mr_bill

New, as in the yield sign was added during the safe center project. The banner and Mystic Street stop sign are from the old Minuteman alignment, the stop railroad signal is from B&M days.

Note that as planned, there were two yield signs and two sharks teeth. However, the inbound yield sign was never installed but the inbound sharks teeth were. The outbound sharks teeth were not installed but the outbound yield sign was.

Like I said, a puzzle.

-mr. bill

rholland1951

We're in violent agreement, as far as the age of the sign goes. The outbound Yield sign went in when the corner access curved section had been installed, but before the old straight segment was turfed. For a brief period, it actually did something useful, then outlived its usefulness.

rod

mr_bill

Learning what MBTA operators learn and learning what people on bikes learn.




-mr. bill

jimmuller 

Today was a good day to ride. B-e-a-u-tiful weather, great roads, mostly quiet.

58.8 miles through the western suburbs. Waltham to Southern Chelmsford and back by somewhat circuitous routes.

Lexington's BBQ Festival was in full swing.


Belmont Day was in full swing. Lots of stuff to see!




Of course the outer burbs are always lovely this time of year.

rholland1951

Rode up to Arlington Center to take a turn counting Minuteman users. Nice day for it, lots of folks to count. Lots of bikes, lots of walkers, fewer runners, very few skaters, one electric unicycle.


rod

E53 

I went out to Bolton yesterday this time using Rte. 111. It was a nice ride through West Acton, and cool because I'd never been there before. I have a "thing" for cool mailboxes, and this one caught my eye. The connecting rod looks like it was off a big old hit and miss engine, probably a 20 hp or so. Soon after this mailbox is a sunken storm drain that is on a downhill grade. I'm pretty sure it would have taken me out had I hit it. After crossing over 495, I took a left on Codman Hill rd. where there is a place that recycles roofing materials. (sorry no pics), anyway it's always good to see recycling going on.
.


My return home point was Colonial Candy which is off 117, but my "quest" was to ride over the Sugar Road overpass on 495. Don't ask me why.

rholland1951

Took the Rawland up the Minuteman late Sunday afternoon. Appreciated the fine weather, tweaked the saddle height for yet another bike, dodged the numerous children, and encountered Justin, a former colleague who was also out for a ride. We had a good catch-up chat, and I was reminded of all the reasons I consider him one of the most capable engineers I've ever met, to say nothing of a damn fine human being. The Minuteman is good for that sort of chance meeting, with a bit of luck.

The stones were dancing; it was that kind of day.


Peepers Pond has no swan boats, but it does have swans.


rod

mr_bill

From Saturday, a trip to Cambridge St. (Which Cambridge Street? Allston Cambridge Street.)

Tom Tom just could not figure that out. So used Google Maps and their indefinitely Beta Bicycle Directions. Normally I would just take North Harvard Street (which is discontinuous to Harvard Street) but Google sent me to bear right at Franklin which would be continuous to Harvard Street except for the Mass Pike and Framingham-Worcester commuter rail.

Putting me on Lincoln, it amusingly sent me in circles until I ignored it and went over the Lincoln/Cambridge foot/bike bridge:



One of the iconic squares, Union Square. Which Union Square? Allston Union Square:


Finally, the community center where I would learn about busses:



Oh, one last finally. Porter Square remake, pretty timid all things considered. Note they’ve moved the bike lane outbound on Mass Ave to the curb, moved the right turn lane on the other side, and put up a bike signal (0:00-0:14). So similar to Arlington Center, which will make one bike expert unhappy.

Also note the pedestrian scramble on Somerville Ave when Mass Ave is all going straight (0:37-1:00). Finally the short cycle track (1:05-1:12), the curb is finally keeping drivers from encroaching on the bike lane to hit the apex. We’ll see how the just green paint does on the exit of the corner.

(BTW, our very own Ginsu handrail on the inbound side is left untouched, but green paint. 0:27 across the street.)

Is it better? Yes but missed opportunity:

-mr. bill

jimmuller 

He! Be glad you didn't ask for Washington St. Or this:

mr_bill

-mr. bill

mr_bill

Ha! When I said that the Washington Street bus/bike lane was my favorite, they wanted to know if I thought it should be full time, rather than just 5:00am-9:00am. Huh? Oh, right, there are now TWO different bus/bike lanes on TWO different Washington Streets, sort of kind of. (The Washington Street addresses are monotonic even if the streets are discontinuous across the orange line / Amtrak tracks.)


Anyhow, some brief notes about the bus/bike workshop.

First, if you EVER get a chance to take this workshop, do so.


They take their responsibilities to us seriously. They are *always* monitoring mirrors, the instructor said it's like being a bobble head. Getting to sit in the bus operators chair and see what they can and can not see is illuminating.

First, always knew, they see ABSOLUTELY NOTHING directly behind the bus for well over a bus length.

Second, they can see MUCH better on the driver's side of the bus than I thought. However, when passing on the left they prefer us to give them at least five feet. This gives them and US time to react in case of a mistake.

Third, on the passenger side, the planar mirror is for looking at the passenger side rear tire. The convex mirror (he called it by the proper name, and also emphasized that it is like a funhouse mirror) covers the area about three feet out from the edge of the bus and farther away, starting at about the door. But it is small, and dramatically distorts distance (far more than car mirrors, images in the mirror are WAY closer than they appear!) They like Hi Viz and *LOVE* our daytime blinky lights btw, but they look for unlit darkly clothed riders too, and they learn how to pick us out in a distorted sea of gray.

There's also a lookdown mirror inside the bus that covers the front door (about a goalies crease area immediately next to the door) and another mirror to monitor the inside of the rear door. Finally, one large mirror to see the interior of the bus.

They would strongly prefer that we don't pass them on the right when they are moving. But they know that it is THEIR responsibility to make sure that nobody is on their right, and they know that some people on bikes pass them on their right.

Also, if they've passed us, and then slow or stop, they are checking their mirrors for us because they KNOW that we often catch up with them.

As far as leap frog. If they are pulling into a bus stop, pass on their left and be happily on your way. However, if we are approaching a bus that seems like it will soon pull out, ESPECIALLY if they have their left turn signal on, we should yield. And, again, some people on bikes don't yield just like some people in cars don't yield. They'll treat other users who make errors with respect. They know we are amateurs and they are the professionals on the road.

If they catch up to us nearing a bus stop, they slow down, stay a safe distance behind us, and pull in behind us.


One note, AFC 2.0 (Charlie Card 2.0) should make boarding buses far faster, but it's been pushed out another year, so 2022ish. So expect a future where picking up a single passenger is more like touch and go.


Other things that makes them go hmmm, if they are first at a stop light filtering up alongside the bus, particularly when there is a bus stop across the intersection, makes our ride less safe. Also, filtering alongside the bus and then pulling directly in front of the bus is one of the least safe things we can do as well. They would prefer we stay behind them in these cases. (I already do this, even when people shoal me AND the bus at the light.)

However, if they are stopped but not at the front of the line at the light, filtering on the right is fine, but try to make sure that you finish your filtering BEFORE the traffic starts to move. Another thing that I've seen but they emphasized that they are trained this way. When they are at a light, if they are first and the light turns green, count two seconds and bobble head then go when safe to do so. If they are behind a car at the light, count two seconds AFTER the vehicle in front of them moves bobble head then go when safe to do so. (Funny moment, they put up with impatient honks, but the people behind the bus can't see the light, so they never honk anyway.)

They give us five feet when passing at any speed differential, never ever less than three feet.

What else? One of the two safety trainers came on her bike. How cool is that!

Oh, the trackless trolleys and silver line buses are easier to drive than the full size buses according to the instructor. (You only drive the front of the bus, the trailer just follows.

And they let us all learn how to load a bicycle on the front rack. (The new design is far easier.) They aren't allowed to help us load and unload a bike, but they will talk a noob to take a deep breath, it's easy, you can do it, just read the step one, step two, step three.

Oh, their biggest complaint about sharing the bus lanes with people on bikes? Double parked cars.


So, here's a pamphlet that they give to their drivers. All drivers are trained every two years, some drivers more often. (When they get a complaint, they take them very seriously and investigate and correct right away.)








-mr. bill

NomarsGirl

Getting to the ride is half the fun!

Ghazmh

Saturday I made it down to the CCRT with my Soma Smoothie and casual attire. It was an absolutely great day to be there. I rode West from the trailhead in Dennis and finally got to ride the new section to Yarmouth. From there I backtracked and rode up to the Harwich rotary and rode the Old Colony trail to Chatham. From there I returned to the rotary and rode the main trail to Welfleet. I stopped at the Chocolate Sparrow for lunch and coffee of course. 71 miles in all.

NomarsGirl

I may have seen you out there. I was at the chocolate sparrow. And I talked to someone at the Dennis trailhead as he was loading his bike in the car and he had done about that mileage. Did you see someone loading a bike on a beetle?

autonomy

Congratulations, Boston. #1 for most accidents per 100,000 cyclists - IN THE WORLD (click on Full Results). Though San Francisco is right behind.

https://coya.com/bike/index-2019

Ghazmh

I didn’t notice the Beetle Saturday but I kinda thought that picture you posted looked familiar. I recognized the ramp that goes over 134. I drove there with my trusty red Honda Fit. I absolutely love the CCRT. The scenery is varied and always pretty. I almost always stop at the Sparrow or the Pleasant Lake general store.

Ghazmh

After sitting out riding Sunday and Monday I was back on the saddle this morning. I rode my Seven Redsky 33 miles beginning at 0500. Seeing as how nice it was out today I suited up and rode 29 more at lunchtime.

NomarsGirl

Guess it wasn't you. I definitely talked to the person parked next to me as I was packing up. And I thought he may have been a BikeForums guy, but didn't ask.

rholland1951

Took the Trucker DeLuxe out on the Minuteman for a late afternoon ride, sunny, cool, and windy. When I played GUESS WHAT TO WEAR for this ride, I chose shorts and a short-sleeved jersey, and was rewarded with a REFRESHINGLY COOL ride.


The wind was making the trees do the funky hand jive, and a cross-wind tugged at the steering when it caught the 55mm front tire.


rod

rholland1951

The Future arrived, boisterous on bicycles.


rod

bike_tom

I took a ride out to Concord this afternoon via the Minuteman and the Reformatory trail. The weather was great and the trails were relatively quiet. The Reformatory trail was mostly dry, just a damp section east of Great Meadows, at the Bedford/Concord line. That's the area most likely to be a quagmire after a rainy spell. When I got to the end at Lowell Rd, across from the Trails End cafe, I was surprised by how tall the grass was in the clearing around the information kiosk. Usually somebody (Concord DPW?) keeps that mowed.



Looks like prime tick territory.

On the ride back I saw a brace of five Lime e-bikes a the Bedford Depot:



I just took a look at the Depot webcam (Bedford Freight House web camera) and there's only two bikes there at the moment, so they are definitely getting used. I think I read somewhere that all the Lime bikes in the Boston area are electric assist this year. In any case, that is all I have seen this season.

rholland1951

Rode the big-footed Trucker DeLuxe on one of the variants of the North Bridge loop this afternoon, 32 miles, out via the Minuteman, Route 225, Skelton Street, River Road, and Monument Street...






... back via the Reformatory Branch, Railroad Ave., and the Minuteman.










A light drizzle started as I got on the Reformatory Branch, stopped as I crossed Route 128, resumed again in Lexington Center, and disappeared in Arlington Center, where the sun came out. Nice day, happy ride.

rod

mr_bill

Ran 100m on the Minuteman today. (Slowest ever, but....)

-mr. bill

jimmuller 

!!

jimmuller 

Anybody else ride today? My commute was windeeeeeee.