tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post3261899765965435180..comments2023-04-22T16:35:31.245-04:00Comments on Brighton Centered: Will Lowe's Continue to Misrepresent Traffic on Market Street?Michael Pahrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-38934180998282412252010-04-19T20:46:50.034-04:002010-04-19T20:46:50.034-04:00We're trying to fight them up here in Salem to...We're trying to fight them up here in Salem too.<br />They gave a couple false facts at the last traffic hearing, and it went so bad, that the hearing has to be continued. Good luck on the fight! for everyone's sakeAsterihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15149402114040302867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-89497062379393712612010-03-05T13:27:55.126-05:002010-03-05T13:27:55.126-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-79883196906816938572010-03-05T06:43:00.493-05:002010-03-05T06:43:00.493-05:00Elsbree of the BRA believes that Lowe's and NB...Elsbree of the BRA believes that Lowe's and NB can exist in the same spot. That does not seem like a bad solution. Construction people, for the most part, use Lowe's in the morning.JohnThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00677920092883043750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-72146942561142904242010-03-04T17:23:27.792-05:002010-03-04T17:23:27.792-05:00Note that I don't remember Lowe's in 2008 ...Note that I don't remember Lowe's in 2008 presenting computer-predicted travel times for Saturday mid-day traffic, so I am not sure how their model performs on Saturdays. We'll see tonight if they give more numbers, particularly since, as you point out, Saturday gridlock is a significant concern.<br /><br />Note that Home Depot in Watertown can get quite busy first thing in the morning on weekdays during the construction time (spring to fall), so weekday traffic issues are important when evaluating the impact of a home improvement store at Brighton Landing.Michael Pahrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-60738594755178446512010-03-04T15:24:08.858-05:002010-03-04T15:24:08.858-05:00The irony is that the largest travel times on that...The irony is that the largest travel times on that stretch of Market St are on the weekends (everyone is going to Watertown/Cambridge to shop?). I *could* see travel times being 15 minutes from Washington to Lincoln on Saturdays around noon. It can be insane sometimes.<br /><br />Of course, this would be the same time of the week that I expect the greatest amount of traffic to a Lowe's...so they'd only be adding to the worst traffic times on Market St...Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06105634068818246724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-70803145072411083772010-03-04T14:29:12.710-05:002010-03-04T14:29:12.710-05:00Harry: I've got no dog in this fight for one ...Harry: I've got no dog in this fight for one particular proposed plan over another.<br /><br />That said, you're right, as usual: there should be a <i>city plan</i> for what would be the best use of that area in the interests of the city, its residents, and its businesses. But, as you know, no "city plan" exists (City Planner Kairos Shen has agreed on this point), even though every Article 80 project -- of which either Lowe's or New Balance's projects will be -- must be certified to be consistent with the city plan.<br /><br />Imagine if Ed Logue had been elected mayor way back when... we would definitely have a city plan today, although you might not like what's in it.Michael Pahrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-16999500151818415262010-03-04T14:02:53.821-05:002010-03-04T14:02:53.821-05:00i lived on murdock st for over thirty years. this ...i lived on murdock st for over thirty years. this is the street that will be most affected by anything on guest st that attracts a lot of traffic. i MOVED because of the increase in traffic on the cut thru street. you have 3 options, you can use market st, cut through union square or if you want the fastest way you can cut up murdock. have you though about the impact this will have on that neighborhood?bostnkidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15513828681835366300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-57096516622339840582010-03-04T13:38:27.015-05:002010-03-04T13:38:27.015-05:00Briefly setting aside the traffic issue, what fina...Briefly setting aside the traffic issue, what financially viable use of the land would you like? If Lowe's created no traffic would you therefore embrace a multi-acre big box home improvement store? Or housing, smaller-scale retail, offices? What if we had already agreed as a community and a City on planning principles instead of reacting in an ad-hoc way to each proposal that comes along?Harry Mattisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16538583371784475876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-14018410929876780462010-03-03T19:33:48.843-05:002010-03-03T19:33:48.843-05:00Southbound, evening rush hour, 6:55.
@JohnT: My ...Southbound, evening rush hour, 6:55.<br /><br />@JohnT: My travel time measurements make no representation as to whether or not traffic is an issue for their development. <br /><br /><i>The point is that Lowe's is wildly exaggerating how bad the traffic is.</i><br /><br />Not a single travel time measurement I've made is anywhere close to the travel times Lowe's claims are the current conditions.Michael Pahrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-15938832135430531652010-03-03T10:40:47.993-05:002010-03-03T10:40:47.993-05:00Does your study mean that traffic will not be that...Does your study mean that traffic will not be that big a factor?JohnThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00677920092883043750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-37034308566317997872010-03-03T09:28:10.313-05:002010-03-03T09:28:10.313-05:00Northbound, morning rush hour, from MBTA #86: 6:0...Northbound, morning rush hour, from MBTA #86: 6:05Michael Pahrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-46805497200079356102010-03-02T10:56:01.299-05:002010-03-02T10:56:01.299-05:00Measurements were made in the past couple of weeks...Measurements were made in the past couple of weeks. Text added to post to reflect this.<br /><br />I made other measurements periodically over the past year-and-a-half, but didn't write them down -- since I thought the Lowe's plan was dead. Now that they are resurrecting it, I made some newer measurements. Every timing fits the same pattern: far quicker travel times than anything Lowe's represented based on their computer models.<br /><br />Yep, I agree that Market Street travel times are sometimes frustratingly slow and could well be improved by signal timing. But the actual travel times are nowhere near as slow as Lowe's has represented them to be. Measure it yourself. See if you get 14.4-17.6 minute travel times between Lincoln Street and Washington Street during rush hour. I bet you don't. (When you make your measurements, post a comment below with: date, time-of-day, direction, travel time.)<br /><br />The flyover was presented by New Balance at neighborhood meetings in the past few months. It may not have been in their February 2010 presentation, but they have definitely floated the idea elsewhere, so it is out there -- in case Lowe's wants to take it up.Michael Pahrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17866198375014800783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38897564.post-61395508719056244152010-03-01T22:30:33.308-05:002010-03-01T22:30:33.308-05:00A couple of points:
1. What week did you take you...A couple of points:<br /><br />1. What week did you take your drive time measurements, Dec. 25-31? Perhaps the end of August? Maybe you took them more recently, over school vacation week this past February? Bottom line, anyone who lives or has lived in this area knows that Market Street is prone to painful backups, more often than not caused by poorly timed lights. The largest complaint this neighborhood has had about any potential development on Guest St. is the traffic impacts on Market St. & North Beacon. The basis of your argument, that traffic is actually ok in the area, is flawed at best, sinister at worst. Brighton Landing was supposed to fix the timing of these lights as a condition of their WGBH Expansion. They did not. The proper timing of the traffic lights lights, and the ability for BTD to alter the timing of the lights in real-time, would be a huge benefit to the community. Lowe's has expressed a willingness to tie their certificate of occupancy to the completion of these traffic improvements. Has anyone ever done that in this neighborhood before?<br /><br />2. You may have missed the proposal of the New Balance "vision" the other night, but they have no legitimate plan for a flyover or ramp system. They put together some barely engineered plans that include the use of the now-residential Lincoln St. as one of the off ramps. New Balance has no plans for paying for the improvements. Ty Hanlan basically explained that If he builds it (his new office tower), they (the improvements) will come. That logic works much better in Kevin Costner movies about baseball ghosts than it will in today's economic reality.TedlyGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04802951041097926011noreply@blogger.com