A bike box is a painted area in front of the stop line. It permits cyclists to advance to the head of the queue of vehicles and go into the intersection first. It is especially useful when making turns. The motorist must stop at an advanced stop line considerably short of the intersection where motorists are used to stopping. It protects the safety of cyclists for left, right turns and straight through motions. In Boston, I saw one hundred percent respect by motorists for the bike box. Otherwise, motorists were quite aggressive. Every car stopped at the advanced stop line. In … Continue reading Boston bike box

A bike box is a painted area in front of the stop line. It permits cyclists to advance to the head of the queue of vehicles and go into the intersection first. It is especially useful when making turns. The motorist must stop at an advanced stop line considerably short of the intersection where motorists are used to stopping. It protects the safety of cyclists for left, right turns and straight through motions. In Boston, I saw one hundred percent respect by motorists for the bike box. Otherwise, motorists were quite aggressive. Every car stopped at the advanced stop line. In … Continue reading Boston bike box

Note how the stadium seating cantelevors out over the public street. This would certainly save space at Lansdowne Park and add some interest to walking along Bank Street. Advertisement outside the stadium. Click to enlarge and read the text. How would Ottawa bureaucrats cope with signs that prohibited stopping on such variable dates, times, and durations? Around the outfield there were bars. Entrance was off the street. There was a garage door that opened up to permit viewing of the field. A wire mesh kept the balls away from the customers. I do not know if a game ticket was required for … Continue reading Fenway Park, Boston

Note how the stadium seating cantelevors out over the public street. This would certainly save space at Lansdowne Park and add some interest to walking along Bank Street. Advertisement outside the stadium. Click to enlarge and read the text. How would Ottawa bureaucrats cope with signs that prohibited stopping on such variable dates, times, and durations? Around the outfield there were bars. Entrance was off the street. There was a garage door that opened up to permit viewing of the field. A wire mesh kept the balls away from the customers. I do not know if a game ticket was required for … Continue reading Fenway Park, Boston

Conventional plastic-bag-lined garbage containers were rare. These compactor models were ubiquitous. There are solar panels on the roof of the can to power it. It was necessary to pull the door open quite a way before placing the garbage in the compartment and closing the door. It was not possible to insert a hand or arm into the container. Periodically, the compactor compresses all the garbage into a smaller pile, so the can needs not be emptied so often. Nothing blows around either. Here is a row of three containers, for bottles/cans, trash, and paper. The top two pictures were … Continue reading Boston trash

Conventional plastic-bag-lined garbage containers were rare. These compactor models were ubiquitous. There are solar panels on the roof of the can to power it. It was necessary to pull the door open quite a way before placing the garbage in the compartment and closing the door. It was not possible to insert a hand or arm into the container. Periodically, the compactor compresses all the garbage into a smaller pile, so the can needs not be emptied so often. Nothing blows around either. Here is a row of three containers, for bottles/cans, trash, and paper. The top two pictures were … Continue reading Boston trash

Boston makes impressive use of granite for many things. There were granite curbs everywhere, and granite bollards: This low curb lining the pedestrian sidewalk on a recently redone street has generous use of granite for some pavers and low curbs. Note the little post to mark the indent for the bench. Also envy the lush planting in the boulevard. In addition to this little granite posts, big ones were used for street signs in a few places. Granite curb marked with rust from the snow plow blade. This was in a park and ride lot for the LRT/subway. Here is … Continue reading Boston granite

Boston makes impressive use of granite for many things. There were granite curbs everywhere, and granite bollards: This low curb lining the pedestrian sidewalk on a recently redone street has generous use of granite for some pavers and low curbs. Note the little post to mark the indent for the bench. Also envy the lush planting in the boulevard. In addition to this little granite posts, big ones were used for street signs in a few places. Granite curb marked with rust from the snow plow blade. This was in a park and ride lot for the LRT/subway. Here is … Continue reading Boston granite

Many buildings in Boston (and neighboring Cambridge) are old, and require regular maintenance to the exterior brick, granite steps, stone foundations, etc. So I was not surprised to see these piles of sorted construction materials in the yard of Radcliffe College (Harvard U). All around me was the steady clink clink of bricklayers and masons restoring the steps and walls of one of the ancient colleges. But upon closer inspection, I noticed this sign:                                                      Please don’t climb on the exhibit Continue reading Boston artwork

Many buildings in Boston (and neighboring Cambridge) are old, and require regular maintenance to the exterior brick, granite steps, stone foundations, etc. So I was not surprised to see these piles of sorted construction materials in the yard of Radcliffe College (Harvard U). All around me was the steady clink clink of bricklayers and masons restoring the steps and walls of one of the ancient colleges. But upon closer inspection, I noticed this sign:                                                      Please don’t climb on the exhibit Continue reading Boston artwork