Mayor Michelle Wu mentioned a number of avenue adjustments applied to mitigate site visitors and encourage public transit and biking throughout the Orange Line shutdown will turn into everlasting, however the transfer has sparked concern amongst rideshare drivers and the Boston enterprise neighborhood.
“The reaction from drivers is they’re not happy about it,” mentioned Beth Griffith, govt director of Boston Independent Drivers Guild, which represents Uber and Lyft drivers. “It’s going to increase traffic congestion and it’s kind of been a nightmare since school started.”
Griffith mentioned Uber and Lyft drivers are not paid by the minute, and are as an alternative paid upfront, which implies “more time in traffic is going to get our drivers less money.”
“I get it,” she mentioned. “It’s to encourage people to take the T more, but it’s not going to help drivers’ bottom lines.”
Some new bus and bike lanes, parking restrictions, and an extra Silver Line 4 bus cease in Chinatown are right here to remain, and town’s transportation division is weighing different comparable adjustments that may be geared toward making streets safer for all modes of journey.
“Over the last 30 days, our city teams have been focused on measuring what’s working so we could ensure continual improvement during a stressful time of the Orange Line shutdown,” Wu mentioned.
“We’re keeping in place some of the changes that have helped with traffic flow and transit access, so that commuters could see lasting benefit above ground even as the subway comes back online,” she added.
Part of Boylston Street that was closed, from Amory to Lamartine, has reopened, however as a one-way solely highway, which town says will cut back crashes, help long-term bike connectivity plans and enhance security for all modes of transportation.
New bus lanes within the Copley Square space, and a bus and bike precedence lane added on Huntington Avenue will stay in place, as will parking restrictions at corners in Jamaica Plain and in South End loading and drop-off zones.
Pop-up bike lanes on Columbus Avenue and Boylston Street shall be eliminated in December and Sept. 26, respectively, however there are tentative plans for everlasting bike lanes in each areas.
James Rooney, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, mentioned the transfer towards a extra environment friendly shared-streets strategy is “long overdue,” however will want “micro-level” administration on a street-by-street foundation.
“You cannot pretend the cars are going to go away,” Rooney mentioned. “They’re not. Automobile traffic is with us. It’s here to stay.”
Rooney mentioned added bus and bike lanes may affect truck deliveries at retail shops and eating places, and he want to see town implement improper bicycle conduct, corresponding to operating purple lights.
“The idea of greater sharing of the physical assets of our streets — it’s a good thing,” Rooney mentioned. “But it’s not easy. Strategy is a lot different than implementation, but you just can’t will that it’s going to work well. You have to manage it every day.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”