Good Intersection, Meet Bad Intersection

On my mile-long walk to work this summer, there are two consecutive intersections that are a prime example of what to do and what not to do when planning streets.

The first, top, has two banks, a CVS and a supermarket at its corners and despite having new walk signals, seems never to have considered walking when it was first designed. Each direction has at least three lanes, at least one of which is dedicated exclusively to turning, even though I've never seen more than seven cars wait at the light during the peak of rush hour. As a result, it takes a lifetime to cross what really should be a simple intersection. Concrete is everywhere and the new coat of pavement put down this summer smells horrid on humid days. The CVS' and supermarket's landscaping says, "We never expected anyone would drive here even though it's a five-minute walk from downtown."

The second, bottom, is the heart of Pittsfield's downtown. It has genuinely large amounts of traffic, but is a pleasure to walk because the intersections are split by nice islands. The new design has red faux-brick in the crosswalk that's attractive. The walk signals work well. And at the center is a lovely, small park with a monument that turns what could be an annoying rotary into a beautiful, picturesque attraction. The park and the turn-of-the-20th-century buildings surrounding the intersection make it a great experience every time.

The first is only two blocks west of the second, but instead of having downtown's handsome buildings and walkable street extend in that direction, that first intersection and the buildings that lead to it block that connection from happening.

On a related note, a small sliver of the Obama administration's stimulus bill is paying for the reconstruction of one of the Berkshire Mall's access roads, which also connects Rtes. 7 and 8, two of the northern half of the county's biggest roads. Sure, I went to the mall's Target on my first day in Pittsfield to buy some small items for my apartment and the mall is a shopping hub. But are the millions spent on this truly better used there, where someone will drive his car to a big-box store for an item rung up by someone paid slightly more than the minimum wage, than if they had been used on a project similar to the intersection in downtown Pittsfield that would substantially improve the quality of life in the city's core or one of it neighborhoods? I say no.

Update: I temper what I wrote about the mall's access road. The connection between Rtes. 7 and 8 is pretty important for getting from the major north-south road on the west side of the county to its counterpart on the east side.