I wish MassDOT would look at the snow on roadways to see the dangerous consequences of misinformation in road design guides. Sidewalk extensions and neck downs have no proven injury reduction for pedestrians and create huge problems in states where it snows. Pedestrians are already protected by parked cars, so there is no reason to expect any statistical benefit. Snowbanks are now set either in bike lanes or where these extensions project into the road. Plow operators can’t maintain momentum to move the snow while weaving in and out of extensions. They usually don’t even try because hitting one hidden in snow results in breaking the plow and possibly bending the vehicle frame. Come spring, street sweepers again have difficulty moving around them. Both result in higher costs every year to taxpayers. Design guides list no negatives for extensions, but one only needs to look outside to see them. I suggest paper pushers learn from snow pushers and MBTA bus drivers who log 27 million miles per year, 20+ hours a day, every day. The 14%decreasese in bus mpg from 2005 to 2009 resulting in 1.5 million more pounds of CO2 can be pointed at MassDOT efforts to reduce road capacities. Perhaps some heard the Presiden’t State of the Union Address, build infrastructure to support the economy, don’t spend $millions diminishing it throughout cities and towns.