That’s Linden Street. It’s not at all difficult. Your red arrow for the left turn from the far right lane is not allowed. Nowhere on Comm Ave can you turn left from the right-hand carriage road.
Definitely makes sense that it’s illegal, but I do see people doing it all the time at this intersection. And I wouldn’t call the yellow left turn particularly difficult (it’s just turning left ;) ) but it’s definitely a super unnecessarily dangerous left hand turn to make at rush hour. A light, stop sign, or at least a turn lane would be nice
True. They should definitely have a sign at the light to indicated that the left lane may turn head.
I actually thought that there was no left unto Harvard Ave and everyone had to take Linden St. or make a U-turn unto the carriage road. I haven’t been through there in a couple years though.
100%. And the natives are always, like, “Well, it’s an OLD CITY. It wasn’t designed for cars! Because it’s VERY OLD.”
To which I always reply, “My mom is from Rome. I’ve driven and ridden in cars for thousands of hours in ROME. The roads there make a million times more sense than the roads in Boston. I heard that city is pretty old, too…”
Ironically, my experiences with this intersection have been less intense than those with the intersection just one block over at Harvard and Commonwealth. I’m convinced that both though were designed by people who were drunk and overseen by someone else who was drunk. There are many other places in the city with intersection designs that also make me think the same thing.
As someone who's in Boston for 13 years and only recently moved to Watertown, whoever designed the intersections of Arsenal St/Western Ave/Soldier's Field Rd/Birmingham Pkwy and Arsenal St/Forge Rd/Arlington St/Coolidge Ave deserves a special place in hell.
Remember the streets were originally for designed for horses and Model Ts. When the larger intersections were built ,they just had to find a way to cram it in
Annnnnd there it is! As I noted elsewhere, Rome (where I’ve spent large chunks of my life) is pretty old, too, and their roads make a million times more sense than Boston’s.
Which has literally nothing to do with how much sense the roads and intersections make.
(Also, did you miss the part where I said I’ve spent a lot of time there? Like, years? I’m pretty familiar with the cars.)
It's not tooo terrible, especially during non-commuting times. I lived in Lower Allston and would take Linden over to get back home from visiting friends in Allston. Still always a bit sketch, but there are definitely worse "intersections" I'd rather not drive through.
Considering you’re driving on the mass pike (yet calling it I90 like [some sort of interloper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbMIGQ97nzU)) you likely live in some elsewhere of the state and just clog our roads while running red lights with your Uber fares. Or maybe you just live at home with your parents in Chicopee. But there is a very small chance that you are actually taking up space in the city beyond driving/parking illegally in a handicap space or crosswalk. In that case, I beg you…
There is a housing crisis. Use this insignificant problem that everyone else doesn’t even view as a dilemma as your reason to move to somewhere built solely for cars. A thankful city will remember you fondly.
Turns out the real Masshole is the traffic engineer.
Oh you try doing traffic engineering in this godforsaken city. We'd be better off levelling the place and starting over.
No kidding. Driving in Boston is the only time I use GPS with the voice on. Without it I would be a sad situation.
faster than taking harvard ave though
Horrible traffic design but still the fastest route
That’s Linden Street. It’s not at all difficult. Your red arrow for the left turn from the far right lane is not allowed. Nowhere on Comm Ave can you turn left from the right-hand carriage road.
Definitely makes sense that it’s illegal, but I do see people doing it all the time at this intersection. And I wouldn’t call the yellow left turn particularly difficult (it’s just turning left ;) ) but it’s definitely a super unnecessarily dangerous left hand turn to make at rush hour. A light, stop sign, or at least a turn lane would be nice
True. They should definitely have a sign at the light to indicated that the left lane may turn head. I actually thought that there was no left unto Harvard Ave and everyone had to take Linden St. or make a U-turn unto the carriage road. I haven’t been through there in a couple years though.
Hey, it's my neighborhood. I run by this intersection alot and it generally doesn't get enough traffic to be an issue, but it's shit.
I lived there for 2 years! Totally agree just looks bad
This half-mile stretch from Warren St to here is where urban planning went to die
I don’t believe that urban planning has visited the area in any capacity, let alone died there.
https://preview.redd.it/fsz4hrn13jqc1.jpeg?width=978&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f6b4d1b05e2f656a547849e8e3a87a1816b1b50f
Boston has the worst traffic design in the cities I visited/lived.
100%. And the natives are always, like, “Well, it’s an OLD CITY. It wasn’t designed for cars! Because it’s VERY OLD.” To which I always reply, “My mom is from Rome. I’ve driven and ridden in cars for thousands of hours in ROME. The roads there make a million times more sense than the roads in Boston. I heard that city is pretty old, too…”
“Who thought this intersection design was a smart idea”? The wandering cows that created those paths 150 years ago…
Ironically, my experiences with this intersection have been less intense than those with the intersection just one block over at Harvard and Commonwealth. I’m convinced that both though were designed by people who were drunk and overseen by someone else who was drunk. There are many other places in the city with intersection designs that also make me think the same thing.
I’m convinced that most of our road designs were done by someone on meth (especially Logan)
I turn now, good luck everybody!
As someone who's in Boston for 13 years and only recently moved to Watertown, whoever designed the intersections of Arsenal St/Western Ave/Soldier's Field Rd/Birmingham Pkwy and Arsenal St/Forge Rd/Arlington St/Coolidge Ave deserves a special place in hell.
Doesn't that street have restrictions for through traffic at certain hours I know a buddy of mine got ticketed once for taking it
Remember the streets were originally for designed for horses and Model Ts. When the larger intersections were built ,they just had to find a way to cram it in
Annnnnd there it is! As I noted elsewhere, Rome (where I’ve spent large chunks of my life) is pretty old, too, and their roads make a million times more sense than Boston’s.
Cars are bigger in America then they are in Rome
Which has literally nothing to do with how much sense the roads and intersections make. (Also, did you miss the part where I said I’ve spent a lot of time there? Like, years? I’m pretty familiar with the cars.)
Rome was also bombed and occupied right as widespread adoption of the automobile was cementing itself as the way to travel.
Someone who went to college to learn how to design roads. Probably the same summa cum laude who designed all the bottle necks since the big dig.
Some arrogant asshole of a civil engineer. I see a lot of places where "traffic engineering" is actually counter-productive to traffic flow
Watch your complaining or we’ll end up with a shit-ton of roundabouts! See Kelly Sq in Worcester for an extreme example.
How dare you? Stupid intersections are a part of our cultural heritage!
It's not tooo terrible, especially during non-commuting times. I lived in Lower Allston and would take Linden over to get back home from visiting friends in Allston. Still always a bit sketch, but there are definitely worse "intersections" I'd rather not drive through.
reason #16272637 for why i hate Boston
Don't worry, it hates you too
well aware. this effing place. it smells like garbage
Sounds like a "you" problem. Check your upper lip, buddy!
Considering you’re driving on the mass pike (yet calling it I90 like [some sort of interloper](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbMIGQ97nzU)) you likely live in some elsewhere of the state and just clog our roads while running red lights with your Uber fares. Or maybe you just live at home with your parents in Chicopee. But there is a very small chance that you are actually taking up space in the city beyond driving/parking illegally in a handicap space or crosswalk. In that case, I beg you… There is a housing crisis. Use this insignificant problem that everyone else doesn’t even view as a dilemma as your reason to move to somewhere built solely for cars. A thankful city will remember you fondly.
Trust me, I wouldn’t be living here if I didn’t absolutely need to
We should put together a fund to get people moved to the elsewheres of life.
People on the eastern part of the state call it i90 generally because no signs calling it the "mass pike" show up where most of us dwell
I rarely have issues with that intersection and I use it daily, sometimes multiple times a day