Biking in Boston

I have the opposite experience. For example, yesterday, on Brighton Ave I saw a pedestrian waiting in a crosswalk waiting, so I stopped. She looked at me. I said, please... go. I had to practically beg her to cross. Meanwhile I'm holding up a car so that she can go, plus waving to a few more pedestrians who suddenly showed up to cross.

The passivity of some pedestrians kills me.

This particular intersection is a peeve of mine though, because it's so obviously horrible, and drivers almost never yield unless you force the issue. But it isn't helping when pedestrians don't even try.

On a bike on Brighton Ave, I'm acutely aware that there's likely some lunatic nipping at my rear wheel just waiting for a chance to swerve around me. I try to keep that in mind whenever approaching the cross walk. I just got a rearview mirror for my helmet, actually, we'll see if that helps.
 
As someone who has to make the decision of whether to add additional signage to crosswalks, I always try to watch the pedestrians' behavior when I do my site visits. Like Matthew was saying, part of the problem is that so many pedestrians don't make their attempt clear. They stand at the curb on their phone, are looking at the trees, the sky, etc. Why would a car stop if they can't even tell that you're ready to cross the street?
 
I think curb extensions would go a long way. This particular intersection has no curb extensions and no nothing, at all, really, other than lines on the street and a small sign. Also, the parking lines are drawn all the way up to the corners, even though the city's regulations say they should be 20 feet away from the corner. I tried filing reports on that, they always get closed and ignored. So pedestrians become particularly invisible when they have to peek out from behind a parked car or van in order just to be seen. And Boston even puts meters right up against the corners, as if they never even heard of their own regulations regarding sight distance...

But that's not all: one time I came across a pedestrian halfway across the street in the crosswalk and boxed in on three sides by cars: one making a left turn, one making a U-turn from the other direction, and another going straight across. And the poor woman was standing in the center while the three drivers had it out. What a bizarre scene.

In short: Brighton Ave is one f-ed up street, ever since the "A" line went away...
 
Smh...

10343681_846633263410_8419668354475205765_n.jpg


Friend just posted this in Cambridge.
 
I wish there was a way to get a "citizen parking ticket", where you could send a picture like this to to the city and they'd fine the driver.
 
I know a lot of bikers that would just break their rear view mirror off with a bike lock as they roll by. I also know a lot of ass hole bikers.
 
In the first picture it looks like the fault of the city as the car appears to be parked at a meter?!?
 
BPLange7 said:
In the first picture it looks like the fault of the city as the car appears to be parked at a meter?!?
Click to expand...

The car is parked in a designated cycle track. The parking spaces are actually closest to the street to avoid dooring.

Perhaps the entire cycle track should be painted and lightweight non-permanent warning bollards should be used like NYC (Grand Street):

grand1.jpg
 
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I was tricked by that at firs, too. I doubt ve much that the driver understood that he was parked in a bike lane. This is my preferred arrangement, but there needs to be much stronger markings to indicate who can use what and where.
 
Boston Globe Article from Oct 15th

Salient stats:
From Porter Square to Central Square and farther, cyclists in Cambridge logged 15.5 million miles in 2012, a 237 percent increase in mileage from 2004. That made Cambridge one of the top bicycle commuting cities in the nation, according to the city’s bicycle program research.

According to 2012 American Community Survey data, 7 percent of working Cambridge residents commute primarily by bicycle...the fifth highest percentage of bicycle-bound commuters in the country, surpassing other bike-friendly cities such as Portland, Ore., or Madison, Wis.

[By comparison] Somerville and Brookline recorded bicycle commuting rates of 4.4 and 4.1 percent, [and] Boston, the rate was 1.7 percent.

The trend is partly led by the city’s universities, where 16 to 17 percent of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty and staff bike to work [students were counted separately]

[Cambridge] has only 33 of the 140 [Hubway] stations ...five of the 10 most popular ones are in the city. The city has 11,000 to 12,000 resident annual members, said Seiderman, and there are many more people who use the program in Cambridge but live elsewhere.
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Noting from the Cambridge accident stats that Sept/Oct are the worst months for bike accidents, perhaps give a *gentle* reminder to cyclists you see after dark without headlights that a white front light is required by law.

On Mass Ave in Cambridge, I'd say that 30% of cyclists after dark have no front light
 
Definitely. I leave for work at 6:30 and always try to drive with cyclist-awareness. In the last couple weeks I've had close calls with cyclists in the early morning riding without lights and zipping through the streets like it was broad daylight.
 
As a pedestrian on Comm Ave, I have a near-miss after dark at least once a week. Very few of the riders - perhaps 20-30% - have a light. While I'm generally opposed to targeted enforcement against bicyclists or pedestrians, I wouldn't be opposed to the BPD pushing on this. How about a $50 ticket, nullified if you show up to any police station within a week with a proper light attached.
 
The EGE said:
As a pedestrian on Comm Ave, I have a near-miss after dark at least once a week. Very few of the riders - perhaps 20-30% - have a light. While I'm generally opposed to targeted enforcement against bicyclists or pedestrians, I wouldn't be opposed to the BPD pushing on this. How about a $50 ticket, nullified if you show up to any police station within a week with a proper light attached.
Click to expand...

I bet homemade signs at about 5 busy places would work too.
Bike Tip:
Headlight
Required
After Dark
By Law
 
Car horns are not a form of communication.

I am not anti-car as much as anti-jerks. The incivility of these people is unfathomable. Sadly it's well reflected in this thread.

If you are in a car which at the flick of your foot could choose to kill the bike rider in front of you. Honking, aggressive motioning, yelling, making rude faces - these things are very threatening. Why would you choose to behave this way towards another human being?

At worst you are being delayed 20 seconds, most likely none at all. It also turns out you are in the wrong - I'm entitled to the lane. Even if I weren't, why would me taking 10 seconds of your time entitle you to threaten me.

Do you behave this way in other similar circumstances? Does the old person in front of you in line at the bakery who takes an extra 10 seconds ordering get loudly yelled at to 'Get out of the f**ng line or I'll whack you?'

I hope people who behave this way are capable of reflecting on this and recognizing that your behavior is unfitting of a civilized adult and reflects poorly on you. Otherwise I will simply feel sorry for your neighbors, family and co-workers who have to be around you.

Cyclists who cut red lights without stopping etc. should also reflect and reform their behavior. But their bad behavior does not excuse yours. And as for myself, I have thought about my 'bad' biking habits and reformed most of them out of courtesy to others and respect for the rules.

Now, you have no more excuses. Do the right thing.

/rant over
 
Imagine if people pushed shopping carts the same way they drove cars.

There's a SNL skit idea in there somewhere...
 
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