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PondRunner
5:13 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Apart from roadway design is issue of roadway usage/management. A special windshield sticker should be required for all vehicles traveling on the Arborway. It should be available free to JP residents. All others should pay a significant commuter sticker fee. Fees for non-resident stickers would vary depending on vehicle occupancy and time of transit. Least expensive would be HOV 3/off-hours sticker. Most expensive would be single occupant/rush hour sticker. Stiff fines for violators and for cut-throughs/evaders.
Objective is to significantly reduce number of vehicles on the road.
yogasong
10:22 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013
Kevin, In theory I think it's an interesting idea but I don't think it would work out in practicality. The Arborway is a public road and all of the city of Boston Residents help pay for it so they should be allowed to use it. I don't remember, but isn't the state also helping pay for it? In that case why should any MA taxpayer pay extra to travel a road, that isn't a turnpike? Also, where would this stop? I could see residents of Dedham,Westwood and Norwood doing the same with Washington St and so on with other towns. It could become a bigger beaurocratic mess than it already is. Also, it feels like a "gated community" kind of thing and that feels very un-JPish.
PondRunner
9:22 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013
Dear Yogasong, Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Let me respond: As for the taxpayer's "right" to free use of public roadways, there is no such right. The issue was litigated over the right of municipalities to install parking meters on public roadways. You know the result. As for JP spirit, I'm with you in welcoming anyone who wants to live, shop, worship, play or just hang out in JP. But I don't think that spirit extends to welcoming people to race through JP in their single occupant motor vehicles, spewing carbon and other exhaust, noise and litter, ramming into trees, other cars, historic stone walls, and anything else that stands in their way, on their way from some other place to get to some other place. Please see Edward L. Glaeser's op-ed, "Best deal in town: on-street parking," on page A15 in today's Globe.
yogasong
10:21 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Approximately 2/3 - 3/4 of those in attendance tonight want a new bridge. Those who take the bridge during peak commute time are probably not even JP residents and have no idea of this process and how it will impact them. I am a reasonably aware JP resident and didn't even know about this until about a month ago thanks to an involved neighbor. Please lef your friends from Dorchester, Mattapan, Milton and Quincy know about this project. Supposedly the at-grade decision is made despite the fact that the majority of residents prefer a new bridge.
PLEASE Contact your Governor Patrick's office, state reps, and Mass DOT to stop the on-grade solution and to build a new bridge.
MassDOT comments to:
Thomas F Broderick, PE Chief Engineer
MassDOT-Highway Division
10 Park Plaza
Boston , MA 021-6-3973
Attn: Accelerated Bridge Program
yogasong
10:27 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Zip above should be 02116-3973
Additionally, contact the head DOT Decision Maker:
Richard A. Davey
Secretary and Chief Executive Officer
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
10 Park Plaza, Suite 4160
Boston, MA 02116
Toll Free - 877-MA-DOT-GOV (877-623-6846)