Brattle Street Trouble?

Submitted by devious_cruising t3_108ls6t in CambridgeMA

I just drove on Brattle Street near Hawthorne and the barriers they have put up look like trouble. They are cement rectangles about four foot long separating the street from the bike lane. They are low to the ground and at this point have no reflective paint nor anything else informing drivers they are there.

Unless the City does something more with them in terms of warning drivers they are there, I predict a slew of accident on this part of Brattle. An unfamiliar driver leaving Harvard Square on Brattle is not going to know they are there and is going to run right over/into them.

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jimpaulmitsi t1_j3tkydz wrote

this came up in a recent listening session for garden st since they just installed these there. these cement blocks are used in place of the standard flexposts in historic areas. nevertheless they are practically invisible at night and there needs to be a different solution

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MDR_25 t1_j3tnqzo wrote

I had the same reaction the first couple times I drove down there, but I've since realized it isn't really any different from a normal curb. It just feels like they narrowed the street. I don't think it'll be a problem for drivers that are "unfamiliar" with Brattle, but they might take some getting used to for folks that drive in the area regularly and aren't paying attention. I'd rather see those drivers plow into a concrete curb than take out a cyclist.

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ErnieBochII t1_j3uaart wrote

Not the best design, admittedly. But why would you ever be in danger of driving in the bike lane?

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EconomyOld8404 t1_j3vw2ab wrote

People need to learn how to pay attention while driving.

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tarojelly t1_j3w4dgl wrote

We went on a walk there this weekend and I saw a confused car turn right into the bike lane instead of the road which the caused 3 cars to follow them and then there was a line of 4 cars driving in the Brattle bike lane. 3 of them panicked and exited at the first break in the blocks but the first car just kept driving down the bike lane as if they didn't notice anything wrong. I know they look a little ugly but I think the cement blocks should have the taller toblerone blocks installed on top to make them more visible in the snow and safe for the cyclists. A lost driver also might hesitate to turn into the bike lane if it's so obviously walled off

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slimeyamerican t1_j3y0reo wrote

Replying to ik1nky (#1,333,314)

Dude, if multiple cars are doing it in a single month, you can’t simply blame recklessness. That’s insane. I don’t know whether the angled barrier was added on brattle st or not, but either way it demonstrates the obvious problem-people are unfamiliar with these things, they’re not visible enough, and they’re causing accidents. The lawsuits these things will generate are going to be wild.

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IntelligentCicada363 t1_j4qdhd5 wrote

I also think that pedestrians should be required to wear reflective vests and carry little flags across the street with them -- and if a collision is unavoidable despite all this, they should get down on their knees and be thankful that the motorist will suffer no injury or punishment.

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