Biking in Boston

500x_brompton_folding_bikes.jpg

Forty-two. It takes forty-two Brompton folding bikes to fill a parking space.
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Gizmodo.com
 
Columbus Avenue now has bike lanes.

Now if only something could be done about coffee house hipsters forsaking personal and the safety of others by riding brake-less fixed gear monstrosities.... and the stroller mafia.... then perhaps my neighborhood could be more complete.
 
I'm still in awe at how quickly the city added these bike lanes to Columbus Ave. I biked down Columbus from the South End to Ruggles last night and there were 0 stripes heading westbound for bike lanes at about 9:30pm. This morning, I'm looking out my window down the entire stretch and it's completed! And they did the same thing for eastbound lanes two nights ago.

Someone tell me, why hasn't the city accomplished this sooner? I mean, they make it look so easy--why aren't there dozens (if not hundreds) more miles of bike lanes throughout Boston?
 
It's actually quite a long process internally to stripe bike lanes, one that didn't exist until recently. You're just seeing the last few steps :)

But yeah, for many years, bike lanes were not a priority or a goal for the city. Now that we have a "bike czar", they're finally happening.
 
Mass Ave, the remainder of Commonweath Avenue that isn't already painted, the entirety Bolyston, Dartmouth, and Berkley Streets really should be next.


It would have been smart to integrate paths or lanes with the RKG design too, but that was before Menino discovered he liked bicycles.
 
Lurker said:
Mass Ave, the remainder of Commonweath Avenue that isn't already painted, the entirety Bolyston,
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You pretty much just named the next projects in line.

However, as mentioned above, it takes 9+ months to get it done in this city for some reason.

And thats just for the basic design you see on Columbus ave, where they just added a line where there was space.

When you start talking about narrowing car lanes, or even a *gasp* protected bike lane, we're talking 1 year+
 


These paired with the new tree planter designs used in Kenmore Square and our Washington DC style acorn lighting would make for some lovely street furniture. Much more attractive than the N, lolipop, hanger, wave, or ghost bike style racks currently employed by various entities in Boston.
 
Those are nice - almost Hector Guimard-style art nouveau installations.

Still, Boston has a surfeit of cute. Something like this might be too much in a public space like Harvard Square, which is already overflowing with quaintish gimmicks.
 
That looks great. I hope Boston has the same success as Portland and New York. Looking at those photos they seem to have the same benefits and drawbacks as the bike lanes that I've seen in other cities. In Europe they have vast networks of bike lanes as well but many of the lanes are on the sidewalk and not in traffic.

There are compromises you need to make when you only have so much space but this is a great step in the right direction.

Ultimately you need to change the culture of the road and that just takes time.
 
Theyve finally posted the presentation for the plans to add bike lanes from kenmore to the public garden.

Itll be the first left side bike lane in the city.

http://www.cityofboston.gov/TridionImages/CommAve_83109_tcm1-4451.pdf

No idea when theyre going to paint it though.... Probably November, just in time for the snow plows to peel away the paint. The original plan was to stripe it this summer.

Highlights-
Mass ave underpass reduced from two lanes to one
First bike box in city
8 parking spots eliminated.
 
Yay for lanes! Let's hope they are maintained and their use for cyclists and not double parking is enforced.

The plows don't do in traffic lines. Caustic salt, the grit of sand, and trucks wear down the paint and dull the reflective glass spheres. If the state wasn't so bloody cheap, we'd be using fertilizer to melt snow, as it leaves no messy residue to clean up or clear out and can be less caustic than salts. The only issue there, is all the bacteria that can grow from the run off.
 
Lurker said:
Yay for lanes! Let's hope they are maintained and their use for cyclists and not double parking is enforced.

The plows don't do in traffic lines. Caustic salt, the grit of sand, and trucks wear down the paint and dull the reflective glass spheres. If the state wasn't so bloody cheap, we'd be using fertilizer to melt snow, as it leaves no messy residue to clean up or clear out and can be less caustic than salts. The only issue there, is all the bacteria that can grow from the run off.
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I also think Boston uses cheaper paint. It seems that even in the summer, tires can rub it away
 
So did they decide on the left lane? Unless I've missed something, this pdf seems to present both options.

I do think it's a bit of a no-brainer on Comm Ave.
 
Justin7 said:
So did they decide on the left lane? Unless I've missed something, this pdf seems to present both options.

I do think it's a bit of a no-brainer on Comm Ave.
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Its not two options, there will be two lanes. One for bike traffic wishing to turn onto mass ave (via bike lane that become sharrow) and one for bikes continuing down comm ave (on the left via the underpass)


A left side bike lane would solve most of the bike conflict at the BU bridge as well, with a right side bike lane meant for BU bridge bikes
 
The pdf does show a right-side bike lane option just as a comparison. The city decided to go with the left-side bike lane, with the support of the community.
 
Lurker said:
The plows don't do in traffic lines. Caustic salt, the grit of sand, and trucks wear down the paint and dull the reflective glass spheres. If the state wasn't so bloody cheap, we'd be using fertilizer to melt snow, as it leaves no messy residue to clean up or clear out and can be less caustic than salts. The only issue there, is all the bacteria that can grow from the run off.
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Screw it, just line the streets with thermal pipes to melt it all away. Big Dig Part 2.
 
The Ritz Boston Common actually has thermal heat lamps installed under the awning of its main entrance, to ward off the nasty climate while patrons wait for taxis and the like. Surprised it's not more common for high-end buildings.
 
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