Today is Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. If you're looking for ways to celebrate locally, the Museum of Fine Arts is offering discounted admission to its Diwali festivities (featuring henna, art making and music) this Thursday. But first, let's get to the news: Red means stop; green means go. But what if there is no green light? Massachusetts drivers may need more education about how to handle a newer kind of traffic light, according to a team of UMass Amherst researchers. The group published a study this month that found an alarming rate of Massachusetts drivers were blowing through a light increasingly used at crosswalks known as pedestrian hybrid beacons. - How it works: Pedestrian hybrid beacons have two red lights and one yellow light, and five different light patterns. When all lights are off, it means drivers can cautiously proceed through the crosswalk. When a pedestrian hits the crosswalk button, the yellow light flashes and then goes solid. Solid red means stop — that's also when pedestrians are shown the walk sign. The light then changes to flashing reds, which is like a stop sign, meaning cars can go if the crosswalk is clear. MassDOT has diagrams and videos that explain it, too.
- Where are they? While these lights have been used across the country for years, they're relatively new to Massachusetts, according to Mike Knodler, the director of the UMass Transportation Center. So far, there are about 40 across the state, with more on the horizon. They're usually installed at trail crossings and non-intersection crosswalks, including some notoriously dangerous crossings.
- What's the problem? Their study looked at 10 of the state's lights. It found that nearly a quarter of drivers drove through the solid reds and 65% drove through the flashing red, regardless of whether pedestrians were trying to cross. Knodler told WBUR's Cici Yu that drivers often seemed to be paying more attention to the car in front of them than the actual light. "Let's say that the first driver goes, one thing we noticed is that sometimes the second to third or the trailing vehicles are likely to just follow that vehicle through the red," he said.
- The big picture: Across the country, pedestrian hybrid beacons appear to improve safety. According to the Federal Highway Administration, they lead to a 55% decrease in pedestrians hit by cars and a 15% drop in serious injuries and deaths.
- What's the solution? Knodler says drivers need to follow the rules for the lights to be effective. He thinks more public education is key. But the findings also led Knodler to question if the beacons were best for trail crossings where there's a steady stream of people and cyclists: "We might want to think about what other types of treatments may, in some instances, be better in some of those locations."
We'll cross that bridge: The White House says federal funding to rebuild the two aging Cape Cod bridges is on hold — and could be canceled. On Friday, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the Trump administration was "immediately pausing" and considering canceling over $11 billion for "lower-priority projects" U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, including in Boston. Vought blamed the government shutdown for draining the Corps' ability to manage the projects. Local officials said Friday they had not been notified about any funding changes and that the project is moving forward with money that was appropriated by Congress. - What happens if the project doesn't go forward? State Sen. Dylan Fernandes, a Falmouth Democrat who represents the Cape, told WBUR's Paul Connearney that the Sagamore and Bourne bridges would need to undergo disruptive renovations if new bridges aren't built. "For nine-plus months they'd have to shut down an entire bridge for rehab," Fernandes said. "And then it's estimated that, for two years after that, it would just be one-lane traffic each way."
Enrollment woes: The open enrollment window for Medicare Advantage opened last week, and tens of thousands of Massachusetts seniors are seeing major disruptions to the privately managed plans. The Boston Globe reports the changes include higher premiums, coverage of fewer drugs and reduced benefits. Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare are also removing some hospital networks and forcing patients to switch doctors or pay more out of pocket. - According to the Globe, nearly 70,000 people — or about one in six people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans — will see some change in coverage.
P.S.— We want to know: Which Greater Boston restaurants do you think will earn a Michelin star this November? And which ones do you think deserve it? Tell us in this form, and your answer could be included in a future newsletter. |
