The Globe takes a look at the coming $300 million Longfellow Bridge renovation – and expansion of sidewalks and bikes lanes. The story is accompanied by a terrific graphic.
The two competing visions for the post-renovation Longfellow have more in common than all the loud arguing suggests: They both strive to make walking and biking across the bridge a more pleasant experience.
They also all agree: The current configuration for the most heavily used side (upstream – or the side closest to community boating) is absolutely absurd: Only 9 feet and six inches for both pedestrians and bikers vs. 27 feet and six inches for two lanes of cars.
The state would change the numbers to 15 feet for pedestrians and bikers vs. 22 feet for two lanes of cars. The LiveablesStreets Alliance would go further: 24 feet for pedestrians and bikers vs. only 11 feet for only one lane of cars.
Though the alliance’s design clearly looks better, one has to wonder if we’d merely be trading one inconvenience (too little room for walkers and bikes) for another inconvenience (too little room for cars). We’re no traffic experts. So we’ll let the two sides argue away.
But it’s great to see, no matter what plan they go with, that improvements are on the way.
File under: Singing in the rain
