Biking in Boston

[Matthew]

CHB is funded by a TIGER grant. Money makes it happen.

I gotta say that striping bike lanes is more about the politics than the bike lanes. The kind of bike lanes that we've gotten, 99% of the time, are because engineers built those streets with a 14' outer lane and an 8' parking lane. So they just turn that into 10' lane + 5' bike lane + 7' parking. Not really actually doing anything but putting bikes into the door zone. And really, out of the way of car drivers; instead of taking the full lane, it encourages bikes to ride to the side. If anything, such door-zone bike lanes are really a major benefit to drivers more so than bike riders.

It's funny how the politics are 180 degrees from that.

Protected bike lanes are the real deal. Hopefully details are coming soon, tomorrow.

 

[fattony]

CHB is funded by a TIGER grant. Money makes it happen.

I gotta say that striping bike lanes is more about the politics than the bike lanes. The kind of bike lanes that we've gotten, 99% of the time, are because engineers built those streets with a 14' outer lane and an 8' parking lane. So they just turn that into 10' lane + 5' bike lane + 7' parking. Not really actually doing anything but putting bikes into the door zone. And really, out of the way of car drivers; instead of taking the full lane, it encourages bikes to ride to the side. If anything, such door-zone bike lanes are really a major benefit to drivers more so than bike riders.

It's funny how the politics are 180 degrees from that.

Protected bike lanes are the real deal. Hopefully details are coming soon, tomorrow.

I don't know Matthew, I wouldn't discount the value of striped lanes so deeply. You say they benefit drivers more than bikers, I say I'm 1000x more comfortable and confident riding between 2 whites lines and over little paintings of bicycles than trying to carve out my share of a 14 foot drag strip.

Obviously protected lanes are the ideal, but if we can get 90% of the benefit for 1% of the cost, I'm not going to argue too much.

 

[FK4]

Yes. And the narrower lanes make cars drive slower, even if they now have exclusive right of way.... But I think the best part of the striped lanes are the number of people who, like fattony, feel more encouraged to ride their bikes, period - the sheer number of cyclists on the roads has so noticeably increased, and that alone I believe makes (most) cars more aware of bikers, and feeds the movement for even better bike amenities.

Edit - hopefully the next ten years will usher in the next generation of change: the city seems to be thinking this way, but I'd really like to see boston think of specific cycle routes that tru get creative about forming dedicated and protected rights of way for the entire route. One thing i have mind that will never happen is that if they build the back bay tower, they should continue the southwest corridor through the building, onto Colombus where a cycle track should continue all the way to south station, thence the seaport and castle island.

 

[Matthew]

But I think the best part of the striped lanes are the number of people who, like fattony, feel more encouraged to ride their bikes, period - the sheer number of cyclists on the roads has so noticeably increased, and that alone I believe makes (most) cars more aware of bikers, and feeds the movement for even better bike amenities.

That's why I say it's all about the politics. Unprotected bike lanes in the door zone aren't very safe. But they make a statement.

 

[davem]

Woo
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...-bike-lanes/Ew6SwQEhFxZB4XI3V5z80O/story.html

Thank god. The big issue on this stretch is the hill. Going uphill its a pretty major physical undertaking, and dealing with double parked cars, doors, etc just makes it all the more difficult. Going downhill you are able to maintain speed, so accidents are all the worse.

My fear with the cycletracks is, however, that there are heavy right hand turns on the downhill portion. They will need to be very careful with sight lines and clear indications that right turning vehicles must yield to cyclists with the right of way. Considering that the city has bike lanes to the right of right turn lanes in some very prominent locations... I hope this plan works out:

Gina Fiandaca, who was named transportation commissioner in January, also touted the city’s plan to include “protected intersections,” which are rare in the United States, on the street.

Under the plan, officials will place physical barriers between bikes and vehicles at intersections, which will force drivers to slow down before turning. The change would help prevent the sort of “right-hook” collisions that killed Weigl.

 

[sm89]

They will need to be very careful with sight lines and clear indications that right turning vehicles must yield to cyclists with the right of way. Considering that the city has bike lanes to the right of right turn lanes in some very prominent locations... I hope this plan works out:

You can't have a through bike movement to the right of a right turn lane. At the intersection you linked, both the vehicular lane and bike lane are right turn only. Through bikes are to share the through lanes with cars. I don't recall anywhere in the city where we have a through bike lane to the right of a right turn vehicular lane.

 

[JeffDowntown]

You can't have a through bike movement to the right of a right turn lane. At the intersection you linked, both the vehicular lane and bike lane are right turn only. Through bikes are to share the through lanes with cars. I don't recall anywhere in the city where we have a through bike lane to the right of a right turn vehicular lane.

Or you do it like the bike lanes in Cambridge, where the bike lane cuts to the left of the right turn car lane (but still right of the car through lanes). Bikes and cars need to be cautious at the X, but the bike lane is both through and right turn.

 

[sm89]

Or you do it like the bike lanes in Cambridge, where the bike lane cuts to the left of the right turn car lane (but still right of the car through lanes). Bikes and cars need to be cautious at the X, but the bike lane is both through and right turn.

Which is what we do in Boston, however that was not done here because the bike lane turns to stay along Atlantic Ave for its eventual tie-in to Connect Historic Boston.

 

[FK4]

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...elting-snow/TW21NuCmtCrNbSSM4o0q0I/story.html

 

[George_Apley]

I honestly don't have a ton of sympathy for folks who leave their bikes out in the elements. The bike carcasses make me sad though...

 

[Scipio]

Some good progress on suburban paths this spring:

• The Somerville Community Path extension from Cedar street to Lowell street is complete and open, buuuut it doesn’t connect to anything yet. There are stairs and a ramp structure to Lowell but neither has a useable surface as of last week.
• Haven’t checked it out myself yet, but I’ve heard that the missing link between Malden and Saugus through Revere has opened along the Bike to the Sea route.
• Speaking of missing links, it looks like the gap in the Minuteman path through Arlington Center is going to be fixed, there’s a $1.7M project out to bid as of last fall but I can’t find any word on construction dates.
• Something opened in Lexington, I don’t know the area well enough and Lexington’s website at www.acrosslexington.org seems to be down. There is some upcoming work connecting the Minuteman Trail to the Battle Road Trail which should be great!
• The Tri Community Greenway connecting Stoneham, Woburn, and Winchester should be out to bid this fall for 2016 construction.

 

[Arlington]

Also keep in mind that somewhere the DCR is in the process of updating its plans for both parkways and park land to better accommodate biking. I will try to find a link when I am at my computer.

 

[Matthew]

DCR has a plan to repave many parkways and consider bicycle facilities simultaneously in some fashion now. They had a list to consider, I don't remember off-hand.

Memorial Drive and the Esplanade are not on that list for a few reasons.

• Memorial Drive 'phase 2' has already redesigned the bike lanes from the Harvard Bridge and east, and that will go in soon
• Memorial Drive path west of the BU bridge is such a mess that they need to completely redo it with a full public process, and that will take time, so they claim
• They have picked out 4 segments of the Esplanade to repave this summer as a temporary measure that will hopefully alleviate some of the worst parts
• They also promised to look at some of the worst parts of Memorial Drive bike path, such as where it is washed out by Magazine Beach and such

 

[sm89]

DCR has a plan to repave many parkways and consider bicycle facilities simultaneously in some fashion now. They had a list to consider, I don't remember off-hand.

Memorial Drive and the Esplanade are not on that list for a few reasons.

• Memorial Drive 'phase 2' has already redesigned the bike lanes from the Harvard Bridge and east, and that will go in soon
• Memorial Drive path west of the BU bridge is such a mess that they need to completely redo it with a full public process, and that will take time, so they claim
• They have picked out 4 segments of the Esplanade to repave this summer as a temporary measure that will hopefully alleviate some of the worst parts
• They also promised to look at some of the worst parts of Memorial Drive bike path, such as where it is washed out by Magazine Beach and such

They did a GREAT job on Lynn Fells Parkway in Melrose..... Not. All they did was stripe it exactly the same but add bike lane markings in the shoulder. They didn't even add no parking signs so people are still parking in the shoulder/bike lane like they always have.

 

[Arlington]

The DCR is rebuilding (looks like widening and de-rooting) the path where Somerville & Arlington & Medford meet (near Dilboy Field and Capen Street/Court) and running along the Mystic Valley Parkway to the U-Haul (Boston Ave @ MVP)

This is a natural direction to keep working, extending the effectiveness of the Alewife paths and new bridge over the Alewife brook.

Maybe we didn't see it on the "coming soon" list because it is a reconstruction ? (Of a path that had essentially become an unusable tangle of roots, grass, and deposited gravel)

Here's hoping they push downstream, following the Mystic River under the Lowell Line, past Whole Foods Medford and onward to Medford Square, Wellington and Assembly.

 

[bigeman312]

The DCR is rebuilding (looks like widening and de-rooting) the path where Somerville & Arlington & Medford meet (near Dilboy Field and Capen Street/Court) and running along the Mystic Valley Parkway to the U-Haul (Boston Ave @ MVP)

The Somerville or Arlington side of Alewife Brook or the one alongside the Mystic River? The Somerville side of Alewife Brook (next to Dilboy Field) is the glorified sidewalk alongside Alewife Brook Parkway. It's a good sidewalk, but not really a bike "trail" as Google Maps suggests. The Arlington side is the Alewife Greenway Path, which is a dirt path. The one between the Mystic Valley Parkway and the Mystic River is a paved, but thin, path. Just wondering. Thank you for the update.

 

[Arlington]

The Somerville or Arlington side of Alewife Brook or the one alongside the Mystic River?

It is here, on the Mystic-side of the MVP, set between rows of trees, offset about 30' downhill from the roadway.

I note that Google Maps does not show its continuation on the downstream side of the MVP on the other side of Boston Ave (even more root-penetrated and gravel-covered as of 2 weeks ago), but it is there, too, running to and under where the Lowell Line passes above and petering out across from the SavMor Liquor store @ Whole Foods .

[N]ext to Dilboy Field... is the glorified sidewalk alongside Alewife Brook Parkway. It's a good sidewalk, but not really a bike "trail" as Google Maps suggests.

True, but pedestrian traffic on that side is light enough that it functions pretty well as a bike path...the only problem being where to go on the northern/downstream/Capen Ct end, where your choices are no-safe-way-across-the-MVP (if crossing back to Somerville "proper") or circuitous-hairpin-to-use-the-crossing-light.

The Arlington side is the Alewife Greenway Path, which is a dirt path.

As it happens, the last 500' or so of the Alewife Greenway Path that mirrors the path linked above (from the end of the swamp boardwalk to the rebuilt bridge @ MVP) is also being reconstructed (perhaps it was never properly finished before it all "opened"). They've widened and graded here and created a gravel-filled trench to intercept water that was puddling/eroding the packed-sand path.

The Alewife Greenway Path is open for traffic (as of last Thurs), but be careful, you'll be biking on a sand-on-hard-pack surface. It looks like it will probably get a stone-dust (packed, permeable) surface to match the other sections when done.

 

[Matthew]

I've noticed work on the Neponset trail these past few weeks. There were piles of gravel. Now they are flat. Presuming that paving comes next.

 

[FK4]

Rode it a week ago; the last tiny bit in Malden is complete through Lynn Square to the Town line. The Revere portion was graded but not paved. The Saugus portion was surfaced with hellacious awfulness that made me wish I was dead, and my understanding is that that is how they would prefer to keep it.

Saugus has been brutal for a while, but so was Everett and the first part of Malden for a time... They hired a company that puts the really rough crushed stone down in exchange for removing the tracks. Then, it's up to other funding to actually pave it. I think paving will eventually happen.

 

[Arlington]

I revisited the MVP@Boston Ave path improvements and saw that it is as I hoped: they are completely rebuilding the path on the River's side of the MVP to what looks like a full 10' or 12' wide (it had been ~5'). Signs read: "Path closed for repairs"

The rebuilding extends from where the path emerges from under the Lowell Line (opposite U Haul) and runs across Boston Ave (at existing Intersection), and ties in just after Capen Circle (the newly widened bridge that takes the path and MVP over the Alewife brook.