[Summit] Hope St bump outs

[A. Izenstark]

As a sometimes cyclist, I find them scary - all of a sudden, there's a
curb and I'm between it and a large vehicle.

As an infrequent driver, I'm terrified by the other drivers who give
them wide berths - they're curbs. Stay on your side of the yellow line
and all will work fine.

As a most-of-the-time pedestrian, I'm thrilled. More than once, I've
had one driver stop for me as I've been trying to cross Hope, and then
nearly been hit by a driver who has decided to pass the stopped driver
because, well, he or she was clearly stopped for no reason. These
bump-outs provide improved visibility for those of us who travel on
foot, narrow the streets so we're faced with fewer folks careening
around stopped cars, and make the sidewalks in the area more pleasant.

It's bonus for our neighbors with disabilities and children, too: it's
so much easier to cross two lanes of traffic than it is to cross four.



On Thu, Jul 25, 2013 at 9:21 AM, Breslers <breslerfamily at gmail.com> wrote:
> Frankly I think these are a nightmare.
> (When I lived in Boston the put them in, in my neighborhood, then had to
> take them out)
>
> There was not enough parking for all the businesses before. Cars parked as
> far down Hope as where we are on Sixth, to shop & eat, and also congested
> side streets.
> Now multiple 1/2 to whole car Parking spaces are lost (you are not supposed
> to park all the way to corner.)
>
> Restaurants may unfortunately be tempted to put tables on those bumpouts,
> there-by blocking safe view at intersections.
>
> Traffic was already restricted in that area by garden variety congestion.
> This was regularly made clear by all the cars that flew by my house
> furiously accelerating. I expect to see more of this now that street is two
> ways.
>
> And yes it is very tight for buses, and unfortunately ambulances will
> probably have trouble.
>
> Did whoever decided this talk to merchants? To residents? any one who knows
> the street well?
> Results make it look like not.
>
> Maybe this is like City Hall Plaza in Boston- where the bricks contractor
> was somebody's "good buddy".
>
> Mrs B
>