City Testing Silly Putty, ‘Green’ Material to Fill Potholes This Spring
In an effort to “go green,” the city is testing three alternative pothole filling substances this spring: One, a silly-putty substance, two, a vegetable oil-based binder, and three, a 100 percent recyclable substance. “I expect our city to innovate constantly to better serve Bostonians” said Mayor Menino. “Potholes are a major menace to drivers. We are conducting this pilot test because we believe that these innovative solutions may offer longer-lasting, more environmentally friendly solutions than traditional pothole filling materials.” The city started a ramped up effort to target potholes last week. To date, nearly 1,000 potholes have been reported and filled since the campaign’s launch March 13, according to the city. Over the next six months, the city says they will be tracking these various substances to evaluate them for longevity of the fix, easy of use, envionrmental benefits, cost, and other parameters. New SubstancesThe three materials used in Boston this spring are called Hole Patch, Aquaphalt, and UPM. Hole Patch utilizes a silly putty like material in a Kevlar bag that is placed in potholes. Workers place the bag in the pothole to make it temporarily safe for drivers, with the idea that they will return when weather conditions improve to make a permanent repair. The second material, aquaphalt, is a more eco-friendly solution. It contains a vegetable oil based binder, which contains no VOCs (volatile organic compounds), a contributor to air pollution in Boston. Finally, UPM is designed to focus on longevity of the repair, and it’s UPM is 100% recyclable and contains well below all VOC and other Massachusetts regulation limits. Joanne Massaro, commissioner of Public Works in Boston, said the new substance trials show the city takes innovation seriously. “We always seek out ways to improve the services we deliver to Boston’s residents,” she said. “This pilot is a great opportunity to experiment with new solutions to make our roads smoother.” Residents can report potholes using the Citizens Connect app, calling the mayor’s hotline at 617-635-4500, filing a request online, or tweeting to @NotifyBoston with the hashtag #spotholes. Where do you see the biggest potholes in the South End? Tell us in the comments. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
5 Convertibles For Cruising This Spring
After a wild and wet winter, temperatures are slowly starting to rise in the Boston area. You’ve spent months cooped up in the house or swaddled in your hat and scarf waiting for your car to warm up. Wouldn’t it be nice to drop the rag top and enjoy the sun as you drive? Below are five convertibles for sale, selected randomly from area dealerships. All cars in this list are listed for $ 75,000 or less. A little pricey, sure, but if you’re in a position to buy a second vehicle, don’t you want a dream car? 1. 2013 Porsche Boxster S, $ 74,455 This German import comes in “agate,” or dark grey. A new car, it has only 12 miles on the odometer. Under the hood is a six head, 24 valve, 3.4 liter engine and a six-speed manual transmission. Amenities include a Bose sound system. The car’s for sale at Herb Chambers Porsche 2. 2013 Audi S5 3.0T Quattro Premium Plus, $ 71,650 Another German import, this black Quattro has a 3.0 liter engine with supercharger for added power. The convertible comes with a seven-speed manual transmission with auto-shifters, adding to the sporty experience. You can find this car at Audi of Brookline on Route 9. 3. 2013 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport, $ 74,805 The reigning, undisputed champion of American sports cars, this black convertible comes with a massive 6.2 liter engine. Aluminum wheels and nav system add to the ride. This car is for sale at Best Chevrolet on Derby Street in Hingham. 4. 2013 Mercedes Benz E350, $ 71,425 Painted “dolomite brown,” this convertible comes with a V6, 3.0 liter engine. It’s the first automatic on our list, with seven speeds. The car combines safety with style, adding curtain head air bags and traction control. You can find it at Flagship Motorcars on Broadway (Route 1) in Lynnfield. 5. 2007 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, $ 71,500 It’s the only used car on this list, but used is the only way you’ll get an Aston Martin for less than $ 75,000. The 4.3 liter V8 engine comes with a sports shift transmission. Painted midnight blue, it comes with a very British-sounding “red fox” interior. The car is six years old but has only 17,236 miles. You can see it at Aston Martin of New England on Linden Street in Waltham. South End Patch
Categories: Arrests Tags: Convertibles, Cruising, Spring, This
Will the South End Get Snow From this Storm?
Boston’s in for some wet weather Wednesday through Friday. This is a slow moving storm, which means a the light precipitation you see will eventually add up. For Boston, however, the local weather teams aren’t predicting very much snow. Instead, expect a lot of rain and maybe some heavy slushy snow in spots. While areas inland may get a half a foot of snow, Boston’s bigger concern is the three high tides during this storm. Flooding may become an issue along the immediate coast. Here are the latest forecasts from the local television news weather teams. All totals were updated Wednesday morning. WHDH (7 News): All rain WLVI (NewsCenter 5): 1-2 inches along the coast, six inches or more inland WBZ (CBS Local): 2-4 inches WFXT (MyFox Boston): 1-3 inches NECN: 1-3 inches South End Patch
How Much Snow is the South End Getting This Weekend?
Will the South End see six inches of snow this weekend, or will we see more like three inches with rain mixed in? The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. The NWS said 3 inches of snow or more is possible and warned of heavy wet snow that may fall at 1 to 2 inches per hour. Snow may mix with rain in the South End area. The NWS warned that the heavy wet snow could bring down tree limbs and result in scattered power outages. Here is a look at the snowfall estimates for Boston as of 10 a.m. Friday: Channel 4 (WBZ): 4 to 6 inches south of the Mass Pike, including Boston; 6 to 12 inches north of the Mass Pike Channel 5 (WCBV): 3 to 6 inches south of the Mass Pike, including Boston; 6 to 9 inches north of the Mass Pike Channel 7 (WHDH): 3 to 6 inches closer to Boston; 6 to 10 inches just north and west of Boston NECN: 6 inches Channel 7 meteorologist Pete Bouchard wrote on his weather blog: Storm start-up still looks like Saturday afternoon. We’ll still be able to get around and the amounts will be light through midnight – in fact, we may even mix from Boston to the South Shore. (Cape sees rain.) After midnight, the storm will get a little meatier. Snow intensity will increase into Sunday morning. Heavy snow through Sunday morning. Tapering to flurries by mid afternoon on Sunday There is a lot of water being thrown around in the atmosphere, and with marginally cold temps, this will result in a heavy, wet snow in many spots. Even in Worcester county, it will make for good snowballs and snowpeople. On the South Shore, it will cake to the trees and power lines – so there might be more power outages. South End Patch
How Much Snow Will the South End Get This Weekend?
All the experts agree: It’s going to snow in Boston this weekend. But how much and when the snow will start seems to be up in the air. Depending on whose map you used on Wednesday, Boston was in for either a few inches or a foot of heavy, wet snow. By Thursday morning, however, all of the local news broadcasts started to fall in line on the same theme: The rain will linger along the coast and spare Boston from the heaviest snowfall totals. Here’s a look at the forecasts from the different local news station meteorologists. All these totals were updated Thursday morning: WHDH (7 News): 4-8 inches WLVI (NewsCenter 5): 4-8 inches WBZ (CBS Local): 4-8 inches WFXT (MyFox Boston): 4-8 inches along the immediate coast, but a potential for over a foot in Boston NECN: Plowable snow (Instead of specific inches or feet of snow, NECN’s Matt Noyes prefers to use ranges of probability. So what does “plowable snow” mean? “Essentially, you can consider this a minimum likely snow map, where plowable snow implies at least [2-4 inches],” wrote Noyes on his blog). SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
South End Answers: What’s Up with the Ice Melt This Year?
In this week’s column of “You Ask, Patch Answers,” a new feature where we find the answers to your questions, reader Robert Rovenolt asked about the ice melt and whether it was a different substance this year in Boston. “[My question] concerns the different snow/ice melt the DPW spread on the streets during the last storm,” he wrote. “It seems like a new substance that is now coating everything…cars, buildings and people when it blows in clouds down the street. It stings the eyes and I’m sure it’s not good for are 4 pawed friends! What’s up DPW?” I reached out to the City of Boston, to the mayor’s office and to the Boston Public Works Department. The mayor’s spokesperson said there’s nothing new or unusual happening with the snow/ice melt this year. “Public Works places salt or a salt and water mixture called brine to the roads,” wrote John Guilfoil in an email. “There are no other chemicals used to treat the roads.” Robert, hopefully that answers your question! Got a question about the neighborhood you want answered? Submit it in the comments below. Each week Patch will pick a question to research and answer the following week. Add your question today! SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch