Biking in Boston

HenryAlan said:
@stevebikes, thanks for posting the picture, I am very excited to see that this is finally happening. Pending completion, what is your preferred non-trail way to rid from Melnea Cass through the area. It's kind of hard to figure out from looking at Google, and my sense it that if I'm not careful, I might suddenly find myself dumped out on to a section of bike unfriendly roadway if I try riding from the Ruggles area to the seaport section of the harbor walk.
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Well its actually quicker to completely avoid the whole South Bay Trail and just go straight down Columbus Ave, round to South Station via whatever route you please then across your bridge of choice into the Seaport area...

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ruggles,+Tremont+Street,+Roxbury,+MA/Seaport+World+Trade+Center,+World+Trade+Center+Avenue,+Boston,+MA/@42.3430641,-71.0829782,14z/data=!3m1!5s0x89e37078f5dd92ef:0x77b7ec9a5a67c410!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37a22524cd35d:0xf820e112f367f2e3!2m2!1d-71.0894067!2d42.3366467!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37b0f1e17dddf:0x99af52723387f49!2m2!1d-71.0404835!2d42.3514443!3e1!5i1

Alternatively, same general idea: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ruggles,+Tremont+Street,+Roxbury,+MA/42.3518491,-71.0433973/@42.3432037,-71.0765216,14.5z/data=!3m1!5s0x89e37078f5dd92ef:0x77b7ec9a5a67c410!4m10!4m9!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37a22524cd35d:0xf820e112f367f2e3!2m2!1d-71.0894067!2d42.3366467!1m0!3e1!5i2
 
HelloBostonHi said:
Well its actually quicker to completely avoid the whole South Bay Trail and just go straight down Columbus Ave, round to South Station via whatever route you please then across your bridge of choice into the Seaport area...

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ruggles,+Tremont+Street,+Roxbury,+MA/Seaport+World+Trade+Center,+World+Trade+Center+Avenue,+Boston,+MA/@42.3430641,-71.0829782,14z/data=!3m1!5s0x89e37078f5dd92ef:0x77b7ec9a5a67c410!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37a22524cd35d:0xf820e112f367f2e3!2m2!1d-71.0894067!2d42.3366467!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37b0f1e17dddf:0x99af52723387f49!2m2!1d-71.0404835!2d42.3514443!3e1!5i1

Alternatively, same general idea: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ruggles,+Tremont+Street,+Roxbury,+MA/42.3518491,-71.0433973/@42.3432037,-71.0765216,14.5z/data=!3m1!5s0x89e37078f5dd92ef:0x77b7ec9a5a67c410!4m10!4m9!1m5!1m1!1s0x89e37a22524cd35d:0xf820e112f367f2e3!2m2!1d-71.0894067!2d42.3366467!1m0!3e1!5i2
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I support these routings. Especially during commuting hours, the "strength in numbers" along Columbus Ave and Essex St is amazing.
 
bigeman312 said:
I am generally outspoken against riding on the sidewalk, and think that, absent separated infrastructure, us cyclists should generally be vehicular cyclists. Here is an exception though. The roads are a death trap of highways. The "sidewalks" and "sidepaths" are supposedly part of the Bay Harbor Trail, fairly wide at parts, with long blocks, and not a ton of pedestrians (outside of Methadone Mile). Plus many of the quasi-highways are one-way going the wrong way. So, for those reasons, this is one of my rare stretches where I recommend opting for the pedestrian infrastructure rather than the auto-centric roads.
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Thanks for the routing info, that's kind of what I had concluded, but was hoping I might be missing something. Philosophically, I completely agree with you about how to approach cycling and didn't like the idea of so much sidewalk riding, but you are probably right given the nature of the roads around that area. As others have suggested, my best bet might be to simply remain on the Shawmut peninsula and cross over by South Station. I do look forward, though, to the day, when I can bike all the way from Forest Hills to the Harbor Walk without any significant street riding. I'm comfortable with it, but out of town guests are never willing to ride with me in Boston because they fear our streets.
 
bigeman312 said:
In my experience, the best way is:

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This last bullet is the part currently being worked on.

Here's the description of the project:

https://www.boston.gov/sites/defaul...7-08/2017-0809_sbht_informational_meeting.pdf

The nice part will be the bike lanes that form a circle between 4th and Broadway bridges, and the path along Foundry St that can get you to the path behind Gillette or over to the lanes on A Street.

I am generally outspoken against riding on the sidewalk, and think that, absent separated infrastructure, us cyclists should generally be vehicular cyclists. Here is an exception though. The roads are a death trap of highways. The "sidewalks" and "sidepaths" are supposedly part of the Bay Harbor Trail, fairly wide at parts, with long blocks, and not a ton of pedestrians (outside of Methadone Mile). Plus many of the quasi-highways are one-way going the wrong way. So, for those reasons, this is one of my rare stretches where I recommend opting for the pedestrian infrastructure rather than the auto-centric roads.
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Agreed entirely.
 
Once this phase of work is complete, you can cut out my last two bullet points!
 
HenryAlan said:
@stevebikes, thanks for posting the picture, I am very excited to see that this is finally happening. Pending completion, what is your preferred non-trail way to rid from Melnea Cass through the area. It's kind of hard to figure out from looking at Google, and my sense it that if I'm not careful, I might suddenly find myself dumped out on to a section of bike unfriendly roadway if I try riding from the Ruggles area to the seaport section of the harbor walk.
Click to expand...

bigeman312 said:
In my experience, the best way is:


I am generally outspoken against riding on the sidewalk, and think that, absent separated infrastructure, us cyclists should generally be vehicular cyclists. Here is an exception though. The roads are a death trap of highways. The "sidewalks" and "sidepaths" are supposedly part of the Bay Harbor Trail, fairly wide at parts, with long blocks, and not a ton of pedestrians (outside of Methadone Mile). Plus many of the quasi-highways are one-way going the wrong way. So, for those reasons, this is one of my rare stretches where I recommend opting for the pedestrian infrastructure rather than the auto-centric roads.
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Henry, this was my regular bike loop when I lived in JP - SWC to Seaport, then thru the city to Storrow and back home. The route above is the way to go. Only minor variation for what I usually do is crossing at Albany and going straight across on the Traveler St Bridge sidewalk, to Dot Ave, past Gillette...
 
I think the City is intending for the official South Bay Harbor Trail route to use Albany St from Melnea Cass to Frontage Road. There are already bike lanes along most if it.
 
cden4 said:
I think the City is intending for the official South Bay Harbor Trail route to use Albany St from Melnea Cass to Frontage Road. There are already bike lanes along most if it.
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It actually disgusts me that BU is allowed to have a 9 foot fence across their property, that walls off the road of the medical campus that runs all the way to the end of the curve of the Mass Ave connector. That road has very little traffic since it only served a couple buildings and a parking lot, and could easily accommodate bike lanes that would bypass the unpleasant aesthetic experience of biking along the Mass Ave Connector. The city should work with them to open up the road for bikes.
 
The proposal maps show it following Melnea Cass to the Mass Ave. Connector, continuing along there and then under the Expressway to the Traveler St. bridge. I don't think it will involve Albany St., other than crossing it.

Banner_1_MAP%20lr.png


If the image is "too big" and gets modded/edited out, here is a link to it: http://www.southbaytrail.com/Banner_1_MAP lr.png
 
protected bike lanes coming (eventually) to Albany St.
whether its officially part of the Harbor Trail or not I dont know, but it will be the route to use.
 
FYI: The Melnea Cass project will add continuous, official, well-designed, separated bike lanes in both directions along the length of Melnea Cass from Ruggles to Mass Ave, with floating bus stops and raised crossings.
 
BKNA said:
protected bike lanes coming (eventually) to Albany St.
whether its officially part of the Harbor Trail or not I dont know, but it will be the route to use.
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Im skeptical it will be the entire length of Albany, since the road narrows beyond Mass Ave... but it would be nice.
 
BKNA said:
protected bike lanes coming (eventually) to Albany St.
whether its officially part of the Harbor Trail or not I dont know, but it will be the route to use.
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I think the original plan was to stay on the Connector side (as reflected in Henry's image), but they changed it to Albany St.
 
cden4 said:
Steve is correct. That map is now out of date.
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That’s a dumb plan. The city should take over a strip of land that right now is just overwatered grass doing nothing for the BU buildings adjacent to it, and use the ROW for the connector.

Albany should have a protected lane, anyway, but running what’s supposed to be a leisurely bike TRAIL right through a major medical center is idiotic.
 
Cambridge: Submit your thoughts on the City's map:

Mods: These threads should be combined

Biking in Boston

Pedal pushing Menino mounting bid to make city a bicyclist's dream By Matt Viser, Globe Staff | September 20, 2007 Potholes, narrow roads, mean drivers. Riding a bicycle in Boston is something akin to combat. Cyclists routinely rank the city America's worst. Stung by national criticism and...
archboston.com

Biking in Boston

I figured we should have a dedicated thread for all things biking in Boston since Menino (finally) caught the biking bug. Hopefully Boston will follow in the footsteps of New York, Portland, and Copenhagen. Boston's bike lanes nearly set for riders 2 stretches are first for the city (Michele...
archboston.com
 
FK4 said:
FYI - https://mass.streetsblog.org/2019/0...safer-link-from-dudley-square-to-sw-corridor/

Nice design. This section of Ruggles Street could use a facelift.
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They've been talking that for two years at least so I hope they finally just do it. This section is interesting, I appreciate the dire need for a SW corridor connection but that brick area In-between the two grass squares is a turnaround zone both for general vehicles and Northeastern Police and I don't see them giving that up.

And the whole area is a massive Uber/lyft pickup drop-off zone and a massive Uber eats delivery zone. BTD needs to remember there are 1,100 students in that building who have a horrible habit of blocking that loading zone. That whole area around the Ruggles steps is in need of a redesign. Both from the perspective of a student and a cycle commuter in the area, it's chaos to be on a bike and navigate it.
RugglesPlan.png
 
FK4 said:
FYI - https://mass.streetsblog.org/2019/0...safer-link-from-dudley-square-to-sw-corridor/

Nice design. This section of Ruggles Street could use a facelift.
Click to expand...
Yes, looks real good, and I would definitely use this over riding on Melnea Cass for connecting with Washington St. Interestingly, as many times as I've heard that a bike lane would be added to Ruggles, I always thought it was for the other section, running between Columbus and Huntington. I hope something is also done there, as there is no great connection from the Orange Line Station to LMA via bike.
 
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