Submitted by redsoxb124 t3_y0q326 in boston
Does it bother anyone else that there’s traffic on the Pike virtually every day because there’s a ~500 foot off ramp with a stop sign onto a three lane road? Feel like that could be so much better as a yield sign, no?
Just got back from Europe for the first time ever and feel like we could learn a thing or two from drivers over there, idk.
Circle of death indeed. As a non-native, though, I find every other intersection/exit to be insanely under engineered— like it was designed and built by Peter Griffin. Oh you wanted a lane here that would fit perfectly and make a merge/exit easy? You’re not gonna get it. You want yields on this massive rotary? You get lights and stop signs.
I’m fully convinced that when they “planned” Boston roads they just tossed a handful of wet spaghetti at a map and made the roads where the noodles landed. The Newton Corner area is truly an affront to logic and probably worst of the worst.
My dad heard somewhere that Boston's roads were built to follow cattle trails, thus the roads were designed by cows. I have no idea if this is true, but he repeats it at least once a week and moos whenever he's in my car.
It’s the Allston Multimodal Project, info here. Design finishing up this year, then it’s off to construction bid for start Q4 2023. Estimated construction time of 6-10 years, done by Q2 2032.
This is an important project, but OP is talking about a different section of the Pike.
It’s the “Newton Corner” exit.
Oh, oops. That’s in the public input phase, that’s a while out from design.
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I'm sure the cost will be like $5 billion.
This is the worst exit on any highway in the entire state, IMO. I started at BC 20 years ago and I've hated that exit every moment of my life since then.
No doubt the Newton Corner exit sucks ass, but the cloverleaf exit where 93 and 95 meet on the north shore takes the cake for driving fuckery in these parts IMHO.
Have you been to Kelly Square in Worcester? The southbound exit from 290 dumps you into an oblong, nine-way intersection with nothing but a stop sign, unless they've done something about it in the last five years.
Kelly Square was reconstructed when Polar Park was built (less than 5 years ago)
The old Kelley Square looked intimidating but was pretty easy once you didn’t overthink it, the new Kelley Square squeezes all the previous 9 point intersection traffic into one rotary and through in some more red lights to fuck you even more.
Nah. The worst is how 93 enters Medford… a highway off-ramp directly into a one-lane funnel with a fucking traffic light.
I got your back. I rarely stop at the sign unless there’s tons of cars. Most of the traffic comes from assholes trying to skip the line or from people too scared to pull past the stop sign if they see any car coming.
People skipping that line is so annoying and I will absolutely refuse to let them in front of me
Ditto! I get right on the car’s bumper in front of me and let the middle finger fly for those trying to sneak in. It warms my heart when our fellow like minded souls follow suit and let the assholes chill in that triangle patch at the exit.
Bless both of you, this is how it's done. I remember I was once getting off this exit, and there was a pickup truck trying to squeeze in last second. It took me probably 10 minutes to actually get off the exit, and that asshole was still waiting in the second lane because no one was letting him in.
That is a beautiful, beautiful sight to see and I wish I could bear witness. Add my voice to damn these fuckers cutting in.
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I forget who but there was someone here who was ADAMANT that the zipper merge, even for the shithole cutters, is the proper way to manage this exit. Hoping they chime in!
The problem isn't the sign, it's that people coming off the Pike get blocked by people going south on Centre Street.
Ain’t nobody keeping me from my wings at Buff’s Pub
I need to go dine in at Buff's because the take out wings I got were pretty dismal and unsatisfying and didn't match up at all to the praise the place gets.
I don't drive or know the exit numbers, but just from taking the commuter rail by every day, I know the exact exit you're talking about.
Honestly if they just paved the Super Collider it would make it much more navigable. I swear people avoid the 2 lanes going towards Centre/Washington Streets until absolutely necessary and it makes driving through there extra… adventurous.
I would love for a total intersection redesign but it would be a massive undertaking
Its awful, and it's super dangerous. Not only the collider pseudo-rotrary, but having traffic backed up next to traffic speeding along at 70 MPH+.
I swear I read something about an upcoming meeting that is addressing this absolute cluster of a roadway. I think the Newton mayor's office shared a link to attend virtually, and I think the meeting is hosted by MassDOT.
However, I cannot find any record of this upcoming meeting, which points to the lack of communication around what is a horrendously unsafe road. I'd love anyone who has had a near death experience there to be able to participate.
If my recollection is correct, the agenda includes a presentation of possible plans / options to alleviate the congestion from the Pike off ramp and improve the overall flow of the area. Even a yield sign or two would be a massive step forward!
The longtime residents are still salty that the Pike ruined Newton Corner by effectively bisecting it decades ago. There would be ample support for just getting rid of the whole area, stupid hotel overpass and all.
Turns out the mtg was in Sept, though I haven't seen a summary anywhere: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/20/metro/massdot-hold-public-meeting-newton-corner-traffic-safety-sept-28/
I live right off the exit and it’s a NIGHTMARE. Sometimes I give up and exit at the Allston-Brighton exit.
Which part of Europe? Lol. When I went there are mopeds weaving in and out of traffic, pedestrians were worse off than roadkill, and not a cop in sight, speed limits had less respect than Mass by a ton, (Greece)
I'm surprised this is the first I heard anyone complaining about the road design on that exit. That rotary should have scraped years ago. Imagine the thousands of gallons of gas saved! I just wish someone saw off that stop sign and save millions in traffic development!
Given that the supercollider already has so many traffic lights, I'm surprised they don't just add another.
Maybe it's just me but I think it's crazy that this exit is the first exit after the 95 split. If there was an exit before this, there would be significantly less cars going through it.
I used to often see a range rover with a license plate EXIT17 waiting in line at that ramp...I wonder what they've done now that the numbers changed.
The dumbest part of that stop sign is that you could just close one lane coming over 90 and make it rolling merge. You'd end up with traffic having to cross over quickly over a short distance, but it would function better than what's there now.
The whole thing sucks though. What a surprise when you start with the idea of putting a hotel over a highway.
Take it out altogether and replace it with a bike lane.
/r/fuckcars
if there's one thing we need, it's more exits for bikes off the pike.
I don't know, saw a number of pictures recently with bikers on the pike. They need their own exit.
jbelmonte11 t1_irt7hjv wrote
There were plans of redoing that entire "circle of death" area. They are doing all the civil engineering plans now but the actual finished job may not be until 2026 or something like that. Although I can't find the plans online right now.