Biking in Boston

Someone on reddit from Boston said this came in the mail with his excise tax, relevant to bicycling in Boston:

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Anyone know where 3 & 4 are being implemented?


...or are they just sending out a generic write up?
 
I've seen bike boxes on Commonwealth Avenue in Back Bay, and I think a cycle track is being built (or has already been built?) on Western Ave. in Allston.
 
That's great to hear. Thanks Ron. Boston is indeed on the way to becoming a world-class biking city.

These handouts would be great to have at Hubway stations for people to get acquainted with how each type works.
 
I wish the brochure indicated that cyclists are permitted in the full lane at any time, anywhere (except limited access highways), even with the presence of a bike lane. This is a concept most drivers are lost on.
 
What's the point in advocating that when most will use the bike lane except when passing other bicyclists or making a left turn?
 
As more people bike, speed differentials between cyclists will grow and there will be more passing going on. Also, it's reasonable to leave the bike lane to avoid potholes, glass, and other hazards.

On Comm. Ave. in Back Bay with its unusual median-side bike lanes, people will need to leave the bike lanes in order to turn right.
 
But that doesn't really have to do with various bike markings on roads, which is what those illustrations were showing. Bike-and-car etiquette seems like more of a PSA commercial/radio/billboard advertising campaign than putting something on the back of a brochure meant to tell drivers in passing, "Hey, these are some new lane markings and configurations you'll see and here's what they mean."
 
davem said:
I wish the brochure indicated that cyclists are permitted in the full lane at any time, anywhere (except limited access highways), even with the presence of a bike lane. This is a concept most drivers are lost on.
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I think the issue is when drivers want to pass and bicyclists don't give them room to. That's pretty infuriating, and cyclists need to learn to keep right.
 
massmotorist said:
I think the issue is when drivers want to pass and bicyclists don't give them room to. That's pretty infuriating, and cyclists need to learn to keep right.
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Its called taking the lane, and its perfectly legal to do.

The reason you do it is because you can sense that staying to the right may lead to imminent death. The street may be too narrow and by staying to the right you risk either getting doored or pushed into the curb/parked cars because there wasn't enough room to be safely passed. There may be a dangerous intersection coming up where you know cars may come flying out in front of you. You may see a car coming out of a driveway. Pedestrians coming out from in-between cars.


A good example of a place that it needs to be done: Allston Street in Allston. First allow me to preface this with that I've been run into the curb by oncoming traffic THREE TIMES this year driving my car. Once by a school bus, once by an old lady, and once by a kid texting. Its a very narrow street with very heavy traffic.

On my bike if there is oncoming traffic I will ALWAYS take the full lane and refuse to allow cars to pass me unless it is safe for them to do so. In my experience (and I've been hit twice in the 6 years I've been biking this city) cars will try to pass you when it is not safe 80% of the time, even when the light ahead is red. In a car it means you bump your rim on a curb or take out your mirror. On a bike it means you bite asphalt, possibly get a concussion, broken bone, or even better: get run over by traffic behind you and die.

Your five seconds is not worth my life. I'm sorry, but its the truth. If someone is taking the lane its not because the biker is an asshat and isn't staying to the right to piss you off, its because they know what can happen, its probably happened to them before, and they don't want it to happen again and not live to complain about it on a forum.

It's something you learn very quickly when you start riding every day, especially at speed in the street. Literally everything you can see, everything, has the potential to kill you. And if you're not assertive, it will.
 
It's one thing to keep a sufficient distance from the right that you don't risk hitting something on the right; it's another thing entirely to move farther than is necessary in an attempt to "take the lane" and preclude a car from passing you. That's illegal and dangerous. Why is it dangerous? Because it will cause the person behind you to tailgate, attempt to pass anyway, etc. It's almost as bad as left lane bandits on the highways.

At the same time I take your point about the dangers of bicycling. To me this is a great case for as much arterial grade-separation as possible, and for bike lanes to the right of parked cars rather than to the left. Otherwise, bicyclists are ultimately going to do what you've described, and motorists are going to get angry.

For the record, it is illegal, though: M.G.L. Ch. 89 Sec. 2: "if the way is of sufficient width for the two vehicles to pass, the driver of the leading one shall not unnecessarily obstruct the other".
 
massmotorist said:
For the record, it is illegal, though: M.G.L. Ch. 89 Sec. 2: "if the way is of sufficient width for the two vehicles to pass, the driver of the leading one shall not unnecessarily obstruct the other".
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That's the point, it's not wide enough. It is necessary to obstruct the other. But drivers will try anyway.


Instead of spending millions on building separate cycle tracks and other separating of vehicles that should have no problem co-existing (ie: bikes and cars) we should simply spend a fraction of that amount to educate both bikers and drivers on what you do and don't do on the road. And ticket infractions, heavily.

Until then, I will continue to take the lane so I don't get pushed into a parked car when the lincoln navigator riding my ass decides they HAVE to race to the red light 200 feet ahead even though there is a schoolbus bearing down in the opposite lane a foot over the yellow line.

Also, I ride as fast as possible (I clocked myself at 24 at the speed thing on Brighton Ave) when I take the lane. A mile an hour less than the speed limit is not much to ask. For the record, slow as molasses bikers piss me off as well, both as a driver and cyclist. You're on the road, act like it.


Edit: As an aside, I enjoy the debates you contribute to on the forum. While I don't see eye to eye on a lot of your points, you are articulate, explanatory, occasionally accepting of new ideas, and at the very least courteous and understanding of differing opinions. Many others (myself, admittedly included) can be pig-headed, stubborn, berating and insulting.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, thank you for contributing to the conversation.
 
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I found a cycle track yesterday. Apparently they put one on Dalton Street. (from Belvedere to Boylston)
 
dshoost88 said:
Yep. I ride it everyday. All 200 feet of it! LOL
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It's almost silly how short a segment it is, but I feel like it must have been a situation where they had the space, so they thought, "Why not?"

I just hope it eventually connects better bike facilities on Boylston to Christian Science Plaza/Huntington.
 
Boylston Street in the Back Bay will be dropping a travel lane for a cycle-track, some dedicated loading zones, and curb extensions in the near future. The current and projected traffic volume doesn't warrant maintaining three travel lanes.
 
Lurker said:
Boylston Street in the Back Bay will be dropping a travel lane for a cycle-track, some dedicated loading zones, and curb extensions in the near future. The current and projected traffic volume doesn't warrant maintaining three travel lanes.
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Boylston seems like the perfect place for a cycle track. It's a major artery in the city. Really excited for these plans to be implemented!
 
Lurker said:
Boylston Street in the Back Bay will be dropping a travel lane for a cycle-track, some dedicated loading zones, and curb extensions in the near future. The current and projected traffic volume doesn't warrant maintaining three travel lanes.
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Are there project renders?


Last time Boston presented a cycle track that was approved by the community.......a bike lane was installed with no warning.
 
Lurker said:
Boylston Street in the Back Bay will be dropping a travel lane for a cycle-track, some dedicated loading zones, and curb extensions in the near future. The current and projected traffic volume doesn't warrant maintaining three travel lanes.
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First I heard of this. This would be great. this would get such great use from commuters and tourists from fenway-longwood to backbay and downtown. Are these official plans at this point, or just rumblings of what some people would like?
 
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