces of advice, but in fact, it's mostly bullshit. I'll go into why later, but first I will mention a few things that should be done with the buses to make them run better:<br />
<ul>
<li>Dedicated bus lanes</li>
<li>All-door boarding, all the time</li>
<li>Signal priority</li>
<li>Queue-jump lanes where needed</li>
<li>Further stop consolidation where appropriate</li>
<li>Upgrade to full accessibility everywhere</li>
<li>Clean-up of confusing numbering or naming</li>
<li>Well-targeted re-routings that either clean up twisty "coverage" routes or,</li>
<li>Provide better routes through and into bus hubs and major stations like Dudley.</li>
</ul>
<div>
However, instead of promoting those ideas, for whatever reason, the Globe editorial aimed directly at the 34 on Washington Street. A re-routing of that bus makes little to no sense whatsoever. They want a study? I'll do a study for free, with help from you, the reader. Let's take a look at Washington Street in Roslindale:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m12!1m3!1d5903.211125587076!2d-71.13007508232018!3d42.28694250854796!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1429068950849" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe>
</center>
<div>
<br />
Go ahead, zoom in and out, follow it along. What will you see? <i>There are no parallel streets to Washington Street in Roslindale!</i> In fact, the 34, along with a whole host of other buses along Washington Street, follows a straight line, the only possible one. Actually, as far as route geometry goes, it's nearly ideal. So if I may quote Jarrett Walker, the 34 is already mostly <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2009/04/be-on-the-way.html">as good as it gets</a>, geometrically-speaking: "<i>An efficient transit line -- and hence one that will support good service -- connects multiple points but is also reasonably straight so that it's perceived as a direct route between any two points on the line.</i>" The 34 itself is nearly perfectly a <a href="http://www.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/Documents/Schedules_and_Maps/Bus/route03434E(1).pdf?led=3/20/2015%205:43:32%20PM">straight line</a>, and it serves a street that is nearly perfectly a straight line.<br />
<br />
The companion route 34E continues that straight line, <a href="http://amateurplanner.blogspot.com/2015/01/dont-use-bus-routes-to-subsidize-malls.html">except to diverge at one point</a> for the Dedham Mall. And at the point where it diverges to serve that suburban mall, it turns out that it's really difficult politically to do anything about that. But the problem there is that a suburban mall like that is <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2009/04/be-on-the-way.html">nearly impossible to serve well</a> with transit. The error lies with the land use, not with the bus planning, which is trying to make the best out of a mess. I'd support a re-routing that gets the 34E out of the Dedham Mall if that were possible. But that goes to my point above: a targeted re-routing. There's simply no way to take the 34/34E off of Washington Street itself because there are no alternatives. And a whole century's worth of development has taken place with the idea of there being frequent service along Washington Street. That's nothing to scoff at. That's simply how Boston has developed.<br />
<br />
Now you could reasonably argue that perhaps the 34/34E just needs to be folded into a more comprehensive scheme of naming and numbering the various routes that ply Washington Street in Roslindale. It's a confusing soup of routes, and probably the busiest bus corridor that is not designated on any key bus route, a fact that is a travesty. You could also probably reasonably argue that Washington Street needs more buses, as well as the various street improvements that I described above. That's all good. But that's not what the Globe editorial called for:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">While the T often changes the frequency of buses, treating the routes themselves as sacrosanct is a recipe for inefficiency. To make sure the T is maximizing the value of its buses and drivers, the agency should imagine how the map would look if it were building a Boston bus network from scratch, based on today’s population and economy — not that of 1954 or 1912.</span></blockquote>
First of all, the MBTA needs to do a bus <a href="http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/?id=12769">service planning process update</a>. It hasn't had the funding to do so in a few years. Getting that done is a good idea! But it won't involve re-routing buses, so apparently, that's not good enough for the Globe. Instead they'd rather have the T spend money on a study that can only come to one conclusion: that there's no alternative to Washington Street for the 34/34E. That's wasteful.<br />
<br />
<h4>
The problem, more generally</h4>
I promised earlier that I would describe why Boston's street network makes the bus re-routing style of optimization that was accomplished in other cities much harder here. Not always impossible, but of much more questionable value, especially for the really heavy workhorse routes. You could probably find some changes in a meandering route like the 51, but that's small potatoes. No, the reason that Boston's bus network largely follows the streetcar routings of a century ago has to do with the way Boston developed: as an amalgamated set of Streetcar Suburbs.<br />
<br />
At this point, some folks might say: "Oh Boston, all those cow-paths!" Well that's a cute but <a href="http://www.celebrateboston.com/strange/cow-paths.htm">apocryphal</a> story. And it's not the part of Boston that I'm concerned with right now. The downtown streets that were laid out in the 17th and 18th centuries are wonderful, great, and <a href="http://commonwealthmagazine.org/transportation/dicara-is-wrong-about-boston-buses/">not really plied</a> by many buses at all. The streets of the Back Bay are mid-19th century and still follow that nice, connected, pre-streetcar pattern. But once you get outside of Boston proper, into the territories that were annexed in the late 19th century, into the portions that were really built by the streetcar, things change. Let's take a look:<br />
<br />
<center>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m12!1m3!1d2951.042286251128!2d-71.08644846906779!3d42.29896312529298!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1429071389040" style="border: 0;" width="600"></iframe></center>
<br />
This section of Blue Hill Ave was once served by the "29" streetcar but is now served primarily by the key bus route 28. If I may summarize the story of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Streetcar-Suburbs-Process-Growth-1870-1900/dp/0674842111">Streetcar Suburbs</a>" very quickly and very broadly: These suburbs were laid out by developers interested in maximizing their investment by providing streetcar access to as many homes as possible. The streets were often privately built and "donated" to the town/city later. What mainly characterizes these streets is the long blocks that feed primarily into a single, wide avenue where the streetcar ran, moderated by hills and valleys. The result was a kind of "hierarchy" of streets that would later be taken to extremes by auto-centric suburban planning, but at this point in history was merely a result of trying to maximize investment in the streetcar adjacent plots of land.<br />
<br />
What you should notice right away, again, is that: <i>there are no efficient alternative routings</i>. This is not a freak accident. It's a very, very common pattern throughout Boston's inner streetcar suburbs. I actually brought this up at the YPT event with Jeff Speck, if anyone happened to be there, and it's an endlessly frustrating quirk of a large number of Boston's neighborhoods that impacts us in many ways other than bus routings. Besides Blue Hill Ave and Seaver Street, there's Columbus Ave and Tremont Street, Warren Street, Washington Street (Roxbury, Dorchester, South End, Roslindale, and Brighton editions!), Dorchester Ave, Columbia Road, Huntington Ave and South Huntington/Centre/South, Massachusetts Ave, Beacon Street, and Commonwealth Ave. I'm sure you could name more. These are all streets that were built in neighborhoods that have all traffic (foot and vehicular) funneled onto them. Intentionally. And there are not any easy alternatives, especially when dealing with heavy buses that shouldn't be making awkward turns onto small side streets.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Elevated_Railway">Boston Elevated Railway company</a> understood this. That's why their version of Boston's streetcar network was based around the idea of hub-and-spoke: feeding the surface lines into big hubs around rapid transit stations. Now, Jarrett Walker's <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2015/02/houston-metros-transit-system-reimagining-plan-approved.html">great idea</a> in many other cities is to take a bunch of duplicative, one-seat-ride-style routes, and to reform them into a more powerful grid using connections. But Boston's surface line system is already based around the concept of using connections: to the rapid transit network, and also to each other. Yes, it's not a grid in the sense of San Francisco, but Boston doesn't have a grid of streets. It doesn't even have good connectivity of streets, outside of the core. That's why the rapid transit lines have been so important and are so heavily used in proportion to city size: because they cut through the web.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU-jIC6ktA5p9QlhGp8RxR8aaQDSu0T0ge7ot91YKf_aXMASKiouAm1NPci4umMWknKZD1NaOhLVu0ijJD4OseJXkmk8bKiQzob6kteyfTcxlt8tnul5_YET6Bi8ol7eWRrBZqg4f7oxY/s1600/7437769492_f2ec6d52e8_o.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjU-jIC6ktA5p9QlhGp8RxR8aaQDSu0T0ge7ot91YKf_aXMASKiouAm1NPci4umMWknKZD1NaOhLVu0ijJD4OseJXkmk8bKiQzob6kteyfTcxlt8tnul5_YET6Bi8ol7eWRrBZqg4f7oxY/s1600/7437769492_f2ec6d52e8_o.png" height="346" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the major surface lines on the Boston bus network today, frequency-mapped [<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/71187350@N08/7437769492/in/photostream/">full-size</a>]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The surface line network is a web of routes woven onto a set of rapid transit points. The buses largely follow the streetcar network because the streetcars built the streets in the first place. And those same streetcars laid out the development patterns in the 19th century that we still live with today. I live in a building that was erected in 1895. Most people in Boston live in buildings that are over 70 years old. That's no accident. When zoning was legalized and authorized in the 1950s, it basically squelched small, incremental redevelopment. That's one reason why we still have <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-scourge-of-single-story-retail.html">single-story retail</a>. It's also one reason why most of us still live in the same places (often the same buildings) and follow the same patterns that people of a hundred years ago did. The other major reason is <a href="http://transportationist.org/2013/08/21/path-dependence/">path-dependency</a>: it's hard to change things that thousands of people depend upon. Such changes often came about because of massive mega-projects, and often for the <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/search/label/urban%20renewal">worst reasons</a>.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Change does happen</h4>
I just spent a lot of time explaining why it's hard to change bus routes in Boston. But now I will offer some examples of where change does happen. First of all, I have to be thankful for the existence of the <a href="http://www.transithistory.org/roster/MBTARouteHistory.pdf">Transit History Roster</a> of the MBTA. Now, let's take a look at the kind of changes that we see. The 1 actually provides a good example straight away: "<i>This route was created in September 1962 by merging Routes 76 Harvard-Mass.
Station and 47 Mass. Station-Dudley.</i>" Not really a re-route, just a through-routing that was probably happening anyway for equipment management reasons. Or maybe because the trolley barn on Newbury was being closed.<br />
<br />
Let's look at a route created in the MBTA era: <b>47</b> "<i>This route was initiated as a brand-new Monday-Friday only cross-town </i><i>service in April 1972. The route traveled in new territory between Kenmore Sq. </i><i>and Dudley via Brookline Ave, Longwood Ave, Huntington Ave, Ruggles St. and </i><i>Shawmut Ave.</i>" Obviously there have been further changes to the route since then, and if you go to page 190, you can read the gory details. The 47 was created in 1972 to serve one of the "new economy" nodes that the Globe crows about: Longwood Medical Area. And it is well-used, in my experience, being packed to the brim. It needs higher frequency. It needs bus lanes. It does have a few jogs that I find to be obnoxious: The U-shape it makes inside of Longwood; the loop around Ruggles; the in-and-out it does to serve Dudley. But you cannot eliminate those jogs without annoying key constituencies. Longwood, Ruggles, and Dudley are important nodes. It's really not clear how the 47 could be better routed while still serving those nodes. I bet some clever street reconfiguration could make it a lot less painful, however.<br />
<br />
The problem that Longwood has always had, and the 47 is only a band-aide, is that it was built up in a bit of a transit dead-spot. The "D" and "E" branches of the Green Line tangentially glance off of it. Those stations are heavily used by LMA workers, despite the walk, which is great. But barring the sudden appearance of $10 billion from the sky, to dig a tunnel, the LMA will never have the same kind of powerful, frequent radial transit that the Back Bay enjoys, for example. There's some hope for the Urban Ring to descend upon us and provide a real upgrade to the 47, but I'm skeptical about it ever happening. That's another article, for another time, though.<br />
<br />
A major change happened when the Southwest Corridor was opened and the Orange Line was moved from Washington Street. Many buses had to be rearranged slightly to connect with Ruggles Station instead of or as well as Dudley. In fact, key bus route 28 was created out of pieces of two former streetcar routes at this time, and extended to serve Ruggles. The resulting route is approximately as direct a path as you can get between Mattapan, Dudley, and Ruggles, and it also happens to pick up right in front of Roxbury Community College. It's hard to imagine what other routing could accomplish so much. It's already one of the top buses in the system, by ridership. What it needs is dedicated bus lanes, signal priority, and all-door boarding. Yes, it's possible that the 28X package that was offered up a few years ago could have achieved some of that. I wasn't involved so I don't know first-hand what went wrong. But I've heard second-hand that the reason it failed was that it was shoved suddenly and heavy-handedly, from the top-down, on a riding community that was wary of changes arriving in such a manner. Much like the <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/03/against-proposed-widening-of-melnea.html">Melnea Cass BRT plan</a> from two years ago that was roundly rejected. What this teaches us is that bus routes are political topics and it's important not to approach them from a purely technocratic viewpoint, as much as such technical ideas are useful for steering the conversation.<br />
<br />
A commission to "re-examine bus routes from scratch" would be stirring up a hornet's nest for very little gain. Maybe some twisty routes like the 51 could be rejiggered. But we're not going to be cutting new streets through existing neighborhoods anytime soon, I hope. A committee to examine the routing of the 34 bus on Washington Street (Roslindale) is going to come back with same result every time: keep it on Washington Street, duh. The 77 should stay on Mass Ave (and no, the Red Line extension to Alewife did not eliminate the need for the 77 to Harvard!). Blue Hill Ave south of Grove Hall needs to be served with lots of buses. That's not going to change. What might change the bus network is the opening of the most recent rapid transit line to be built: the Green Line Extension. But how that will change things remains to be seen.<br />
<br />
Instead of wasting time debating the routing of the 34, the 28 or the 77, we should be focusing our resources on getting bus lanes, signal priority, full accessibility, all-door boarding, more efficient routes through stations, clearer route information, more buses, more service, and the like. We should be clear about the goals of various bus routes, whether it be <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2011/09/should-transit-agencies-retrench-to-become-profitable.html">"Coverage" or "Ridership"</a>. Some of this could happen through the supposedly 'biennial' <a href="http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/?id=12769">service planning process</a>, if it were funded again. And some of it requires coordination with the city of Boston and the various other municipalities in the area. Perhaps the new "<a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/Default.aspx?id=20044">future focused transportation improvements</a>" policies from the city are an indication of changes to come.<br />
<br /></div>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-18346665494618657052015-03-28T19:15:00.000-04:002015-03-28T19:15:14.577-04:00"Self-checkout" for passengers boarding trains and busesWhile walking to the supermarket today, I passed by a trolley boarding a line of riders, at a station platform. One person would step up to the top stair, pay the $2.10 fare, and go inside. Then the line would slowly move along, trudging through the wind and snow.<br />
<br />
At the supermarket, I collected my food and items, went to the self-checkout aisle, rang up $33, and paid it. I took my receipt, my bags, and went home. All of this accomplished without any waiting on line, nor with any interaction by a store employee.<br />
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As I was walking out the door, I realized how bizarre the difference was: I could be trusted to ring up and pay for $33 of assorted items at the supermarket, but not a $2.10 trolley ticket nor a $1.60 bus ticket. And that's hardly unusual. Many retail businesses have moved to the self-checkout model. It's a natural way of cutting costs and speeding up service, especially in the modern era. Yet, the MBTA continues to waste money, and everyone's time, delaying trains at stations while riders slowly file through a single door.<br />
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The stakes are higher for the T than for a retail shop. Delays to a transit vehicle add up and propagate. The long line at the station platform translates to a train that's late. <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/10/unbunching-bus-part-1.html">Bunching</a> gets worse. Lines get longer. The average speed of the system drops <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2015/01/taking-look-at-green-line-average.html">below 7 mph</a>. Riders get antsy. Half-hour trips stretch out into an hour. People can't get on or off the vehicle easily anymore, while the driver hoarsely shouts "move to the rear!"<br />
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Wouldn't it make much more sense to use all the doors for boarding and alighting? The rear doors on the trolleys are wider as well. The newer ones have floors that are level with the platform, making it much easier for people with disabilities. Reduce delays, improve quality of service, help people with disabilities. Win, win, win.<br />
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In fact, it's such a good idea, that in San Francisco, the local agency MUNI decided to transition to all-door boarding on all of their vehicles. In the past, I have <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/01/improving-green-line-fare-collection.html">commented</a> on my experience with MUNI's all-door boarding system. MUNI has a lot in common with the MBTA: an extensive subway-surface trolley network that uses light-rail vehicles nowadays, and many connecting buses.<br />
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Recently, MUNI released a <a href="http://www.sfmta.com/sites/default/files/agendaitems/2014/12-2-14%20Item%2014%20All%20Door%20Boarding%20Report.pdf">report</a> on their experience allowing all-door boarding of buses and trolleys system-wide. It has been a great success. The MUNI report identified three key findings:<br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Shorter Stops</b> – Legalizing All-Door Boarding has encouraged boarding customers to distribute themselves more evenly between the front and rear doors, thereby reducing average dwell times. Pre- and post-implementation surveys at busy Muni stops found average reductions of 1.5 seconds (38%) per customer entry or exit. All-Door Boarding also has improved dwell time consistency and lowered variability, an important factor in helping reduce vehicle bunches and gaps and making service more reliable and predictable.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Faster Trips</b> – From FY 2010-2011 through FY 2013-2014, average bus system speeds (including stops) improved modestly from 8.41 to 8.56 mph (2%). All-Door Boarding has helped keep Muni moving during a period of rapid growth in San Francisco and increasing demand on the transportation system. All-Door Boarding is just one of many tools such as <i>exclusive transit lanes, transit signal priority and parking management</i> that together can help reduce travel time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Improved Fare Compliance</b> – A series of four fare surveys between 2009 and 2014 indicate that fare compliance continues to improve. The fare evasion rate has decreased from 9.5% to 7.9% over five years and the estimated uncaptured revenue due to fare evasion has dropped from $19.2 million to $17.1 million.</span></li>
</ul>
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I hear that, especially after this winter, the MBTA is looking for opportunities to do more with less. How about a method that is proven to improve reliability, reduce costs, and generate positive cash flow? What are they waiting for!?<br />
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And, why not do exclusive transit lanes, signal priority and parking management as well, while they're at it. It looks like they have a <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/default.aspx?id=20044">willing partner</a> in the city of Boston.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-40922398914085118972015-03-22T12:31:00.000-04:002015-03-22T12:31:23.786-04:00Comm Ave Phase 2A public meeting: Tuesday March 24th<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kvsRkDwvL4/U1h-hwMCE-I/AAAAAAAABEg/7_g--5Hr1Ec/s1600/phases.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1kvsRkDwvL4/U1h-hwMCE-I/AAAAAAAABEg/7_g--5Hr1Ec/s1600/phases.png" height="143" width="400" /></a></div>
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March 24th, 6 p.m.</div>
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565 Commonwealth Ave (Kenmore Classroom Building)</div>
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Room 101</div>
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The city is holding their long-awaited Comm Ave Phase 2A public meeting on Tuesday. This deals with the segment of Comm Ave between Packard's Corner and the BU Bridge (non-inclusive). One of the biggest topics of contention has been whether or not the bike lanes would finally be fixed on Comm Ave to match the Boston Bike Network plan for having a protected bike lane on Comm Ave.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWgmMTZdqR7hVYw9a2VsWsELppnnefmgZAy9xQCPmbe5p8F5JgsScJyx3D-8slfR8qFKxa5LkRXruvm89rFrIxrrYxFELbYbhyuOIRvB_6BTWRGNqX0-2Q9SrLFcw9v8Vxt-H2U-6R-eJ/s1600/IMG_20140610_114832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqWgmMTZdqR7hVYw9a2VsWsELppnnefmgZAy9xQCPmbe5p8F5JgsScJyx3D-8slfR8qFKxa5LkRXruvm89rFrIxrrYxFELbYbhyuOIRvB_6BTWRGNqX0-2Q9SrLFcw9v8Vxt-H2U-6R-eJ/s1600/IMG_20140610_114832.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The status quo</td></tr>
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Good news seems to be that they will be presenting some kind of protected bike lane option at the meeting, so that represents a major step forward for the city. The precise details remain to be seen.
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Another one of the major problems on the street is the lack of a crosswalk at Alcorn Street and Naples Road. On one side is a densely populated residential area, on the other side is the neighborhood supermarket. Most people simply wait and cross the street over the tracks when clear. But, the engineers believe that people should be walking over 1,000 feet out of their way, traversing 6 extra traffic lanes and waiting through extra cycles of the traffic light, simply to get across the street. While carrying heavy bags. This is a clear case of a disconnect between the planning department -- who only see this street on paper -- and the people who live here.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARYVgrjp6TZjiNYrOlGHeTqdnmstGMcG7ygumW4YCedj2oLQiyfmWQKukR3IAzqsrgMJbWP9jIwbNRyWM3HuxwSJtKJxWouY0G0nBHZoe1LKBxExxsPUCoffa0Kl2c4jnPyK_UDrhKijD/s1600/naples_road_crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARYVgrjp6TZjiNYrOlGHeTqdnmstGMcG7ygumW4YCedj2oLQiyfmWQKukR3IAzqsrgMJbWP9jIwbNRyWM3HuxwSJtKJxWouY0G0nBHZoe1LKBxExxsPUCoffa0Kl2c4jnPyK_UDrhKijD/s1600/naples_road_crossing.jpg" height="255" width="400" /></a></div>
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Even in the heavy snowfall, people would still rather cross here than go around the long way.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1CDrgXZ6V_JhBIAau413DkxlxnMQCTmevFgE2i5A68e0iGa8BGvikwcBfLDXh1IeFg6MSWfLaxOsUCZ12-32kX-5siGtP4hsqX6xO7agzKcm3Z2T4nvfPmy2uVzotGHNIAxbMu0-2BBP/s1600/IMG_20150127_151750~01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf1CDrgXZ6V_JhBIAau413DkxlxnMQCTmevFgE2i5A68e0iGa8BGvikwcBfLDXh1IeFg6MSWfLaxOsUCZ12-32kX-5siGtP4hsqX6xO7agzKcm3Z2T4nvfPmy2uVzotGHNIAxbMu0-2BBP/s1600/IMG_20150127_151750~01.jpg" height="295" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8674/16540188258_9a69de332a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8674/16540188258_9a69de332a.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/99445886@N03/16540188258/in/set-72157651176035432">source</a>)</td></tr>
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So, while there has been a great deal of progress made on the design, compared to where it was 3 years ago, there is still some more to go.<br />
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Finally, I would like to mention that although the MBTA has finally put out a plan for <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/10/at-long-last-mbta-announces-station.html">much-needed station consolidation</a>, it is not clear that they will be ready to go before the city starts the reconstruction project. That will put us in the absurd situation of rebuilding the street around the 4 old stations. Then, presumably, the MBTA will come along and cut those out, and rebuild 2 properly accessible stations, but at that point they will simply leave the old station locations as dead space. That's a terrible waste, and a lot of extra pain too -- as the time period of construction would be lengthened. It seems to make a lot more sense to simply get both projects done simultaneously, so that the new street doesn't have to waste space, and so that the station construction can proceed in parallel with the street reconstruction, in a fully integrated fashion.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-25141004351168551932015-03-10T11:28:00.000-04:002015-03-10T12:42:33.450-04:00The scourge of single-story retail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A curious pattern exists in Boston (I've also noticed it in other American cities). Neighborhoods that were primarily developed between 1890 and 1960 tend to have a lot of single-story retail. Oftentimes those retail shops are adjacent to multistory residential or office buildings, but the retail buildings themselves are single-story. Many of them are cheap boxes that look awful, while some of them do have decent architectural features that seem strangely out-of-place.<br />
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I'm sifting through some of my pre-snowpocalypse photographs for this post, so we can remember Boston as it once was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhUEihRakViMJxuu1hQBmEYp84aMrGUCwndW66AbAUaYvx0-4ZSPCtu8bOCVniN6jB4KOnJRk53OIS5PUkBpPdMWzqxi73hy5HXW4LPaO5fgmJXeHjC1dssf6x7I2GuBwM9v61TwCR0ez/s1600/9483048888_4748dbce2f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhUEihRakViMJxuu1hQBmEYp84aMrGUCwndW66AbAUaYvx0-4ZSPCtu8bOCVniN6jB4KOnJRk53OIS5PUkBpPdMWzqxi73hy5HXW4LPaO5fgmJXeHjC1dssf6x7I2GuBwM9v61TwCR0ez/s1600/9483048888_4748dbce2f_o.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fenway is a densely populated vibrant neighborhood with a strange dichotomy between retail buildings and residential buildings, like many other streetcar suburbs built around the same time.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqJg8Jmy8i_GSwM5U02HGUQXtFF9vZxerwTzLgqTSwM_LDKfHHcDmPjDi_iRNpy1l5gtK03Pua_IGE9DfyU47hCabKNwI330YV0GaoNIWnEixwGpY9d69j5QYQ-4E_GycLsNuG_Ezixvy/s1600/9483057882_7b31c3e407_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqJg8Jmy8i_GSwM5U02HGUQXtFF9vZxerwTzLgqTSwM_LDKfHHcDmPjDi_iRNpy1l5gtK03Pua_IGE9DfyU47hCabKNwI330YV0GaoNIWnEixwGpY9d69j5QYQ-4E_GycLsNuG_Ezixvy/s1600/9483057882_7b31c3e407_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another example from the Fenway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhE_yBFR_qvjtoGoCoCQiNardbMVHYfGfNNtlX3bcEl2akRUWZBeBrqgH2l8h7Diu3jDhjhE7kmX8uF7Le37jiQR8oeimrRIhLwsR_tWcHbKuFnMGJm9xjR-X-9JStuNvjEXFdL2O5x3t/s1600/9681389983_9b28388915_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibhE_yBFR_qvjtoGoCoCQiNardbMVHYfGfNNtlX3bcEl2akRUWZBeBrqgH2l8h7Diu3jDhjhE7kmX8uF7Le37jiQR8oeimrRIhLwsR_tWcHbKuFnMGJm9xjR-X-9JStuNvjEXFdL2O5x3t/s1600/9681389983_9b28388915_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Double-whammy of bad 20th century planning: surface parking and single-story retail immediately adjacent to major Green Line station in Brighton.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYlfYFSQvCFy0bZ2wPDW6aetMlcnRzoP8CVH43fezSNW_u8gGFuJte9U1tqmZtxXJDUAIuZlcEvFQM7ujYLgIxzkekKc1nXo9px5U3357HsG1j_M9tPvFpQg-LYGIqOjpfow9tkAwfrdP/s1600/9684626576_78d3573c61_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYlfYFSQvCFy0bZ2wPDW6aetMlcnRzoP8CVH43fezSNW_u8gGFuJte9U1tqmZtxXJDUAIuZlcEvFQM7ujYLgIxzkekKc1nXo9px5U3357HsG1j_M9tPvFpQg-LYGIqOjpfow9tkAwfrdP/s1600/9684626576_78d3573c61_o.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Same place, across the street. Typical of Comm Ave, there's a strip of single-story retail adjacent to 5-story or more apartment buildings. Some parts of Comm Ave do have ground-floor retail below residential, but it's the exception, not the rule.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK4Fi1Vv304hyphenhyphenEczmfxl85Mj2hyphenhyphenlmvRgEgFEX3M3f4nNQGC3ENsm4p5dWOB9mhFnOEYVGPR7QaHu5y6gQpFlAzHbGjRh5aKZdmlWzeI08nAR8_jmavAGGidcrHabFjWs8wfyMcxWWTRbD/s1600/IMG_20130410_132037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaK4Fi1Vv304hyphenhyphenEczmfxl85Mj2hyphenhyphenlmvRgEgFEX3M3f4nNQGC3ENsm4p5dWOB9mhFnOEYVGPR7QaHu5y6gQpFlAzHbGjRh5aKZdmlWzeI08nAR8_jmavAGGidcrHabFjWs8wfyMcxWWTRbD/s1600/IMG_20130410_132037.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Square, Allston, with lots of great little shops and restaurants. But almost all of them are in single-story retail buildings. The tall building behind is from the 1980s, and does have a little bit of ground floor retail included, but is separate from most of the shops you see.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9J8-vLsdt3FV6zWZ261wrv8VWd8SE3Z-YliYDNcQrAAQyPYB2uKZ57l5OaqEv5EutSLwMkWzu8rzOR-WMiB5ICQGQLdvQMmHYY8ylzcWUAbZKkljwY6ri4h261ZT-kU15hCgeAH1qviA/s1600/8522028313_2ae3bde802_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV9J8-vLsdt3FV6zWZ261wrv8VWd8SE3Z-YliYDNcQrAAQyPYB2uKZ57l5OaqEv5EutSLwMkWzu8rzOR-WMiB5ICQGQLdvQMmHYY8ylzcWUAbZKkljwY6ri4h261ZT-kU15hCgeAH1qviA/s1600/8522028313_2ae3bde802_o.jpg" height="400" width="385" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single story retail from the early 20th century. But as you can see, it used to be a whole lot better. Nowadays the building is used for storage of automotive supplies, and the intersection is a motor vehicle-dominated nightmare. In 1889, the <a href="http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/history/?id=960">first electric trolley line in Boston</a> departed from the Allston depot along those tracks. Now, the Allston depot is a pizzeria with a giant surface parking lot.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-6qOFsELWnOVoS-sYRoAUpPmfuDjSZWBZf7I0_zDrS5yp8JjANVnEUYyRxc4ErOhv7IV68EtcbXXaHRh_iOsZZRcqBy76MqZYTb4nvQYwImUV13DbfExqgGsGFpEKMKj9DgdrviCZv2J/s1600/8522027225_b19e8d62e2_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-6qOFsELWnOVoS-sYRoAUpPmfuDjSZWBZf7I0_zDrS5yp8JjANVnEUYyRxc4ErOhv7IV68EtcbXXaHRh_iOsZZRcqBy76MqZYTb4nvQYwImUV13DbfExqgGsGFpEKMKj9DgdrviCZv2J/s1600/8522027225_b19e8d62e2_o.jpg" height="400" width="295" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the mid-1960s this theater was torn down to be replaced by a nearly featureless single-story retail building with surface parking out front. As the zoning regulations of the time would dictate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAG5wdWvWNw/VHuMvrgEKUI/AAAAAAAAJhU/UW5xbfq3diY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141130_143702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aAG5wdWvWNw/VHuMvrgEKUI/AAAAAAAAJhU/UW5xbfq3diY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141130_143702.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single-story retail in the center of Hyde Park's business district.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs9tJIgLBCA/VHuMh8g1v_I/AAAAAAAAJTs/BhnTObyqqc4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141130_140754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Gs9tJIgLBCA/VHuMh8g1v_I/AAAAAAAAJTs/BhnTObyqqc4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141130_140754.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single-story retail in triple-decker Dorchester, along Blue Hill Ave, where trolleys once roamed, and where frequent buses ply today.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/a11Pp2-R3M3vBGHX8g_wASdoeYjtL6KspdgxdKw9aNs=w1402-h1025-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/a11Pp2-R3M3vBGHX8g_wASdoeYjtL6KspdgxdKw9aNs=w1402-h1025-no" height="291" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single-story retail and massive surface parking near Forest Hills, a major MBTA subway, bus and commuter rail station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3mo0cE5nzk/U5exy8VF5TI/AAAAAAAAEek/vt46eKAF91g/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20140610_113646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s3mo0cE5nzk/U5exy8VF5TI/AAAAAAAAEek/vt46eKAF91g/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20140610_113646.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Single-story retail on Comm Ave next to a Green Line station.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b14wk0UYRDM/VJUZzdxH4eI/AAAAAAAAJvI/BRmob0ny0KI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141219_132221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b14wk0UYRDM/VJUZzdxH4eI/AAAAAAAAJvI/BRmob0ny0KI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141219_132221.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tall residential, short retail, MBTA station: Brookline is no exception.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
In a city with an acute housing shortage, where space is at a premium, why do we allow so much waste to take place? It seems like there are hundreds of thousands of people who would like to be able to live in these neighborhoods with decent local shops, and in some cases, places that are only steps away from frequent MBTA service. Multistory buildings with ground floor shops and upstairs residences are not new in Boston -- they were quite commonly built in the 18th and most of the 19th centuries. The oldest neighborhoods in Boston: Beacon Hill, the North End, even the Back Bay, all have streets lined with buildings that have ground floor retail and homes above. Yet, starting around 1890 or so, it seems, some kind of insanity gripped America: suddenly, neighborhoods started being developed with apartment buildings on one block and single-story retail on another. Sometimes even on the same block.<br />
<br />
I don't have a definitive answer, but there are several pieces in play:<br />
<ul>
<li>The criminally incompetent, so-called "City Planning" movement started around the turn of the 20th century, and these new planners were notoriously blind to the actual sources of city vitality and diversity. In some cases, they were opposed to city life, and actively sought to destroy it. Records from the City Planning Board of Boston show that <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=zOAMAQAAIAAJ&pg=PP13#v=onepage&q&f=false">many early discussions</a> focused around choosing which buildings to destroy in order to widen roads. No doubt, they probably saw mixed uses as being "messy" and falsely perceived them as a source of traffic congestion.</li>
<li>Property tax laws in this country can be counterproductive: they effectively penalize landowners who invest in their properties. In some cases, building owners may have chosen to <a href="http://www.universalhub.com/2014/roslindale-square-apartment-plan-gets-another">cut down floors</a> off their own buildings to save on tax expenses. In a sane world, such crazy outcomes would result in legislative self-examination and reform of the tax laws: for example, by repealing property taxes and replacing them with something less harmful like a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_value_tax">land-value tax</a>. In this world, well... no.</li>
<li>In New England (and NY) it was common to quickly erect buildings that became known as "taxpayers" in order to generate some value quickly for the land without much effort. These taxpayer buildings were just enough to house some retail and then got locked into place when zoning came into effect around the mid-1950s. Many of the featureless boxes plaguing our landscape seem to fall into this category, but there are also plenty of examples of single-story retail with the kind of fine architectural detailing that seems out-of-place on a taxpayer.</li>
<li>The economics of redevelopment seem to require <a href="http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/11/incrementalism-height-limits-and.html">a significant density boost</a> in order to replace a revenue-generating property with a new one. If floors cannot simply be added to the top of the single-story building, and if the construction requires a shutdown of the business operating within, then the end result of construction has to be much taller than what previously existed. In the case of single-story successful retail, that probably means going up to 4-6 levels.</li>
<li>And this discussion wouldn't be complete without mentioning the nefarious effect of mid-20th century zoning regulations. It is quite possible that many single-story retail buildings were intended to be temporary. But once zoning kicked in, redevelopment -- already difficult -- became near impossible. The density boost required to make redevelopment financially palatable was now illegal or required expensive variance hearings. In many cases, even the existing property was made illegal by unreasonable zoning requirements that demanded excessive amounts of parking that simply could not be provided in a space-constrained city neighborhood.</li>
</ul>
<div>
So, as a result, we have a bunch of neighborhoods where, if you somehow transported some people from 1915 one hundred years into the future to 2015, they might ask: "Why do you still have all these same crummy, single-story buildings that existed in my time?" ... After, of course, catching up on the past hundred years of history.</div>
<div>
<br />
If we are serious about tackling the problem of rising housing costs and creating a better, more vibrant city that is accessible to all, then we will need to find a way to deal with these squat, inefficient, single-story structures. I often hear people complain that Boston is space-constrained, that we don't have room for development. That's not really true, as there are too many vacant parcels. But there are also many underutilized parcels in locations that can easily support much more. The replacement of single-story buildings that are located adjacent to frequent transit ought to be a high priority for all of the cities and towns in the region.</div>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-39931075641024831372015-02-20T00:08:00.001-05:002015-02-20T00:08:13.733-05:00Snow daze<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_IBVNvwkJo/VMR_kPkX8tI/AAAAAAAAKBY/_aPuie2DEg0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150124_124308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o_IBVNvwkJo/VMR_kPkX8tI/AAAAAAAAKBY/_aPuie2DEg0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150124_124308.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotted this while passing through -- first snow of the year and it's still fun for bicicle snow man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNvRWkXWTWc/VMf5yqA9I3I/AAAAAAAAKCQ/7CQ8YCH6EQM/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_135858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YNvRWkXWTWc/VMf5yqA9I3I/AAAAAAAAKCQ/7CQ8YCH6EQM/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_135858.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blizzard returns streets to people</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnlZ_HaGPzg/VMf6CyueAgI/AAAAAAAAKDw/qPjm9MVczZw/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_140358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnlZ_HaGPzg/VMf6CyueAgI/AAAAAAAAKDw/qPjm9MVczZw/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_140358.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best way of getting around now</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ao2YTC0eQdc/VMf6G40LuHI/AAAAAAAAKEI/dWKOgy-o5LA/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_142623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ao2YTC0eQdc/VMf6G40LuHI/AAAAAAAAKEI/dWKOgy-o5LA/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_142623.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No revenue service, but trains clearing snow still need a second operator apparently!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMj0JQ7Jxm8/VMf6VmsoUeI/AAAAAAAAKEg/hp_iuC7ThOI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_142805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZMj0JQ7Jxm8/VMf6VmsoUeI/AAAAAAAAKEg/hp_iuC7ThOI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_142805.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A space taken by automobiles returned to the people for one day.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ND8hHgxx8w/VMf9lDUQspI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/hWUusfydgLA/w1493-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_144119~01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ND8hHgxx8w/VMf9lDUQspI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/hWUusfydgLA/w1493-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_144119~01.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headed for the hills</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5E-5SW5Fgzw/VMf6rBl_pYI/AAAAAAAAKFc/kQK_zVMyQn0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_145812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5E-5SW5Fgzw/VMf6rBl_pYI/AAAAAAAAKFc/kQK_zVMyQn0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_145812.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second best way of getting around in the snow (after skiing)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta0sZc4RZZE/VMf7FmqC5vI/AAAAAAAAKGk/_U5HtErKWvs/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_151416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta0sZc4RZZE/VMf7FmqC5vI/AAAAAAAAKGk/_U5HtErKWvs/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_151416.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7QhdrYQG98/VMf7xCmpdBI/AAAAAAAAKHg/QvXeluOaUVc/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_151750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a7QhdrYQG98/VMf7xCmpdBI/AAAAAAAAKHg/QvXeluOaUVc/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_151750.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Such a strong desire line @ Naples Rd that people climb mounds of snow to use it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4eg3abXnn_A/VMf9jhLCrTI/AAAAAAAAKJw/tAiwO4-YUVk/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_152843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4eg3abXnn_A/VMf9jhLCrTI/AAAAAAAAKJw/tAiwO4-YUVk/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150127_152843.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow soccer in what is regularly a dangerous intersection</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGOnOoNNjw0/VNG0VaTTKVI/AAAAAAAAKRM/PxM7-JLWY8g/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_123126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DGOnOoNNjw0/VNG0VaTTKVI/AAAAAAAAKRM/PxM7-JLWY8g/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_123126.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking is the dominant mode of transportation on Comm Ave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdfiUjp_hFk/VNG0aaIuVyI/AAAAAAAAKRk/VUE_eDaWXz4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_123325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdfiUjp_hFk/VNG0aaIuVyI/AAAAAAAAKRk/VUE_eDaWXz4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_123325.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even on the deteriorating highway overpass, with tiny sidewalks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm-bNBCP2k0/VNG05Oo-84I/AAAAAAAAKTE/Un9VmTgoeTU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tm-bNBCP2k0/VNG05Oo-84I/AAAAAAAAKTE/Un9VmTgoeTU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203712.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guess who the city doesn't care about!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLfV4vWZxiI/VNG07tBHymI/AAAAAAAAKTQ/RqBz187yV-4/w769-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vLfV4vWZxiI/VNG07tBHymI/AAAAAAAAKTQ/RqBz187yV-4/w769-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203755.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could not navigate this canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VyPpNnqwNaw/VNG0_JzG5pI/AAAAAAAAKTc/MQwKrw9Y-nM/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VyPpNnqwNaw/VNG0_JzG5pI/AAAAAAAAKTc/MQwKrw9Y-nM/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150203_203844.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a flake on the ground for drivers, however!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ni5NFNy569I/VNcPk8wf3FI/AAAAAAAAKUA/4_2YlSCLth0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150205_120234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ni5NFNy569I/VNcPk8wf3FI/AAAAAAAAKUA/4_2YlSCLth0/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150205_120234.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bus stop is starting to disappear beneath the mounds of snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MAiUhZYVzGE/VNcPswFoMnI/AAAAAAAAKUw/3VfYDqxvzO4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150206_121723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MAiUhZYVzGE/VNcPswFoMnI/AAAAAAAAKUw/3VfYDqxvzO4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150206_121723.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful nearly dry pavement for motorists -- slush for people walking.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwFbyNJwdxk/VNnBzYzNp-I/AAAAAAAAKVY/qz_CUWrwDxY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150209_123440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BwFbyNJwdxk/VNnBzYzNp-I/AAAAAAAAKVY/qz_CUWrwDxY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150209_123440.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cambridge Street overpass of I-90 is even less friendly in a blizzard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_veDX6-JZg/VNnB1el1aOI/AAAAAAAAKVk/CiB7gMf1VmI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150209_123443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_veDX6-JZg/VNnB1el1aOI/AAAAAAAAKVk/CiB7gMf1VmI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150209_123443.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidewalk's gone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSgQJrD3l54/VN3RO4AJvfI/AAAAAAAAKWg/lCHmsPMg1mU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150210_115934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cSgQJrD3l54/VN3RO4AJvfI/AAAAAAAAKWg/lCHmsPMg1mU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150210_115934.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All that remains of the Framingham line</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuKQE_bGefo/VN8w-yLoj8I/AAAAAAAAKXE/l-D3LeSD1e4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150213_193945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuKQE_bGefo/VN8w-yLoj8I/AAAAAAAAKXE/l-D3LeSD1e4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150213_193945.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That Kenmore Square crosswalk STILL hasn't been cleared out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/efhcGFeBLjFx3hq8EcYKc6BoH76HTTfSX-pIy4IT5pY=w1131-h1025-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/efhcGFeBLjFx3hq8EcYKc6BoH76HTTfSX-pIy4IT5pY=w1131-h1025-no" height="290" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park your car on the sidewalk and avoid shoveling snow! City says: "No violation found" either.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YeXaOIhE-S0/VOLjh2-dQEI/AAAAAAAAKaE/0Yg9cKAiHM4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150216_135425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YeXaOIhE-S0/VOLjh2-dQEI/AAAAAAAAKaE/0Yg9cKAiHM4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150216_135425.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relics of civilization pasT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFcWxM2hMiY/VOLjr0pvr9I/AAAAAAAAKa0/73vl0cgnh8o/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150216_140508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pFcWxM2hMiY/VOLjr0pvr9I/AAAAAAAAKa0/73vl0cgnh8o/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150216_140508.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ah screw it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0G__cH7U6lQ/VOONb5e6hqI/AAAAAAAAKb4/r5KvuF4SviU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0G__cH7U6lQ/VOONb5e6hqI/AAAAAAAAKb4/r5KvuF4SviU/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112714.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Green Line is canceled and now what?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUNahjqRFzs/VOONjiXpqGI/AAAAAAAAKcE/V-EuE7Q5IG4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yUNahjqRFzs/VOONjiXpqGI/AAAAAAAAKcE/V-EuE7Q5IG4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112733.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow tracks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci3GFkju-q8/VOON7qJg_FI/AAAAAAAAKco/rLCeDlp43R4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ci3GFkju-q8/VOON7qJg_FI/AAAAAAAAKco/rLCeDlp43R4/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_112924.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free (illegal) parking deemed more important than transit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0m3GIOEhAfk/VOOOwnnyf4I/AAAAAAAAKdw/gMyMn5GODuk/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_123811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0m3GIOEhAfk/VOOOwnnyf4I/AAAAAAAAKdw/gMyMn5GODuk/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_123811.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's build a mountain of snow on the tracks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zlgrKhuwMTM/VOOukRVOm5I/AAAAAAAAKfY/vl_bs-V32WI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_160959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zlgrKhuwMTM/VOOukRVOm5I/AAAAAAAAKfY/vl_bs-V32WI/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_160959.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountain is moving faster than the Green Line: faster than zero</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8bdUdg2rAM/VOQDp7BrSMI/AAAAAAAAKfs/2Xs3NQ5zFcw/w769-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_221400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8bdUdg2rAM/VOQDp7BrSMI/AAAAAAAAKfs/2Xs3NQ5zFcw/w769-h1025-no/IMG_20150217_221400.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 57 cannot handle the load even late at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fxctDBjf2eY/VOSwVBq5YAI/AAAAAAAAKgA/bHj0TC2FFiY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150218_102952.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fxctDBjf2eY/VOSwVBq5YAI/AAAAAAAAKgA/bHj0TC2FFiY/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150218_102952.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naples Rd desire line strong as ever, no matter what</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxzl_VaOImc/VOYBVgXBlYI/AAAAAAAAKhs/FhyiCgJ--vc/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150219_102812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zxzl_VaOImc/VOYBVgXBlYI/AAAAAAAAKhs/FhyiCgJ--vc/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20150219_102812.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're waiting for the shuttle bus that may never come</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-24125330751103597932015-01-20T20:11:00.002-05:002015-01-20T20:11:49.385-05:00False pretexts: motorists only pretend to care about ambulances when doing so happens to be convenient<div class="tr_bq">
Two bits of news hit recently that may seem unrelated, at first: <a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_politics/2015/01/massachusetts_lawmakers_seek_crackdown_on_highway_protests">Lawmakers seek crackdown on highway protests</a>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Rep. Colleen Garry, a Democrat from Dracut, proposed making it a felony to block highways. She told the Lowell Sun she was furious about the Thursday morning protests that blocked two sections of the heavily traveled highway through Boston, one north of the city and one south.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"I'm just outraged that people would be that reckless," Garry said. "Everyone has a right to protest, but to do that kind of thing in a highway or a roadway?" [...]</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nearly 30 protesters were arrested and arraigned on charges including trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and willfully obstructing an emergency vehicle.<br /><br />State police said an ambulance transporting a seriously injured car crash victim to a Boston hospital was forced to divert to a hospital outside the city that did not have a trauma unit. The man survived.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">State Sen. Richard Ross, a Wrentham Republican, filed legislation that would impose a minimum $5,000 fine and allow a jail sentence of up to six months for willfully trespassing on state highways. Current law allows for a maximum $50 fine and a jail term of no more than three months.</span></blockquote>
And the same week, <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/01/17/state-propose-opening-south-boston-bypass-road-all-drivers-pilot/O78MXZvaJQTE1nwdJy5rhP/story.html">State to propose opening S. Boston Bypass Road to all drivers</a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">State transportation officials will file a notice in February with Massachusetts environmental regulators to allow cars coming into South Boston to use the Bypass Road, which is currently restricted to trucks and other commercial vehicles. The pilot program would last six months and could begin as soon as March. [...]</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The 1.1-mile road was built to accommodate trucks during the construction of the Central Artery, and when the tunnels were done, the road remained restricted. But as traffic becomes heavier in the fast-growing Seaport District, there has been pressure to open up the road to everyone. [...]</span></blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As part of its filing, the state will also propose letting all drivers use the high-occupancy vehicle lanes outside of South Station and the South End.</span></blockquote>
These two pieces of news are, in fact, related: because together they illustrate the hypocrisy and insincerity of our Commonwealth's transportation policy with regard to emergency vehicles. If our elected officials truly cared about emergency vehicle response time -- which they should -- then they would put a quick end to this proposal that will destroy the efficacy of both the South Boston Bypass Road as well as the HOV lanes outside of the South End. If not, then it is quite clear that these politicians, Rick Ross and Colleen Garry, are merely posturing and mouthing platitudes, all while silently sticking it to emergency responders. By far the most common obstacle for emergency vehicles on our roads is not protesters: on a daily basis, emergency vehicles are obstructed by other motorists and the traffic jams created by motor vehicles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialggmpeT736i4Fe1rWA-aiykR2u3IyZ1Lh_AEYEIWLKfh38w9O5YpUOi2EgQ5cSwW5EmC-WOT3jWyOVPbLzw7bvm99Mz0b_X0nBudaDlitVSwhHk9O0bQrgHrHGn7Cj7J5DeDqqe91lhx/s1600/er_comm_ave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialggmpeT736i4Fe1rWA-aiykR2u3IyZ1Lh_AEYEIWLKfh38w9O5YpUOi2EgQ5cSwW5EmC-WOT3jWyOVPbLzw7bvm99Mz0b_X0nBudaDlitVSwhHk9O0bQrgHrHGn7Cj7J5DeDqqe91lhx/s1600/er_comm_ave.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
First, a little background: it is quite common for ordinary motorists to believe that the exact same facilities that enable their own travel at high speeds are also beneficial to emergency vehicles. A related objection to certain traffic-calming measures is that they will slow emergency response. However, in reality, the truth is <a href="http://lgc.org/wordpress/docs/freepub/community_design/fact_sheets/er_traffic_calming.pdf">much more complex</a> and requires context-specific analysis. More car capacity might help emergency vehicle response time, under some circumstances. In other scenarios, additional car capacity might harm emergency vehicle response time. An additional, open, free-flowing lane can help emergency vehicles -- but if that same lane jams up with private automobiles then that lane just becomes an obstacle: an overall detriment to response times. In that scenario, removal of a jammed travel lane -- a reduction in car capacity -- can give emergency vehicles the maneuvering room they need in order to avoid the obstacle created by other motorists.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bu.edu/today/files/2012/01/t1_12-4596-BUBRIDGE-038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bu.edu/today/files/2012/01/t1_12-4596-BUBRIDGE-038.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BU Bridge under renovation (<a href="http://www.bu.edu/today/2012/bu-bridge-project-nearly-finished/">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The BU Bridge renovation project gives a prime example of how removal of a lane can help emergency vehicles. The engineers behind this project understood that the prior existing condition of having four substandard travel lanes (with no shoulders) was unsafe and liable to create immovable jams at a crucial choke-point for emergency vehicles traveling between Boston and Cambridge. Therefore, they chose to eliminate a lane and reallocated its space into a pair of 5-foot shoulders on either side of the motorway. These shoulders are not intended for motor vehicle travel but they do provide a space for other vehicles to pull over while yielding to an emergency vehicle. In addition, they provide breakdown space to help recover from crashes or other incidents. They also serve as a continuation of the bike lanes coming from Boston. All-in-all, a fairly solid engineering compromise, considering that the intersections on both sides of the river need substantial renovation and rethinking.<br />
<br />
But none of those safety issues were important to motorists such as Stanley Spiegel, who was <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/02/10/bu_bridge_plans_could_spur_road_rage/">quoted in the Boston Globe</a>, in February of 2009, making this threat:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">"There's going to be road rage," predicted Stanley Spiegel, who lives across the bridge in Brookline. "If you're going to spend public money to go for an improvement, you don't predictably make things worse.</span></blockquote>
This kind of attitude shows zero concern for the safety of anyone else, but it is sadly all too common among entitled motorists of Mr. Spiegel's ilk. Whenever safety or emergency response goals conflict with increased car capacity, we can see quite clearly where motorists like him stand. Thankfully, in the case of the BU Bridge thus far, MassDOT has not capitulated to the bullies who would remove the shoulder space and turn it back into a fourth congested travel lane.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxCGhoExY6Z2fE2ADsZb4cNqkq3E8WRagjPXQCgrREVBZ_JGZYPf2FM5P_iEduFT6810DWesE3FxiZs1rZmOXc4L4XMu-qtS728T3YwQST7tuGUgpatMxiuAEBhdaM5hf2l4K7ZwIOQNB/s1600/south+boston+bypass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxCGhoExY6Z2fE2ADsZb4cNqkq3E8WRagjPXQCgrREVBZ_JGZYPf2FM5P_iEduFT6810DWesE3FxiZs1rZmOXc4L4XMu-qtS728T3YwQST7tuGUgpatMxiuAEBhdaM5hf2l4K7ZwIOQNB/s1600/south+boston+bypass.jpg" height="187" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The South Boston Bypass Road (<a href="https://www.google.com/maps/@42.339783,-71.056059,3a,75y,227.76h,76.75t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sLP9j-fiZSxBdzFFLLzQGhQ!2e0!6m1!1e1">source</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The South Boston Bypass Road was assembled out of a narrow right-of-way for the purpose of helping the industries along the waterfront thrive during the Big Dig. It also keeps a bunch of heavy trucks off of the regular city streets, and it provides a clear lane of travel for emergency vehicles operating between the South Boston Waterfront and South Bay. As you can see from this picture, the shoulders are fairly small: they seem to vary from 2-4 feet. It's not a road designed for high volumes of traveling vehicles. As a result, heavy traffic induced on this road could result in jam-ups that would be impassable for emergency vehicles.<br />
<br />
For a number of years, pundits such as <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/08/22/quick-way-bypass-southie-traffic-problem/OcxACJ8TNc8Q3kbxNPGdGI/story.html">Shirley Leung</a> have been campaigning to allow private cars on it. She has quoted old-school 'highwaymen', such as Frank DePaola (who coincidentally is the interim Secretary of Transportation right now), with statements like this: "<i>If you have traffic, and you want to relieve it, you have to find road capacity.</i>" As a result of this kind of short-sighted thinking, the South Boston Bypass Road will be jammed up with private cars and will not be able to serve its former purposes any longer. And it goes to show, that when the political push comes to shove, concerns about emergency vehicles suddenly disappear, in favor of a temporary band-aid covering up much deeper, systemic problems with South Boston transportation.<br />
<br />
HOV lanes are also a popular target of attack by privileged motorists. It's so common that it's even got a name: the "<a href="http://capntransit.blogspot.com/2011/10/tappan-zee-bridge-and-empty-lanes.html">Empty Lanes Attack</a>", so called because drivers will often claim that the HOV lanes are "mostly empty" or not being used, and therefore should be given over to single-occupancy vehicles. What they (intentionally) fail to realize is that the relative emptiness is what gives the HOV lane its value: it is passable. If it were congested, then it would not be useful. Too bad, then, that even our Boston MPO <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/03/boston-mpo-memo-fails-to-understand.html">doesn't seem to understand</a> that most basic of concepts. And because such lanes are designed not to be congested, they are also useful for emergency vehicles that need to bypass major traffic congestion. Thus, the proposal to 'open' the HOV lanes outside of South Station to general traffic will result in degradation of emergency response times.<br />
<br />
Where is the outrage? Why, of course there is none: because motorists only pretend to care about ambulances when doing so happens to be convenient. The "Empty Lanes Attack" trumps their false concern about emergency vehicles: the allure of additional single-occupancy vehicle road capacity takes precedence over safety principles.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7389934458_ba5792814c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7389934458_ba5792814c.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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If officials really cared about emergency response times, then I-93 would have full-width shoulders and/or HOV facilities/zipper lanes extended all the way from end-to-end: taking existing lane space where necessary. It's the only responsible way. But, in fact, the current configuration of the highway that excludes such safety features from much of its length, especially where most constrained. This shows where the true priorities lie: always pushing for 8 lanes of general travel no matter what the consequences are to emergency vehicles or highway safety. Convenience for drivers of single-occupancy vehicles is more important than safety, to our decision-makers.<br />
<br />
The fact is that it's easy for officials to claim that they care about emergency vehicle response times when doing so also means more capacity for drivers. But real courage would be shown by officials who show that they care about emergency response even when it's not politically convenient to do so. That means support for restricted lanes such as HOV or bus lanes. That means supporting safety features within the existing right-of-way of roads, without requiring costly expansion. And that means not playing these insincere political games in which 'concern' for safety only arises when it is useful for pursuing another agenda; when that same 'concern' suddenly vanishes the moment it is no longer useful.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-66408720053490115872015-01-11T17:32:00.002-05:002015-01-11T17:32:34.657-05:00Taking a look at Green Line average speeds by hour of the day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcekJ00HVT4/U40zkrsqcvI/AAAAAAAAEWA/LEIyNQXe42M/w737-h982-no/IMG_20140602_170504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcekJ00HVT4/U40zkrsqcvI/AAAAAAAAEWA/LEIyNQXe42M/w737-h982-no/IMG_20140602_170504.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs can make boarding<br />
be unnecessarily difficult<br />
for some people.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With the real-time data available for the surface Green Line since mid-October, I thought I'd try some analysis with my gathered database. One thing we can look at is average speed of travel. Although the trains can ostensibly move at up to 25 mph in their dedicated lanes, or even faster off-street, they tend to spend a lot of time waiting at signaled intersections and station stops. In fact, the more passengers that are trying to use the system, the slower trains tend to go: <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/10/unbunching-bus-part-1.html">overcrowding results in long dwell times</a> as it becomes harder and harder for people to squeeze on and off the train. This effect is made worse whenever the MBTA forces everyone to use <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/08/alternatives-to-front-door-only-policy.html">only the front door</a> for boarding and alighting the train. The front door is small, and it has stairs, which makes the process take much longer as everyone has to slowly file in and out of the tiny opening.<br />
<br />
The net result is that the Green Line can sometimes feel like it is traveling more slowly than if you walked. Well, perhaps that is hyperbole. However, it is possible to <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/07/25/runner-beat-green-line-train-in-race/">outrun a Green Line train</a> on the "B" branch. A typical human runner, with some training, can sustain about 8-9 miles per hour. So we should expect to see average "B" branch speeds in a similar range.<br />
<br />
The first thing we can do is consult the schedule by using a convenient mapping website to plot a trip from Boston College to Blandford Street at 8 o'clock in the morning. We find that the MBTA expects a "B" train to take about 27 minutes to cover the approximately 4 mile distance. That's about 8.9 miles per hour. Does that match up with the findings from the real-time data?<br />
<br />
The following zoomable line chart is derived by calculating average speeds for the surface "B" branch during each hour of the day from 5 a.m. through 11 p.m., and breaking it down by week. So, for example, we can see that on the week of November 3rd, average speed at 8 a.m. was about 6.79 MPH and at 5 p.m. (hour 17) the average speed dropped to 6.61 MPH. That corresponds to an approximately 36 minute trip between Boston College and Blandford Street. Note that this chart does not distinguish one direction from another, so it is quite possible that the peak direction is much slower and the off-peak direction moves more quickly.<br />
<br />
<center>
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Plot of "B" branch average speed in MPH for the hours of the day from 5 am until 11 pm, looking at each week in November and December separately.
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The weeks with the most rapid travel appear to be the final two weeks of December. This is not surprising. Much of the passenger load on the "B" branch comes from the universities, and those are on break during that time. Slightly surprising is the distant third-place finish for the week of Thanksgiving. Although the performance is better than the "normal" weeks, it is still rather low for a week when most students are traveling.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7VLfkMeZmkA1jFJ53XLjbT_gebFlJUBKsHO2aixrdmak2BaBTh7KrR-gynkx6R8OxOfb9ivyVxkuhkHoo7kgRAXbnC2N9D9FJyEciKiumxB0GgzJkHTUxvnRqUJETELa8iokFzk5jFmZ/s320/offpeakgreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7VLfkMeZmkA1jFJ53XLjbT_gebFlJUBKsHO2aixrdmak2BaBTh7KrR-gynkx6R8OxOfb9ivyVxkuhkHoo7kgRAXbnC2N9D9FJyEciKiumxB0GgzJkHTUxvnRqUJETELa8iokFzk5jFmZ/s320/offpeakgreen.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "B" branch gets busy during the <br />
off-peak hours as well.</td></tr>
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In any case, the shape of the chart overall is telling. The two major valleys correspond to the traditional rush hours, when crowding on the Green Line grows extreme and dwell times increase accordingly. The most snappy performance is found either in the very early morning, or later in the evening. There seems to be a slight bump around 9 p.m. that might correspond to the late dinner and nightlife rush.<br />
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The difference between an average speed of 6.61 MPH and 10 MPH doesn't seem like much, but it is actually quite a bit: that's a difference of 12 minutes in end-to-end trip times. If the Green Line can manage an average speed of merely 10 MPH on a consistent basis, then a typical passenger can realize a savings of up to 12 minutes on their commute each way. That's pretty significant. Especially if you are able to increase reliability and cut out the variances that can sometimes lead to 15, 20 or more minute delays.<br />
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That's why I find prosaic improvements such as <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-need-for-station-consolidation-on.html">proper station spacing</a>, <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/02/transit-signal-priority.html">transit signal priority</a>, and <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/09/vision-for-green-line-moving-forward.html">all-door boardin</a>g to be vital. They don't have the same <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/01/05/federal-officials-formally-announce-pledge-fund-green-line-extension/EWdIUXAdDxLiZ8Nz5pLzDL/story.html">flashy pizzazz</a> as building a new section of subway. But they can achieve much of the same benefit at a fraction of the cost.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-28867296329755433262014-12-17T22:36:00.000-05:002014-12-17T23:34:37.273-05:00Stupid idea of the month: pretending to solve pedestrian signal timing issues using Pong<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pong-og1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/pong-og1.jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Game lets you play Pong with a person on other side of the crosswalk (<a href="http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/12/traffic-light-that-lets-you-play-pong-with-person-on-the-other-side-officially-installed-in-germany/">source</a>)</td></tr>
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ThisIsColossal reports on "<a href="http://urban-invention.com/#actiwait">ActiWait</a>", which is a video game with controllers on either side of a crosswalk, allowing two waiting pedestrians to play a game of Pong.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The ActiWait is a new generation of traffic light buttons. Installed at a pedestrian traffic light with long red phases, it offers pedestrians the possibility to convert boring waiting times into positive experiences. Through a touch screen which is installed in the upper shell of the button, people can interact with each other across the street.</span></blockquote>
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As a public art project, it's neat. Especially while it retains novelty value. But as a "solution" to long red phases, it's incredibly stupid and condescending. Let's get this straight: is it okay to subject pedestrians to needlessly long wait times at traffic signals, so long as you give them a 1970s video game to play? Absurd. What's the message being sent here? As near as I can tell, the message is: "You walked? Well then, your time is worth less than that of a driver. Here, play a game, instead of getting where you're trying to go."</div>
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The solution to long waiting times is not games... the solution is <i>shorter waiting times</i>. Engineers should respect the fact that pedestrians are people too and they don't appreciate being forced to wait excessively long times simply for the convenience of motor vehicle drivers. This is not a difficult topic, and it demands no techno-wiz solution. The answer is simple: shorten traffic signal cycle times to reduce average waiting times. And don't require the use of "<a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2011/09/in-defense-of-dumb-traffic-lights.html">beg buttons</a>" to cross the street. Pedestrians should be given at least as much respect as drivers. If you don't make drivers press buttons or play games at traffic lights, then you shouldn't force pedestrians do that either.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa4VSk-i605iDIpX6unH0V-Yok2Kc1PRmQ6HlZPQ-3RYf8fmYVC-D6Q6hYHoxqvQq1zgoOLMtv1IXMfG9bdaZSh5l8aLPpI7Z3Qg-SHMvO1fmTvOWMDWyfySR4Ia5UFnCdNgzYxVUgGtT/s1600/keep+cycle+lengths+short.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTa4VSk-i605iDIpX6unH0V-Yok2Kc1PRmQ6HlZPQ-3RYf8fmYVC-D6Q6hYHoxqvQq1zgoOLMtv1IXMfG9bdaZSh5l8aLPpI7Z3Qg-SHMvO1fmTvOWMDWyfySR4Ia5UFnCdNgzYxVUgGtT/s1600/keep+cycle+lengths+short.png" height="295" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slides from Ricardo Olea, SF MTA (<a href="http://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/OleaRicardo_DesigningCitiesPHX.pdf">source</a>)</td></tr>
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San Francisco is known for its pedestrian-friendly signal timing. As you can see, engineers at SF MTA understand that overall cycle length is very important to the pedestrian experience.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuusaf6pGm7AE5K0B2epQEgnqhydh97cXq8pkScx8wWasdW33sHodUttbw8QJQG6vFxLA8xdDw-PkQrhbdqsbD6db7D3N2ntYbihjJ9E42vamm5sC6y5cPUVwLXKTKpsZ7CdQfxFAUr6Q/s1600/cycle+lengths+and+pedestrian+delay.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuusaf6pGm7AE5K0B2epQEgnqhydh97cXq8pkScx8wWasdW33sHodUttbw8QJQG6vFxLA8xdDw-PkQrhbdqsbD6db7D3N2ntYbihjJ9E42vamm5sC6y5cPUVwLXKTKpsZ7CdQfxFAUr6Q/s1600/cycle+lengths+and+pedestrian+delay.png" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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Doubling the cycle length causes the average delay for pedestrians to more than double. In San Francisco, a 60 second cycle length is fairly standard. Unfortunately, in Boston, most signal cycle lengths are between 90 and 120 seconds. Sometimes they vary depending upon time of day -- usually lengthening during rush hour. 110 seconds is a fairly common cycle length, in my experience. All of this is firmly in the "red" according to SF MTA, leading to unhappy pedestrians. Well, actually what happens is that Bostonians quickly learn to ignore the signals because the timing is quite obviously terrible.</div>
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ActiWait is from Germany so hopefully they will stay over there. Or perhaps they can invent a game that convinces traffic engineers to treat pedestrians better. Here's an idea: perhaps a little device that can be installed in their cars. At every single signaled intersection, it forces them to stop, push a button, and wait 50 seconds on average for a green light. The fun part is that if you push the button at the wrong time during the cycle, you may have to wait an extra cycle to go around before you get a chance to proceed. That's how signals in Boston are programmed. All the fun of a slot machine, and none of the reward!</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-49641742356172153492014-12-13T20:06:00.001-05:002014-12-13T20:06:29.725-05:00The SPOT app undermines the Clean Air Act, and therefore our air quality, in Boston<div dir="ltr">
I <a href="http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/12/11/boston-parking-solutions-spot-app-launches-with-1-million-funding/">recently read</a> about the "<a href="http://www.parkeasier.com/">SPOT app</a>" that allows people to easily rent out an empty parking spot that they own and are not using. Sounds reasonable enough. I'm a fan of making more efficient use of physical resources. It's the opposite of "minimum parking quotas" that force everyone to <a href="http://grist.org/cities/parking-rules-raise-your-rent/">waste huge amounts of land and money</a>, and yet still fail to meet parking demands.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wp.streetwise.co/wp-content/uploads//2014/12/IMG_1142.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://wp.streetwise.co/wp-content/uploads//2014/12/IMG_1142.png" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"SPOT app" (source: <a href="http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2014/12/11/boston-parking-solutions-spot-app-launches-with-1-million-funding/">BostInno</a>)</td></tr>
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But, when I took a look at the map included with the article, it occurred to me that there is something not quite right about this. The app allows you to rent spaces in the Back Bay and downtown Boston. It transforms so-called "accessory spaces" that are attached to particular uses (such as residences) and allows them to be used instead as "commercial spaces" that are available to anyone, for a price.</div>
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So what's the big deal?</div>
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Well, back in the 1970s, the city of Boston was facing an air pollution problem caused by the creation of all those urban highways that tore through the city, bringing hundreds of thousands of cars spewing exhaust fumes into the air. In order to satisfy provisions of the Clean Air Act, the city of Boston agreed to cap the number of "commercial spaces" that would be available at any one time. It's called the "<a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/airpollution/parkingfreezes.asp">parking freeze</a>" and it's intended to help preserve our air quality. The downtown Boston parking freeze cap is currently set at <a href="http://www.cityofboston.gov/environment/AirPollution/downtown.asp">35,556 spaces</a>, and there is no capacity for new spaces at the moment. Yet, the SPOT app is effectively creating new commercial spaces that have not been subject to the parking freeze regulations. That means more cars, more air pollution, and more congestion.</div>
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I think it would be appropriate if the company that created the SPOT app were to be proactive about dealing with this air pollution problem. Perhaps they should disable the use of the app within the parking freeze zone until they figure out a way to mitigate the air pollution caused by the additional cars they may be attracting into downtown Boston. Perhaps it should only be available for electric vehicles within that zone. Or perhaps they need an allocation from the freeze "bank" in order to offer spaces in that zone. I don't know what the best solution is. But I do know that it is something that should be addressed. </div>
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I'm also a little disappointed that City Councilor Frank Baker did not consider the implications for the parking freeze, the Clean Air Act, and our air quality, before providing an endorsement of the app.</div>
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One thing I did find really interesting is that the company behind this app has been collecting price information about short-term parking in various parts of Boston. This <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/12/11/spot-parking-app-launches-in-boston/">article has a breakdown</a>. Average prices range from $1.75/hour in Allston/Brighton up to $3.75/hour in Back Bay. What's remarkable about these averages is that (a) they're higher than the city-wide set meter price of $1.25/hour, and (b) they're really not that expensive, and quite reasonable when <a href="http://theexpiredmeter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/SFPark-Parking-Meter-Study.pdf">compared</a> with typical meter prices in other American cities. Even the Back Bay's average market-driven price of $3.75/hour is less than meter prices in busy parts of Vancouver, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Does it really make sense for places like the Back Bay and the South End to have city meter rates that are comparable to Boulder, CO or Rochester, NY (both $1.25/hour)? Hopefully, this inspires the city to give another look at using smart parking reform to address parking issues, instead of hurting the residents of the city with onerous minimum parking quotas. Those quotas are especially harsh on people who don't even own automobiles and yet are still forced to pay the cost to park other people's cars.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-58627467097674882622014-12-01T23:21:00.000-05:002014-12-01T23:25:29.802-05:00Thoughts on Question 1 and transportation funding in generalIt's been a few weeks since the November elections, so I'm chiming in a bit late, but there's no real hurry. There weren't really any surprises with the state-wide office elections, and I don't know how that will all shake out in the new year when the new officials take office. But the success of Question 1 was a bit of a surprise to me. Part of that is the almost complete unreliability of polling on such questions. But also because Question 1 was so obviously a "Tea Party temper tantrum" that I figured Massachusetts voters would see through it.<br />
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In the past year, the legislature had finally taken some <a href="http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-gas-tax-ballot-measure.html">responsibility for transportation funding</a> -- after twenty years of denial. They raised the gasoline excise tax by 3 cents, not enough to make up for the value lost through inflation, but something. And more importantly, they arranged an "indexing mechanism" that would ensure that we would not suffer through another twenty year period of fiscal farce. The "indexing mechanism" would keep the value of the excise tax steady over the years, ensuring that the regular effect of inflation would not become a source of de facto tax cuts.<br />
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Question 1 repealed the "indexing mechanism", thereby spurning the fiscally responsible step taken by the state legislature. Therefore, the gasoline tax will, in effect, receive an automatic tax cut every year going forward, again. Voters here have rejected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Sales_Tax_Relief_Act">irresponsible tax cuts</a> in the past, so it's a bit of a head-scratcher, but hopefully not a trend-setter. In any case, if you are ever in conversation with a voter who claims to be "fiscally responsible" ask them if they voted for Question 1: if so, you can safely call them a hypocrite.<br />
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So what happens now? Well, the legislature is going to have to scramble a bit to find funding for some things. There are still plenty of failing bridges, potholes aren't going away, the T has 45-year-old subway cars that can't go without replacement, and buses have to be replaced on a regular schedule. It appears that the latter two are <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/11/09/somerville-top-bike-commuting-city-northeast-according-survey/dASuLwNlwMTpkAVZjmPc9O/story.html">not in danger</a>, and neither is the important Green Line Extension project through Somerville. But funding for everything else is questionable. That includes part of the cost of the <a href="http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/highway/HighlightedProjects/AllstonI90InterchangeImprovementProject.aspx"><span id="goog_1833078543"></span>Allston Interchange project<span id="goog_1833078544"></span></a> that will replace the failing riverfront viaduct of the Mass Pike and reshape the area, fixing many of the problems that the existing highway afflicts on the neighborhood. There's the <a href="http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/WesternAvenueRiverStreetBridges.aspx">River Street and Western Ave bridges</a>, which are crumbling. And several hundred other overpass and bridge repair or replacement projects that I could scarcely begin to enumerate. Roads ain't free, despite the feverishly held beliefs of the mostly suburban, mostly automobile-dependent voters who forced Question 1 on us.<br />
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Meanwhile, MBTA bus and train fares are virtually guaranteed to <a href="http://www.wbur.org/2014/03/25/mbta-fare-hike-proposal">go up by about 5% every two years</a>. Somehow, once again, public transit riders have been left holding the short straw, while drivers continue to reap steadily increasing subsidies in the form of inflation-driven gas tax cuts. Funny how that always seems to happen.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/11/10/gas-tax-repeal-blessing-disguise/6bx4ufo21RhXRdpXAXFkSK/story.html">Paul McMorrow</a> has suggested that we should adopt the idea of regionally-based taxes to pay for transportation projects. Ballot questions enacting regional sales or payroll taxes are popular in many western states. But it's not constitutional in Massachusetts, so this would require some fancy footwork or a change. And there's a bigger problem: we will end up with a system where transit projects are funded via additional regional taxes, while highway builders get to keep helping themselves from the general fund. Not a good dynamic. If Boston is forced to tax itself just to keep the MBTA running, then why should Boston subsidize highways in central and western Massachusetts? Either all transportation projects should be considered regionally, or none at all -- because we're all in this together.<br />
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For a few ideas to consider, check out the <a href="http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413286-reforming-state-gas-tax.pdf">report</a> last month from the Urban Institute about how the various states are handling the gas tax. Some have indexed the price in various ways to the going wholesale price of gasoline, which is one way to simulate a percentage-based tax like sales taxes. Oregon and Virginia are piloting a major reform that replaces gas taxes with vehicle-miles-traveled taxes. This is thought to better represent the cost to society of operating a vehicle on the public ways. The Federal government has also floated the idea of allowing <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/white-house-opens-door-to-tolls-on-interstate-highways-removing-long-standing-prohibition/2014/04/29/5d2b9f30-cfac-11e3-b812-0c92213941f4_story.html">tolling to be used on interstate highways</a> (where it was not grandfathered). Tolling would be a fair way to obtain funding for highways, the counterpart of paying a fare to ride a train or bus. Used properly, it would also have the benefit of actually reducing congestion: with automated electronic tolling it's hassle-free, and part of the proceeds can be used to fund really good public transportation for people who don't or can't drive.<br />
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Here's a reform package I've been thinking about:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Apply sales tax to gasoline. Right now, gas is exempt from the sales tax, which is a hugely <a href="http://transportationist.org/2014/11/12/highways-hidden-subsidy/">regressive subsidy</a> to drivers at the expense of lower-income families. If we were to instead apply the sales tax to gasoline, then the overall rate could be lowered, so that other goods and products that everyone buys would not be subsidizing gasoline (at least, not as much). This could be designed in such a way that any increase in cost for gasoline would be made up for by decreased cost in everything else.</li>
<li>Change the purpose of the gasoline excise tax: instead of funding transportation, an excise tax on gasoline should fund clean-up of the pollution caused by gasoline usage, and also public health efforts to mitigate the damage to human health caused by gasoline usage. The rate of the gas tax would be set at the level needed to achieve these public health goals, which include the <a href="https://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Portals/0/docs/GreenDOT/DirectiveHealthyTransportation.pdf">Healthy Transportation Directive</a> and the Mode Shift Goal.</li>
<li>Other excise taxes should go into the general fund.</li>
<li>Transportation should be funded out of the general fund based on the merits and cost-effectiveness of each project in question. Such projects should have to compete with other worthy projects in other departments, such as schools, housing assistance, health care, and yes, even tax cuts.</li>
<li>Ridiculously bad boondoggles such as <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-not-so-great-train-robbery-south.html">South Coast Rail</a>, which is expected to cost the state over $500,000 per projected rider, should be discarded until somebody finds a way to get the costs under control.</li>
<li>All congested highways should be outfitted with <a href="http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm35.htm">variable, automated, electronic tolling</a>. The tolls would vary from free (when there is little demand) up to whatever amount is required to clear out congestion at that time of day. The precise formula would have to be carefully designed in order to avoid surprising people. The revenue from the tolls can be used in several ways, and there is a reasonable argument that some of it should be used to ease the regressive effect of the tolls. Part can go to boosting public transportation capacity and frequency along the corridor, making it a real, serious option for many more people. This has the nice side effect of bringing the benefit of the transportation infrastructure to the many people who cannot drive, for whatever reason. Another part can go towards income tax relief for the low-income users of the highway who still need to drive. The rest should go into the general fund.</li>
<li>End all parking subsidies. That includes the minimum parking quotas found poisoning most zoning codes. The authority to impose such quotas, which are an intrusion on private property rights, comes from enabling legislation in the General laws, so it should be possible to retract that authority at the state level. Minimum parking quotas <a href="http://daily.sightline.org/2013/07/25/wide-open-spaces/">waste land</a>, <a href="http://www.uctc.net/access/39/access39_parking.pdf">destroy healthy environments</a>, <a href="http://grist.org/cities/parking-rules-raise-your-rent/">raise housing prices</a>, and, in general, these kinds of subsidies help cause <a href="http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/11/18/the-parking-tax-benefit-a-7-3-billion-subsidy-for-traffic-congestion/">traffic congestion</a>. It's hard to imagine a more self-destructive set of regulations.</li>
</ul>
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Does this package have a chance of ever passing? I doubt it. There's too much powerful, vested interest in the status quo. As we saw with Question 1, people don't like it when you end their subsidies, even if they are really harmful, self-destructive subsidies that cost the rest of us dearly.</div>
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I'd be interested to hear other people's ideas about transportation funding reform.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-9477806143416128832014-11-02T16:50:00.000-05:002014-11-02T16:50:27.129-05:00Induced demand is a real problem and it makes congestion relief nearly impossible<div dir="ltr">
For some reason, contrarian articles on "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induced_demand">induced demand</a>" seem to be the <a href="https://letsgola.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/what-does-induced-demand-really-mean/">topic</a> du <a href="http://transportationist.org/2014/10/31/on-induced-demand/">jour</a>. While they are right to point out that induced demand is a more subtle and nuanced concept than the way it is sometimes popularly handled, both articles seem to err too far in the other direction. Induced demand is a real problem, even if some people sometimes <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/23/local/la-me-rail-anniversary-20100723">misuse it</a> when making arguments.</div>
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<h4>
Reliability, frequency, and speed</h4>
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I want to take a quick detour to talk about goals in transportation investment. People tend to make decisions about transportation based on many factors, which I will boil down into three: reliability, frequency, and speed. Reliability encompasses factors such as predictability of trip time, probability of vehicle breakdown, and in general, the ability to make a confident statement about your location at a future time. Frequency is a metric of opportunity: the number of chances that will you have to undertake your trip in the window of time that you have available. And speed is the cost of the trip in time. To be sure, there is some crossover: frequency affects average speed and predictability, for instance. But let's roll with this for now.</div>
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There are two major categories: scheduled transportation and unscheduled transportation. Scheduled transportation is largely mass transit, whether public or private. Unscheduled transportation includes modes such as walking, biking and most driving. Frequency is obviously a huge deal for transit; there is also a frequency limitation on unscheduled transportation caused by things like traffic signals, but it is usually small enough to go without notice.</div>
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For many people, reliability is the most important characteristic. Walking and biking tend to have the most reliability because they are the least complex modes. Transit with a dedicated right-of-way is also supposed to be highly reliable: a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Railways_Group">properly run</a> railroad should operate like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Switzerland">clockwork</a> (the MBTA on the <a href="http://www.universalhub.com/mbta">other hand...</a>). Modes such as driving are very susceptible to being caught in unpredictable and chaotic traffic congestion because they are highly inefficient in terms of space. Cars are also complex pieces of machinery that can easily break down. And mixed-traffic transit gets the worst of it because it has to contend with traffic congestion as well as <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/10/unbunching-bus-part-1.html">passenger loading</a>.</div>
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Speed should be broken down into average and top speed. Walking is obviously the slowest in average and top speed. Biking does not have high top speed (for most people) but can often maintain decent average speed comparable to a local city bus or a slow train. Transit can vary depending upon quality of right-of-way and maintenance. Driving is usually the mode with highest top speed but in typical traffic conditions can have significantly slower average speeds; possibly even slower than transit or biking.</div>
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The speed and reliability of walking is almost always independent of the number of people walking, except in the extreme cases (important as they are). Biking is also mostly able to enjoy that same feature. Transit in a dedicated right-of-way has the capability of operating reliably independent of the number of people attempting to ride it -- up to a point. Once the number of people reaches a certain "crush" capacity then dwell times can be impacted if the operator takes no further action. Finally, driving and mixed-traffic transit are most clearly the modes that are bothered the most by other vehicles on the road. As a driver, or as a mixed-traffic transit rider, the reliability and speed of your trip is highly dependent upon the decisions made by thousands of other people.</div>
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Perception and reality don't always match. For example, many people perceive to be in "more control" when driving. But in fact, they're highly dependent on the behavior of other people. Another: many transit riders don't perceive slowness because they are absorbed in some other activity such as reading or working; whereas drivers traveling at the same average speed might be seething and pounding the steering wheel in frustration. And of course: "<a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/03/there-is-very-strong-element-of.html">There is a very strong element of psychology behind traffic patterns.</a>"</div>
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So, when considering a transportation investment, there are multiple ways to increase capacity. But they do not all have the same effect, even when viewed in such an abstract fashion.</div>
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<h4>
Induced demand</h4>
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Halloween just passed, so let's talk about candy. Prior to Halloween, there is a high, and one might say inelastic, demand for candy. Many people want to buy candy for Halloween, almost no matter what. This usually shows up in stores as an increase in both supply and prices. Luckily for kids (and the young at heart), supply of candy is relatively easy to increase.</div>
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Post-Halloween, the demand drops off. People remember why they don't binge on candy, or let their kids do so, all year. Excess supply is sold off as prices drop in response to the lower, much more elastic, demand. Then the market returns to normal, at least, until the next spike in demand.</div>
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Normally, I don't eat much candy. I try to avoid too much sugar for health and personal reasons. And I don't want to spend money on something like that. I could easily go for weeks and months without having a piece of candy. But if you put a bowl of chocolates in front of me, I'll probably take one sooner or later. The low price and ready supply has literally induced my demand. But not every type of candy will have this effect. I'm mostly not a fan of hard candy and will probably just ignore it. And perhaps I've generated economic activity by consuming a piece of chocolate, but I may also be ruining my diet and harming my health.</div>
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You probably guessed where I'm going with this. One major difference between candy and transportation is that the supply of the latter is much, much harder to increase. With transportation, very large, very expensive fixed investments are usually expected to accommodate all fluctuations in demand over time. Furthermore, in the United States, people generally do not expect the nominal monetary cost of everyday transportation to vary based on supply and demand, even though prices regularly change for commodities such as candy, food and other items. Instead, the cost fluctuation of everyday transportation is usually expressed as traffic congestion or overcrowding.</div>
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When a transportation investment is made, it can both increase the supply and possibly lower the overall cost of travel (either perceived or real) in that corridor. And the way that travel patterns change is hard to predict, despite many efforts.</div>
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Former Bostonian, and now Los Angeles transportation blogger VamonosLA <a href="https://letsgola.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/what-does-induced-demand-really-mean/">writes</a>:</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In a large city, there’s almost always going to be trips that people want to make but don’t because of large travel times. This is especially true in large US cities, where we underprice road capacity to the point that new lanes are almost always quickly filled. We misinterpret the construction of the new lane as having caused the demand, but it was there all along.</span></blockquote>
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This is true but is only part of the story. To be sure, some trips generated do represent increased economic activity. Other trips might represent less efficient usage of the now-cheaper resource. For example, you might make multiple trips where one would have sufficed in the past. Or, it might be due to drivers who were enticed into giving up existing car-pools, or who ditched transit. They might even have switched from walking or biking in cases where the distances were feasible (perhaps not in LA).</div>
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For a rather stark example, suppose you live in a neighborhood with sidewalks and you are able to walk for many trips. Suddenly, the DOT decides to "improve transportation" by taking away your sidewalks and replacing them with additional car travel lanes. Most people would then choose to stop walking and start driving everywhere. Nowadays it seems unimaginable that such a thing would happen, but it has in the past, and continues to a lesser extreme: oftentimes it is not that sidewalks are removed entirely, but rather, walking is made more unpleasant for the benefit of motor vehicle traffic.</div>
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An unknown contributor to the Transportationist named JW <a href="http://transportationist.org/2014/10/31/on-induced-demand/">writes</a>:</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I hate the term “Induced Demand”. I hate the idea that induced demand is something bad; something to be avoided.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">[...] From the individual’s point of view, access provides opportunities to more jobs, more entertainment and social options, and more alternatives for consumption of goods and services. From a business’ point of view, access provides a larger pool of labor and more raw materials. From a retailer’s point of view, access provides a larger pool of consumers. From a municipal government’s point of view, access allows more efficient provision of police protection, fire protection and ambulance service by reducing the number of facilities necessary for a given response time.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[...] Transportation improvements that provide greater access per unit of time lower transaction costs. Lower transaction cost lead to great efficiency in the economy and a higher standard of living.</span></blockquote>
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Although JW is careful to couch it in terms of access, which is a good thing, this otherwise sounds like an argument that could be lifted straight out of a 1950s highway builder's manual: new highways lead to greater efficiency and higher standard of living! According to this logic, the congestion on the new highway facilities justifies the construction of even more highways. Clearly something is broken in this reasoning.</div>
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The mistake that JW is making is that not all transportation improvements are equal, and that there are more considerations than just raw "access per unit of time", which itself is a difficult thing to measure in practice. For one thing, the increase in access by one mode (say, private car) can lead to the degradation in access by another mode (such as walking, or emergency vehicles). For another, some modes lead to far more pollution and other bad side effects like poor urban planning decisions (e.g. minimum parking requirements, urban renewal, pro-sprawl zoning laws, etc).</div>
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<h4>
Congestion relief</h4>
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But I think that by far the biggest confusion stemming from the debate around induced demand comes because people are often talking about different things. When highway builders are trying to sell expansion, and when the general public is getting excited about it, they often refer to "congestion relief" as the major feature of the proposal. But what is "congestion relief?" Is congestion relief equivalent to the fact that more people can travel more miles by car? Is congestion relief the possibly increased economic activity and higher standard of living that JW talks about? Is congestion relief the fulfillment of "latent demand" as described by VamonosLA?</div>
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I would argue that congestion relief is none of those things in the popular understanding of the term. Instead, congestion relief is generally understood to be an increase in reliability of travel and a subjective decrease in the frustration that each individual has when using the transportation facility. Highway builders sell highway expansion to a public that is hungry for predictable travel times and less stress behind the wheel. However, that sort of congestion relief is largely a false hope, precisely because of the phenomenon that has come to be known as induced demand. It doesn't matter whether that comes from latent demand, or even that it might represent increased economic activity: if the typical driver still experiences large variance in travel times, and high levels of stress, then the congestion relief was a mirage as far as he or she is concerned.</div>
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Even the level of spending associated with projects like the <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2011/12/big-dig-part-1.html">Big Dig</a> did not make it immune from this effect. From the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/11/16/big_dig_pushes_bottlenecks_outward/">Globe</a>:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">A Globe analysis of state highway data documents what many motorists have come to realize since the new Central Artery tunnels were completed: While the Big Dig achieved its goal of freeing up highway traffic downtown, the bottlenecks were only pushed outward, as more drivers jockey for the limited space on the major commuting routes.<br /><br />Ultimately, many motorists going to and from the suburbs at peak rush hours are spending more time stuck in traffic, not less. The phenomenon is a result of a surge in drivers crowding onto highways - an ironic byproduct of the Big Dig's success in clearing away downtown traffic jams.<br /><br />[...] The findings also call into question the promises made when ground was broken in 1992. At the time, state officials said in a promotional mass mailing to the public that, when it was all done, "people will find the commute to their jobs faster and easier than ever."</span></blockquote>
The new tunnels may have been able to handle the flow coming into them, but those outer links themselves were not able to live up to the induced demand.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">C</span>onclusion</h4>
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So what can be done about congestion, then? It has rightly been pointed out that <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2010/07/what-does-transit-do-about-traffic-congestion-1.html">transit improvement</a> and <a href="http://vehicleforasmallplanet.com/why-reduced-congestion-is-a-weak-argument-for-cycling/">biking facilities</a> do not "reduce congestion" in this sense. Actually that point should be clarified further: those improvements do not "reduce congestion" when the travel demand is virtually inexhaustible. However, it is possible that in some cases demand is actually exhaustible: for example travel along <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/03/light-rail-and-traffic.html">Comm Ave in Allston</a>, in which case those kinds of improvements can be very effective at real congestion relief. But for destinations such as downtown Boston, there will almost always be another driver willing to replace a trip that is mode-switched away from private vehicle.</div>
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All that does not make transit, walking and biking improvements worthless. <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2010/07/what-does-transit-do-about-traffic-congestion-1.html">Jarrett has discussed</a> several reasons why transit is still very worthwhile even without "congestion reduction" and I won't reiterate, but I will add that dedicated-lane transit, walking and biking facilities all increase the supply of "reliable transportation" that boosts accessibility without the harmful side effects imposed by increased car travel. Walking and biking also have great implications for the health of urban neighborhoods and are worthwhile goals on their own.</div>
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The idea behind congestion relief is to try and make personal motor vehicles as reliable as walking, biking, or riding a well-run railroad. There are only two known ways to make that actually happen: (a) rigorous scheduling, or (b) <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2013/02/help-kill-the-term-congestion-pricing-and-congestion-charge.html">decongestion pricing</a>. Railroads avoid congestion and conflict by imposing very strict discipline and heavily analyzed schedules on the movement of trains. To try and apply that same discipline to private cars on roads is politically and practically unfeasible. Therefore that leaves decongestion pricing as the only known way to make private motor vehicle travel reliable, and it works by allowing the price of travel to vary based upon the supply and demand for travel. This is, of course, standard procedure for allocating just about every other resource in our society, but for some reason is completely ignored when it comes to roads. In any case, this article is about induced demand and I have already gone on too long, so I will leave discussion of pricing to <a href="http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/congestionpricing/sec3.htm">others</a>.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-75089558700463054012014-10-17T00:39:00.004-04:002014-10-17T00:39:41.463-04:00At long last, the MBTA announces station consolidation design meeting for the Green Line "B" branch<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIscHPRmiYKwKC81-kowhZlvoFegSrIq7vpI1LFppBJCiKFxoH_Y0BtY20EPar1VZiTcbl7V0bAbxVbRbRlxH5VGgGUO5RBeU3ZTYEg8apwlh0_JhcV4qK1pxAG7wiI219DYCYO9qoQsU/s1600/Comm.+Ave.+Green+Line+Improvements+Meeting+Flyer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIscHPRmiYKwKC81-kowhZlvoFegSrIq7vpI1LFppBJCiKFxoH_Y0BtY20EPar1VZiTcbl7V0bAbxVbRbRlxH5VGgGUO5RBeU3ZTYEg8apwlh0_JhcV4qK1pxAG7wiI219DYCYO9qoQsU/s1600/Comm.+Ave.+Green+Line+Improvements+Meeting+Flyer.JPG" height="297" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thursday Oct 23rd, 6pm, at BPL Copley: Commonwealth Salon.</td></tr>
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Long time readers will recall that I have been writing about the <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-need-for-station-consolidation-on.html">need for station consolidation</a> along the "B" branch of the Green Line for <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/02/thinking-about-station-elimination.html">a few years now</a>, in addition to <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/06/front-door-only-boarding-month-later.html">articles</a> on <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2012/01/improving-green-line-fare-collection.html">other topics</a> <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/02/transit-signal-priority.html">related to</a> <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/09/vision-for-green-line-moving-forward.html">Green Line</a> <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/05/is-houston-more-progressive-than-boston.html">operations</a>.<br />
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It seems that the time has come for the MBTA to finally put forth a design for station consolidation within the scope of the upcoming Commonwealth Ave reconstruction project. These stations to be considered are the most closely bunched stations on the "B" branch, and <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-need-for-station-consolidation-on.html">clear candidates for consolidation</a>:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4wTAv6Yl1F-y4_LJQxko7RPzx3fL1thBHc2E9O4UfcF6yrwNOYtr99vJlofqf12uQhq_DMwY9wQLfngRHSLrAvR7XfffjmW23has8-xrQeflXwUcdYodDB2SOCHdmFvV4DDUzLJdqkLc/s1600/b_line_usage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4wTAv6Yl1F-y4_LJQxko7RPzx3fL1thBHc2E9O4UfcF6yrwNOYtr99vJlofqf12uQhq_DMwY9wQLfngRHSLrAvR7XfffjmW23has8-xrQeflXwUcdYodDB2SOCHdmFvV4DDUzLJdqkLc/s1600/b_line_usage.png" height="327" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The need for station consolidation on the "B" branch</td></tr>
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Station consolidation has not been considered on the Green Line for over ten years now. The outcome of this design could result in what might possibly be the most significant service improvement in decades; a benefit for beleaguered "B" branch riders. Going from four, very closely-spaced, inaccessible stations to two, reasonably-spaced, accessible stations will greatly improve the riding experience of the vast majority of passengers.<br />
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When this concrete improvement is combined with electronic improvements such as signal priority, and organizational improvements such as all-door boarding (all the time), the result could be quite <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/05/is-houston-more-progressive-than-boston.html">amazing</a>. The MBTA still has some ways to go in reforming itself so that easy organizational and electronic improvements are possible to implement. But that can be done anytime. On the other hand, we won't see another chance to fix station spacing for a whole generation. This is the time to do it, and it is the time to do it right.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-87287022718143817662014-10-11T19:46:00.001-04:002014-10-11T19:46:50.911-04:00If you need a flashing sign then you failed at street designIn June, a speeding car spun out of control and <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/22/back-bay-crash-leaves-one-dead-one-critically-injured/XcXGe6912hL9rxT6rVpH3K/story.html" target="_blank">killed two pedestrians</a> walking on Beacon Street in the Back Bay. More recently, police <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-man-drove-100-mph-near-where-fatal-accident-occurred/" target="_blank">arrested a man</a> caught operating his Maserati at 100 mph on the same street. The city has responded by putting a sign on up Beacon Street near Clarendon:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KKXnBAw4yMs/VDmv_vAcy1I/AAAAAAAAIPQ/H--bpE9d3uo/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141011_172427.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KKXnBAw4yMs/VDmv_vAcy1I/AAAAAAAAIPQ/H--bpE9d3uo/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141011_172427.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too little, too late</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.strongtowns.org/#about">Charles Marohn</a> has spent several years traveling the country, talking about the dangers of streets that are <a href="http://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2014/07/seeking-flexibility-amid-invisible-hand-street-design-standards">overbuilt for speed</a>. Beacon Street is a prime example:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGuF3WD_5p0/VDmvfh5NvkI/AAAAAAAAIM0/D96WR3BSKDE/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141011_172159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGuF3WD_5p0/VDmvfh5NvkI/AAAAAAAAIM0/D96WR3BSKDE/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20141011_172159.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign says "30" and the street says "FAST".</td></tr>
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Each of the three travel lanes on this street appear to be at least 11 feet in width, all going in the same direction. According to <a href="https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section17">MGL Ch90 Sec17</a> the speed limit for a "thickly settled district" is 30 MPH. Yet, when looking at this wide open expanse of asphalt, is it any surprise that the speed limit is routinely flouted? A speed limit that is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127572/">already set too high</a>: <i>The chance of a pedestrian being seriously injured or killed if struck by a car is 45% if the car is travelling at 30 mph but only 5% at 20 mph.</i></div>
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Jeff Speck has recently <a href="http://www.citylab.com/design/2014/10/why-12-foot-traffic-lanes-are-disastrous-for-safety-and-must-be-replaced-now/381117/">written an article</a> calling upon all cities and towns to replace their 12- and 11-foot travel lanes with lanes no larger than 10 feet. This article is timely. Boston continues to design streets with 11 foot travel lanes, like Beacon Street, and the new design for Commonwealth Ave. This decision to build wide, highway-like lanes is a terrible mistake, with disastrous consequences for anyone not surrounded by two tons of steel. On Comm Ave, the city is actually planning on a 35 MPH design speed, even though the speed limit is 30 MPH, and the city itself <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2013/06/tiny-signs.html">recommends 25 MPH</a> as a limit.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKOWkHjkb-7yxq6Pxhtgvqr9pNr3TAG1G2XRS1wKCStP_G_Vbe77SoJ8yYpoS41g6yrz2lek04ruGgiQS27Fo1kOODv3EiM1LbwqyNv8HSfdOYP6666C0BAEEEIl0OE35gjp1lwCqfcXL/s1600/25mph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKOWkHjkb-7yxq6Pxhtgvqr9pNr3TAG1G2XRS1wKCStP_G_Vbe77SoJ8yYpoS41g6yrz2lek04ruGgiQS27Fo1kOODv3EiM1LbwqyNv8HSfdOYP6666C0BAEEEIl0OE35gjp1lwCqfcXL/s1600/25mph.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boston has an unfounded belief in tiny, barely noticeable signs.</td></tr>
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By designing and building such high-speed roadways, it's almost as if the city is encouraging drivers to break the speed limit. The situation would be ludicrous if it weren't so deadly serious. If Boston officials truly want safer streets, and I believe that they do, then it's time to reduce design speeds on all upcoming and future street plans. And for Beacon Street, it's long past time to re-stripe smaller and fewer lanes. That street may not be up for reconstruction for a while, but that's no excuse not to do some <a href="http://blog.archpaper.com/wordpress/archives/67137#.VDnAHfldWHM">planter and paint-based interventions</a> in the meantime.</div>
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A quote from the <a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/06/22/back-bay-crash-leaves-one-dead-one-critically-injured/XcXGe6912hL9rxT6rVpH3K/story.html">Globe</a>:</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sam Wallace, president of the Neighborhood Association of Back Bay, who lives in a condominium at the scene of Saturday’s crash, said speeding has become commonplace recently and pedestrian safety in the area is a major concern among the residents.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">“This is no longer Beacon Street; it’s the Indianapolis Speedway,” Wallace said. “The noise, the motorcycle races, the car races. And the later it gets, the worse it is.”</span></blockquote>
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A flashing sign does nothing. The city must face the fact that Beacon Street, and many like it, are overbuilt in favor of speed. That is the problem that must be resolved.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-717708799820522702014-09-06T11:54:00.001-04:002014-09-06T11:54:44.389-04:00Vision for the Green Line moving forward: a focus on accessibility for everyone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The effort to improve Commonwealth Ave Phase 2A is well under way and there are many proposals to fix the sidewalks and the bicycle facilities that are under discussion. For this post, though, I want to discuss the MBTA Green Line, because of the reservation that runs along Comm Ave, as well as the ones that are on Beacon Street and Huntington Ave.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYq6C_Mnsw4AIDdR07QgoQFn3H3m4U3kRWTNtFj-u_MCc5wTMorsHsMZHum6A8HCsJlHk2H1NJZJQyRYBAIOZM2H7RrMsA43eFwefa-8msAcYeVgW_qLGjnS35wYbEtssA5nQ3fpqsI5c/s1600/glx.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSYq6C_Mnsw4AIDdR07QgoQFn3H3m4U3kRWTNtFj-u_MCc5wTMorsHsMZHum6A8HCsJlHk2H1NJZJQyRYBAIOZM2H7RrMsA43eFwefa-8msAcYeVgW_qLGjnS35wYbEtssA5nQ3fpqsI5c/s1600/glx.png" height="192" width="200" /></a></div>
Generally, when other people speak of "vision" in relationship to the Green Line they probably are thinking about the <a href="http://greenlineextension.eot.state.ma.us/" target="_blank">Green Line Extension</a> project at the other end in Cambridge, Somerville and Medford. That is certainly an exciting project and will make a huge difference to people living there. It's also making a big splash at $1.3 billion. However, in terms of big infrastructure, it's a decent move even at the inflated price, because it has the potential to attract many tens of thousands of riders. The main thing here is to ensure that the project is seen through to at least College Ave. Pushing for extensions to Route 16, and along the Fitchburg branch to Porter Square, are possible thoughts for the future.<br />
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The vision I have for the Green Line does not involve any further extensions, however, although it does not preclude them. After the bulk of the work on the GLX is complete, with the to-be-built Brickbottom Yard in place, the Green Line will be in a "balanced" form for the first time in modern history, with major maintenance and storage facilities both west and "east" of Park Street station. Plus, hopefully by that time, the MBTA will have concluded enough of its "power study" to comprehend what, if anything, needs to be done about the traction power system. And we'll be closer to having some new vehicles, beyond the 24 ordered for the first segment of the GLX. All this infrastructure should enable easing some long-standing Central Subway scheduling and congestion difficulties. But infrastructure is only part of the story.<br />
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Jarrett Walker made a good point in <a href="http://www.humantransit.org/2014/08/does-transit-infrastructure-have-ridership.html" target="_blank">a recent post</a> where he said that transit infrastructure does not cause ridership -- transit service causes ridership. And that is true: the frequency, reliability and speed of the transit service is what attracts (or repels) ridership. The Green Line could most certainly use improvement in frequency, reliability and speed. Although the schedule is fairly frequent, the reliability of that schedule is poor, leading to common cases of train bunching and overcrowding. The speed is well, ..., legendarily slow. The at-grade segments average between 6 and 9 mph normally, making them slower than a typical <a href="http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/blog/2014/07/25/runner-beat-green-line-train-in-race/" target="_blank">human runner</a>. So there is definitely room for significant improvement. But I doubt that Jarrett is thinking about systems like the Green Line -- which, despite its problems, does attempt to have good frequency and attract strong ridership. He is thinking of newer systems such as Salt Lake City's S-Line that is <a href="http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2014/08/20/a-call-for-minimum-service-standards/" target="_blank">both slow and infrequent</a>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcekJ00HVT4/U40zkrsqcvI/AAAAAAAAEWA/LEIyNQXe42M/w737-h982-no/IMG_20140602_170504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HcekJ00HVT4/U40zkrsqcvI/AAAAAAAAEWA/LEIyNQXe42M/w737-h982-no/IMG_20140602_170504.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep stairs to get on and off board:<br />
arduous for people with mobility impairments</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But the Green Line does demonstrate a point that qualifies as a slight quibble with Jarrett's argument. Yes, it is true that service levels are the most important feature of a transit system. But there is an infrastructural component that I think also qualifies as a form of "service" and that's <b>accessibility</b>. You could build the most wonderful light rail system in the world, with a train every few minutes that takes you speedily to your destination, but it would be totally useless if you had to cross a dangerous high-speed roadway just to get to a station. Or if the station was designed with so many fences and obstacles that just getting to the platform is a journey in itself. Obviously this is a huge issue for people with disabilities, and 24 years after the passage of the ADA we're still far behind where we should be. But accessibility is also an issue for people without disabilities. First of all, just about every person born in this world will probably deal with some kind of mobility limitations of the course of a lifetime. Whether it be broken bones, aging knees, arthritis, or anything else, it still shouldn't disqualify you from being able to access public transportation. And even if you are fortunate enough to be in perfect health, you are still probably less likely to use a service if the access path to reach it is long and arduous.<br />
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Furthermore, all these problems are exacerbated if you have to climb steep stairs to get on or off the vehicle. And if you have to push and shove through a crowd just to get to a seat -- or even merely an open space for standing. And then push just to escape from the tiny front door, and be forced to climb down those steep stairs again.<br />
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I bring this topic up because the Green Line has a serious problem with poor accessibility, both for people with and without disabilities. And it's completely unnecessary. In theory, the surface Green Line could be the most accessible of all the segments of train lines in Boston. The platforms are at the same grade as the sidewalk, which means no stairs nor elevators needed. The tracks naturally guide the vehicle close to the platform edge, nearly the same place every time, without any additional effort from the driver. We have the technology that makes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-floor_tram" target="_blank">low-floor vehicles</a> possible. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proof-of-payment" target="_blank">Modern fare collection</a> systems can work at any door. Using the Green Line could be as easy as walking through the entrance of a building.<br />
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But in practice, it's not. People with disabilities consistently rate the Green Line as one of the worst to use. Everyone else just seems to put up with the problems. The MBTA actively makes life worse for its customers by choosing the most bizarre and inefficient operating procedures. I understand that there are fiscal constraints preventing the T from replacing the existing high floor vehicles (which are also, alas, the only reliable vehicles in the fleet). I understand that there are historical constraints in the tunnels preventing the T from purchasing widely-used, modern vehicles (although I think they could try harder to fix some of these longstanding issues). But there is really no excuse for refusing to open up all of the doors of a train at every single station (especially the low-floor doors). There is no excuse for failing to implement the modern fare collection method that <a href="http://sfmta.com/getting-around/transit/fares-passes/proof-payment" target="_blank">SF MUNI</a> now deploys system-wide, and that even the MBTA was going to adopt until they mysteriously decided to give up trying, a few years ago. And there is no excuse for designing stations in maximally obnoxious ways that seem to be catering more to the desires of speeding car drivers than to the needs of transit riders.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVmI5MmlWhg/U3ghYmS-fWI/AAAAAAAADiY/DoUHHdUDBHg/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20140426_155321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVmI5MmlWhg/U3ghYmS-fWI/AAAAAAAADiY/DoUHHdUDBHg/w1367-h1025-no/IMG_20140426_155321.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A cage for transit riders, surrounded by wide lanes for speeding motor vehicles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here's my vision for the MBTA Green Line going forward: doing all the little things right, the way they should have been done years ago.<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-need-for-station-consolidation-on.html" target="_blank">Consolidate stations</a> that are within a 2-3 minute walk of each other.</li>
<li>Continue the process of making every station ADA and AAB compliant.</li>
<li>Maximize pedestrian accessibility to stations:</li>
<ul>
<li>multiple points of access,</li>
<li>making it as easy as possible to walk from all directions to the station platform,</li>
<li>and creating a street environment that is pedestrian-friendly all around.</li>
</ul>
<li>All doors open at all stations. No excuses, no delays, no wasting time. No more forcing passengers who might have disabilities to mount those steep stairs and push into the vehicle.</li>
<li>Pre-payment on the platform and/or CharlieCard kiosks installed at every door.</li>
<li>Every intersection should have a form of signal priority installed that minimizes signal delay for Green Line trains as much as possible.</li>
</ul>
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These reforms are relatively cheap up front and will save money over the long run. And by relatively cheap, I mean compared to the cost of massive capital expenditure such as extending the subway. Plus, putting the train underground causes you to lose that accessibility advantage. And anyway, it's <a href="http://walkingbostonian.blogspot.com/2014/05/is-houston-more-progressive-than-boston.html" target="_blank">not necessary</a> to do expensive grade separation in order to achieve significant service improvement. We're more than capable of doing much better with the existing tracks.</div>
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Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4183605236529560843.post-77975914256464665462014-08-30T20:03:00.001-04:002014-08-30T20:03:14.660-04:00Vertical farming: stupid idea, or stupidest idea?Article: <a href="http://theconversation.com/vertical-farms-offer-a-bright-future-for-hungry-cities-26934" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vertical farms offer a bright future for hungry cities</a>.<br />
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My impression: It seems like it's just another set of wildly Utopian schemes along the lines of Ebenezer Howard's "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_city_movement" target="_blank">Garden Cities</a>." Except, instead of returning people to the farm, it's returning the farm to the city. The goal seems to be the same: curing those wicked sinful city folks with some virtuous farming and "green" space (of a sort).<br />
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However, if for whatever insane reason "vertical farming" takes off, I will then propose a revolutionary idea: "horizontal farming." It's where you go out to a place with lots of cheap land, abundant water and sunshine from the sky. Then you use the natural dirt and soil to grow lots of crops at very low cost, using machines such as "tractors" and "combines" to save labor. Finally, you ship it off to market using a highly efficient, fancy new technology called a "freight train." This lets you free up all that valuable land occupied by vertical farms in cities, turning it over to be used by much needed housing developments, employment opportunities, schools and parks.<br />
<br />Matthewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02027332620204904993noreply@blogger.com0