And where people don’t see lane markers, they make there own lanes. I get this problem all the time on Reservoir Ave in the Reservoir Triangle, from the defunct Stop & Shop (where they should build a Super Walmart!) to Roger Williams Ave.

The problem also exists on many roads downtown.

But back to Dean St, I just think that the street is an oddity. It’s sort of like the Branch Ave overpass of I-95, which is almost deserted and barren most of the time, but a major (and dangerous) artery during rush hours.

I agree with Miguel. As someone who lived on the hill with a car, it was frustrating to have to get on 10 at Broadway or Harris. The reason being that you have to cross 2 lanes of traffic to get onto 10 in under a mile and people in this state aren’t usually willing to let you in. It sucked once they got rid of the Broad St on ramp to 95.

This will also spread out some of the traffic trying to get to 95 North from the Hill. Instead of everyone trying to get on at the Service Road by the Hilton, some will take Dean St.

I don’t think this makes it that much more difficult for pedestrians. They didn’t really re-work a whole lot of the sidewalk space other than getting rid of the median.

The one thing I wish they did do was paint lane markers all the way to Atwells on the southbound side. It becomes a huge clusterf*** after you pass the light for the highway entrance/exit.

I actually never considered walking in the center median, I think if I ever had to walk over the viaduct again, that would actually be the safest place to do so. Seriously, I’m not kidding.

I don’t so much care that the new access has been created (but seriously, we’ve gone without it forever), it is the design of the intersection that bothers me. All the traffic on the viaduct is about hurry up and go nowhere. The viaduct is basically a highway with traffic lights at either end. Sure you can get driving up to 50mph when there’s no traffic, but then you just have to stop at the lights at either end.

How much time & fuel is wasted by people having to drive around Providence Place to access 95 from Memorial Blvd because they cannot access it here? Not to mention the many drivers who have risked the dangerous U-Turn there daily.

The viaduct has a sidewalk on the southbound side. While it’s not as wide as a Manhattan pedestrian thoroughfare, it’s wide enough to allow access over the bridge.

As long as the lights are allow sufficient time for a pedestrian to cross in the well-marked and new crosswalk, I have no problem with it. I have no sympathy for those people who cross over the viaduct and “take shelter” on the narrow median strip of concrete. Crossing should not be done there.