Friday, March 03, 2006

Environmental destroyer fighting to move traffic to the north side of the Charles River, in MA, USA

Bob La Trémouille Reports:

Environmental destroyer fighting to move traffic to the north side of the Charles River.

1. Destroyer on the Offensive.
2. Marilyn – Traffic Analysis.
3. Bob addition:


1. Destroyer on the Offensive.

Things are getting a little bit clearer.

The environmentally destructive Charles River Conservancy put the following notice in their monthly report for February 2006.

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Nonantum Road Tragedy and Hope for the Future

The death of two people on Nonantum Road in Newton has finally accelerated the commissioning of the traffic calming study that was included in last year’s budget. Narrowing the road and widening the pathway is the goal of this effort. To read a letter regarding this issue from the Conservancy to the Newton TAB in May 2005 click here.

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Nonantum Road is the extension of Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road on the Boston side. It is equivalent to Birmingham Parkway or Charles River Road on the Cambridge side.

These poor people. They need their traffic moved to Cambridge.

The Charles River Conservancy has consistently fought for all the environmental destruction going on on the Cambridge side of the Charles River, not just for the destruction of hundreds of trees and straightening out of Memorial Drive, but all of the destructive things going on between the northern sidewalk of Memorial Drive and the Charles River. For the last three years, they have happily poisoned every goose egg they could get away with on the first ten miles of the Charles Rive.

This latest initiative makes it very clear that (separate from the egg poisoning depravities), Cambridge is being destroyed by these people and their bureacrats and pols (including the Cambridge City Council) for the benefit of Boston.

2. Marilyn – Traffic Analysis.

Where does inbound traffic from the west cross over to the north side of the Charles to avoid Storrow Drive?

The DCR's just-announced plan to reduce the lanes on Nonantum Road would help divert traffic from Storrow to the Pike but also to Cambridge. Nonantum Road connects to the free inbound Pike exit at Newton Corner. Traffic from the west could stay on the Pike and pay the additional toll, or leave at Newton Corner, cross the river at Watertown Center (avoiding Nonantum Road) or deal with the single inbound lane on Nonantum, then cross at North Beacon Street, which would avoid backups on Soldiers Field and Storrow Drive.

In this connection I think Bob La Tremouille mentioned the Birmingham Parkway, which connects Nonantum Road to Western Ave. in Allston. [ed. For those who require exactness, the link is Nonantum – Watertown Center – Charles River Road – North Beacon Street – Arsenal Street [Western Avenue renamed in Watertown. Greenough Boulevard is the next link, from Arsenal Street Western Avenue to Memorial Drive.]

Traffic from the west could thus use Western Ave, briefly use Storrow to cross the Charles at River Street, then take Mem Drive eastbound (could be why the DCR instituted the right-only lane at that intersection--it otherwise makes no sense to me). Alternatively, traffic could turn left from Western and cross to Memorial Drive at North Harvard/JFK Street over the Anderson Bridge.

3. Bob addition:

As inserted above, there is yet another name for the Charles River roads on the north side which are for all meaningful purposes the extension of Memorial Drive / Birmingham Parkway in Watertown, MA. This named road runs from the end of Birmingham Parkway after a short jog on North Beacon Street. It is yet another boulevard which is "underutilized" ("shudder" according to the developers).

The name of this additional segment of the Charles River roads is “Charles River Road.”

Traffic from the Mass. Pike would be diverted to Watertown Square because of the "traffic calming measures on Nonantum Road and .2 minutes north of Nonantum Road is Charles River Road which becomes Birmingham Parkway which becomes Memorial Drive. (Ignoring a few jogs.)

So you see there is another purpose for giving the Charles River roads multiple names. Not only is it an excellent way to get tourists confused and into accidents, it is also a great way to confuse the voters.
Bob Reports:

1. Destroyer on the Offensive.

Things are getting a little bit clearer.

The environmentally destructive Charles River Conservancy put the following notice in their monthly report for February 2006.

*************

Nonantum Road Tragedy and Hope for the Future

The death of two people on Nonantum Road in Newton has finally accelerated the commissioning of the traffic calming study that was included in last year’s budget. Narrowing the road and widening the pathway is the goal of this effort. To read a letter regarding this issue from the Conservancy to the Newton TAB in May 2005 click here.

*************

Nonantum Road is the extension of Storrow Drive / Soldiers Field Road on the Boston side. It is equivalent to Birmingham Parkway on the Cambridge side.

These poor people. They need their traffic moved to Cambridge.

The Charles River Conservancy has consistently fought for all the environmental destruction going on on the Cambridge side of the Charles River, not just for the destruction of hundreds of trees and straightening out of Memorial Drive, but all of the destructive things going on between the northern sidewalk of Memorial Drive and the Charles River. For the last three years, they have happily poisoned every goose egg they could get away with on the first ten miles of the Charles Rive.

This latest initiative makes it very clear that (separate from the egg poisoning depravities), Cambridge is being destroyed by these people and their bureacrats and pols (including the Cambridge City Council) for the benefit of Boston.

2. Marilyn's added information.

Where does inbound traffic from the west cross over to the north side of the Charles to avoid Storrow Drive?

The DCR's just-announced plan to reduce the lanes on Nonantum Road would help divert traffic from Storrow to the Pike but also to Cambridge. Nonantum Road connects to the free inbound Pike exit at Newton Corner. Traffic from the west could stay on the Pike and pay the additional toll, or leave at Newton Corner, cross the river at Watertown Center (avoiding Nonantum Road) or deal with the single inbound lane on Nonantum, then cross at North Beacon Street, which would avoid backups on Soldiers Field and Storrow Drive.

In this connection I think Bob La Tremouille mentioned the Birmingham Parkway, which connects Nonantum Road to Western Ave. in Allston. Traffic from the west could thus use Western Ave, briefly use Storrow to cross the Charles at River Street, then take Mem Drive eastbound (could be why the DCR instituted the right-only lane at that intersection--it otherwise makes no sense to me). Alternatively, traffic could turn left from Western and cross to Mem Drive at North Harvard/JFK Street over the Anderson Bridge.

3. Bob addition:

For the sake of completeness there is yet another name for the Charles River roads on the north side which is for all meaningful purposes the extension of Memorial Drive / Birmingham Parkway in Watertown, MA. This named road runs from the end of Birmingham Parkway after a short jog on North Beacon Street. It is yet another boulevard which is "underutilized" ("shudder" according to the developers).

Traffic from the Mass. Pike would be diverted to Watertown Square because of the "traffic calming measures on Nonantum Road and .2 miles north of Nonantum Road is Charles River Road which becomes Birmingham Parkway which becomes Memorial Drive.

So you see there is another purpose for giving the Charles River roads multiple names. Not only is it an excellent way to get tourists confused and into accidents, it is also a great way to confuse the voters.