laterbacon

laterbacon t1_j9fnrpk wrote

Reply to comment by RandomChurn in The city has changed a lot in the last century by kayakhomeless

It's hard to imagine now, but College Hill was basically a slum in the mid 20th century. Plowing highways through "blighted" areas was seen as the ticket to revitalization because the horribly misguided thinking was that the big problem with cities was suburbanites not being able to drive to them.

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laterbacon t1_j9f3544 wrote

Reply to Councilwoman Anthony opposing a new apartment's fifth story by Due-Pickle8392

Without any additional details, my guess is some argument about "historic character." Either that or it's more pearl clutching about parking & traffic.

I'm not a big fan of demolishing houses in general, but it's clear that the Thayer/Brook corridor is getting denser, and I can't imagine how a 5 story building would be dramatically different from a 4 story building.

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laterbacon t1_j9dk5c7 wrote

Reply to comment by TheSausageFattener in The city has changed a lot in the last century by kayakhomeless

As bad as it is, it could have been even worse here. The Henderson Bridge that's being replaced now was built to be the first link in an expressway that was supposed to blast through the east side. Basically instead of ending downtown, route 10 would have continued through downtown, over College Hill, over the Henderson Bridge, through EP, and rejoin 195 somewhere around Seekonk. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henderson_Bridge_(Rhode_Island)#Henderson_Expressway)

Also Route 37 was supposed to continue through Warwick over the bay via a new bridge to Barrington, joining up with 195 as well. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island_Route_37#Proposed_extensions)

295 too is only half of what was supposed to be a full ring road incorporating the Jamestown & Newport bridges, and a new highway up Aquidneck Island over a new Mount Hope Bridge, through Bristol, crossing 195 and linking up with the existing 295 in Attleboro. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_895_(Rhode_Island%E2%80%93Massachusetts))

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laterbacon t1_j922ct3 wrote

Reply to comment by Human-Mechanic-3818 in $27M grant could finish Providence's bike lane network, but Smiley noncommittal by lestermagnum

Driving a car is extremely dangerous and it puts everyone at risk. Try riding a bike in traffic sometime. It's not a risk for some people, it's their primary mode of transportation. Advocate for infrastructure that makes everyone safe or deal with bikes on the sidewalk sometimes. Maybe try to imagine how others live their lives not beholden to the automobile

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laterbacon t1_j9142rq wrote

Reply to comment by Human-Mechanic-3818 in $27M grant could finish Providence's bike lane network, but Smiley noncommittal by lestermagnum

If the infrastructure is good, people will use it. Sidewalk riding happens because there is no other safe option. A line of white paint and a glyph of a bicycle is not infrastructure.

https://www.peopleforbikes.org/statistics/economic-benefits

Give me protected bike lanes that actually connect to each other and can get me places, and I'll give up riding on the sidewalk forever. Honestly I hate riding on the sidewalk and only do it as a last resort. Most of them around here are bumpy and uneven, and with all the driveways and other curb cuts it's never a pleasant ride. Riding in the road, where I am legally allowed to be, is the most comfortable from a physical perspective, but from a "all of these cars are going to kill me" perspective it's not great, so the sidewalk looks pretty appealing.

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laterbacon t1_j9038cr wrote

Reply to comment by nygrl811 in $27M grant could finish Providence's bike lane network, but Smiley noncommittal by lestermagnum

The belief that everyone on a bike is some lawless asshole is a wrong one. There have been a bunch of studies about it and I linked a couple below.

Also since you're so concerned about people on bikes obeying traffic laws, when you're in your car I assume you come to a complete and full stop at every stop sign? You must also obey every speed limit every time, never daring to go 30+ in a 25...

Of course, drivers have a great track record around here of obeying traffic laws and being generally respectful.

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laterbacon t1_j8ndaxp wrote

Reply to Moving to New England, need help narrowing down options by aimforthehead90

Greenfield might be worth considering. It's got an Amtrak station, a cute downtown with some very good restaurants, easy highway access to Boston and northern New England, and tons of great hikes very close by (some even in city limits).

It's 1 hour from Bradley Airport, 2 hours from Albany, Boston, and Providence, about 3 hours from Burlington, Portland, and NYC, and only about 4.5 hours to Montreal.

The winters aren't terrible, especially by Vermont, NH, and Maine standards, but usually pretty snowy.

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laterbacon t1_j7uv13w wrote

Reply to Commute from Boston by chocosunn

An Amtrak monthly pass from South Station/Back Bay to Providence actually costs less than an equivalent MBTA pass and the train takes 25 minutes less because it only stops at 128 before Providence. It's also way more comfortable than the commuter rail. The schedule isn't as robust, but if it works for your schedule it's definitely the best option.

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