BU Bridge Work - Archie responds to Globe Editorial

1. Archie Mazmanian’s response.
2. Prior postings.
A. MassDOT, 12/28/11.
B. Your editor, 12/28/11.
C. Archie, 12/29/11.
D. Archie, your editor and a hopefully helpful map, 12/30/11.
E. Globe Editorial, 1/4/12.


1. Archie Mazmanian’s response.

The Boston Globe editorial on the BU Bridge "Lots of pain, small gain" is sort of a day late and a dollar short, suggesting that the Globe has not been following the CRWG Blog. Consider this paragraph:

"Part of the particular frustration with the BU Bridge project is that it is no wider now than before construction. Five-foot wide bike lanes have been added on both sides of the bridge's deck, to the delight of cyclists. But instead of two traffic lanes in each direction, the new configuration reduced the number of traffic lanes from four to three."

Thus, the capacity for motor vehicles over the bridge is reduced by at least 25%, probably more because of the lane changes at various points along the bridge.

The Globe may not be aware of the need to redo the deck over the MA Turnpike Extension on Commonwealth Avenue at the southerly side of the bridge that will impact the Boston side as well as the Cambridge side of the bridge noted in my earlier comment. Will it be feasible to do this in phases to keep traffic flowing over the bridge and on Commonwealth Avenue as well as on the Turnpike Extension below? DOT should hold public meetings to address this, keeping in mind that in my earlier comment Boston University has indicated the deck work would take two construction seasons to complete, to reduce further pain. Time may heal wounds but in the meantime there is pain and other costs to bear.

2. Prior postings.

A. MassDOT, 12/28/11.

We reported MassDOT’s announcement of the project being “substantially complete” at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/massdot-bu-bridge-project-substantially.html.

B. Your editor, 12/28/11.

I reported my observations on the ground at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/bu-bridge-repairs-charles-river-white.html.

C. Archie, 12/29/11.

Archie presented a textual analysis of the impact on the ground at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/bu-bridge-traffic-pattern-in-context.html.

D. Archie, your editor and a hopefully helpful map, 12/30/11.

Archie elaborated on his position, and I presented a map with analysis at http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/traffic-impact-of-bu-bridge-project.html.

E. Globe Editorial, 1/4/12.

The Boston Globe’s on line version of their editorial is presented by us at: http://charlesriverwhitegeeseblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/boston-globe-on-bu-bridge-work.html.

Boston Globe on BU Bridge work

The Boston Globe has editorialized “lots of pain, small gain” on the nearly completed BU Bridge project. It cited kudos from developer type groups.

Their digest of the editorial may be read at: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/cambridge/articles/2012/01/04/lots_of_pain_small_gain/.

The full editorial is in the hard copy / on line purchase edition.

The BU Bridge project included significant inexcusable animal abuse targeted at the Charles River White Geese and leaves a big mess of destroyed environment.