Rail Trail Revisited

Today the Telegram ran another article about the twincity rail trail
Price too high for Twin Cities’ bike trail

These rail trail folks are very unrealistic. I attended some of their early meetings. They were poorly attended. Typically 6 to 12 people. They had no idea they had a ROW conflict with the Rt 12 project. I brought the ROW issue up on several occasions, including a meeting at City Hall in Leominster. Somehow the S&E reporter that was present at that meeting didn't think it important enough to make her report in the paper. Guess we know where the S&E stands on the project.

The rail trail supporters kinda went underground after the first year. They resurfaced briefly when the two cities planning offices jointly filed for the $500,000 grant. Information on their website is rarely if ever updated and it's difficult to track where and when they are meeting. Unless of course it's published in the newspaper.

Do these rail trail supporters really expect MassHwy to buy up the land for them CSX files to abandon the ROW?

MassHwy should buy up the ROW. But not for a frivilous use like a rail trail. They should have snapped it up a long time ago so they could redesign the Rt2/Rt2 interchange.

By the way, I've two questions that maybe some readers can answer.

What's the source of the money for rail trail earmarks?

And how did these rail trail supporters raise (or extort as the case may be) enough money to make an offer of $1.5 Million for the RR ROW?

I've got my suspicions, I just want someone to confirm them.

Some Truths about SPEEDING

On Sunday the S&E gave us the following editorial
Keeping kids, and parents safe from buses

Is speeding really the problem that the S&E has portrayed it as, not just today but every time they see an opportunity to write about it?

What did the police that were interviewed for the S&E series of articles on Speeding and Cut throughs several years ago have to say about it.
Chief Cronin from Fitchburg, "People would call and say these cars are speeding. Sometimes it is not true...."
Chief Charette from Southbridge. "We really can't afford to spend eight hours of overtime to wait and catch one speeding driver out of every 200 that pass,"

Most people believe that:

• the speed limit in front of their house is too high
• the speed limit in front of your house is too low
• the police don't spend enough time enforcing the limit in front of their house
• the police spend too much time enforcing the limit in front of your house
• raised sidewalks, stop signs, yield signs, traffic signals, and painted crosswalks make roads safer.

All the above are common misconceptions.

The truth is that the vast majority of drivers travel at speeds that are reasonable and prudent. As often as not, that is higher than the posted limit because the speed limit is posted below what it should be. Studies also show that raising or lowering the posted limit by 10 MPH results in less than a 1 MPH change in average speeds.

Surprised?

Want to see how proper speed limits are set? Read here How Are Speed Limits Established

Care to see how they're making roads safer in other countries and in a few innovative cities here in the US? Read on at Naked Streets.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month

This week there were three motorcycle collisions in the area that were reported in articles in the S&E.

The first occured on Monday, and was reported on Wednesday.
Motorcyclist hurt in Route 2 wreck
There's not a lot of detail in the article. Commuters know however, that Rt 2 westbound from the I190 merge to just beyond the Rt 13 exit can be daunting during rush hour. Traffic backs up from Rt 13 onto Rt 2 and traffic entering Rt 2 has a sharp on ramp with an all too short acceleration lane. Something must have caused one or more drivers to brake abruptly. Unfortunately on Monday it resulted in a serious collision.

The second and third collisions were reported in an article on Thursday.
Pair of motorcycle wrecks sends one rider to hospital
Both collisions involved elderly cagers (motorcycle speak for operator of an enclosed vehicle). The collision on Rt 117 is characteristic of too many cager/motorcycle collision where the cage operator states after the collision, "I couldn't see the motorcycle".

Just a thought as May, (National Motorcyclist Awareness Month) approaches, be alert, look for motorcyclists, The rider could be a friend, relative or neighbor.

Preview

There seem to be two themes in S&E articles this week.

This first is Speeding. From the biased report on Monday's Ward 6 meeting to the Willard St. traffic signals. The S&E just can't resist exagerating the issue.

The second is motorcycle collisions. One on Rt 2 on Tuesday, two more on Wednesday (both involving elderly drivers). It's that time of year folks we're out there.

I'll be posting more about both issues later today or tomorrow so stay tuned.

Incredible $9 Million

Today's S&E reports that the Twin City Rail Trail project has to give up a $500,000 grant because they cannot complete negotiations for aquiring the land from CSX before the mid-June deadline. Imagine CSX places a value of $9 Million on a strip of land 4.2 miles long reportedly ranging in width from 25 to 50 ft. much of which they don't even own.

Gee, maybe we shoulda just used much of that ROW for a north bound Rt 12. I'm sure MassHwy wouldn't have given CSX anyway near that much for the stretch of ROW from say Rt 2 to Battle, Benson or Bemis. And once the ROW is extinguished all those Leominster abutters get their land back. Wouldn't that be kewl.

Though the S&E reports this a loss for the Twin Cities it's clearly a good thing for motorist that use Rt 12.

Leominster and Fitchburg Road Projects

Over a week ago in a comment to the Quick comments on the Rt12 project.
Dean Tran said...
I listened to WEIM this morning on my way to work. Ray C had Mayor Mazarella on. The Mayor mentioned the handful of projects the city of Leominster is working on and/or slated to have in the near future including new exits coming off Rt2, more work on Rt13, Rt12 and others. How did Leominster managed to get all these projects?

Is this the best we can get in Fitchburg is Rt12 widening?

Well here's how Leominster and Fitchburg compare based on information from the MassHwy website.

Leominster Projects

• Projects Completed
  1. 601358 Resurfacing Rt 13 from Lunenburg to Prospect St 2.4 miles
• Projects under constuction
  1. 180514 - Rt 2 exit 34
  2. 602459 - Rehabilitate Rt 13 Bridge over Nashua River
  3. 603422 - Resurfacing sections of Rt 2
• Projects in Design
  1. 600760 - Replace Mechanic St bridge over North Nashua River - TIP year 2007
  2. 601992 - Signalization at Willard and Rt 12 - TIP year 2006
  3. 602340 - Bike Path at Searstown - TIP year 2010
  4. 603331 - Rt 12 Phase 1 and 2 - TIP year 2006
  5. 603514 - Bridge Replacement Whitney St over Monoosnok Brook
  6. 604588 - Resurfacing Rt I190 - TIP year 2006
  7. 604672 - Bridge Rehabilitation Rt 12 over Rt 2

Fitchburg Projects

• Projects Completed
  1. 601093 Resurfacing and related work Rt 31 Mechanic St
  2. 601440 Bridge Rehabilitation Townsend St over Baker Brook
  3. 602399 Reconstruction on North St (Bikepath and Streetscape)
  4. 602837 District 2 and 3 Guardrail and Delineation Littleton to Phillipston
• Projects under constuction
  1. 601365 - Milling and Resurfacing 2A Lunenburg St. Highland to Perkings 0.6 miles
  2. 601959 - Reconstruction and related work on Summer St
  3. 602553 - Traffic Safety Improvements at Main and North
  4. 602704 - Bridge replacement over B&M Railroad and North River
  5. 603422 - Resurfacing and related work on sections of Rt 2
  6. 603663 - Bridge Replacement on Mass 5th Hwy over Flag Brook
• Projects in Design
  1. 602621 - Resurfacing Rt 31 John Fitch to Scripture Road - TIP year 2008
  2. 603331 - Rt 12 Phase 1 and 2 - TIP year 2006
  3. 603537 - Reconstruction on North St from Pearl to Ross (Phase III) - TIP year 2007
  4. 604046 - Bridge Replacement on Rt 2A Kimball St over Nashua St - TIP year 2008
  5. 604364 - Resurfacing and related work on Rt 2 from exit 26 in Westminster to exit 24 in Fitchburg (Rt 31)
  6. 604634 - Bridge Replacement Ashby West Road over Scott Reservoir oulet
  7. 604736 - Traffic Intersection improvements John Fitch at Ashby State Rd (Rt 31)

As you can see there's not that much of a difference. Could it be simply that :

• Leominster's location and access to Rt 2, Rt 70, Rt I190, Rt 13, Rt 117 and Rt 12 just make it a target (no pun intended) for commercial and residential development
• that the high profile projects on Rt 2 are needed to deal with the increased traffic
• that these projects are seen by many of us twice each day during the commute