Biking in Boston

Not great news for continued expansion:

Could Bixi's Financial Problems Affect Bike-Share in New York, D.C. and Beyond?

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According to numbers released late last month by the City of Montréal, the company is $42 million in debt, with a $6.5 million deficit and $5 million in outstanding payments. Montréal’s auditor general, Jacques Bergeron, wrote a letter to the city’s leadership in which he said he had "serious doubts about Bixi's ability to continue operations." He wrote that he has been having trouble getting to the bottom of the situation because the company has been slow to release its 2012 financial statements.
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http://www.theatlanticcities.com/co...ffect-bike-share-new-york-dc-and-beyond/7122/
 
New York City Transplants must be living in Jamaica Plain:

From the JP Gazette "The lack of community meetings for input into the location of the JP stations has drawn some criticism. The Gazette has an open Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the City to obtain documents about the community process on the location of stations. - See more at: http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2013/10/23/more-hubway-stations-come-to-jp/#sthash.iQtQUO0F.dpuf

And more: "I like bicycles. I think it’s great we got a bike-share program in Boston, and bicycle rental stations came to Jamaica Plain last month. I am in favor of the tidy bike lanes and of drivers watching out for riders. But there are limits on what bikes can do for Boston. Bicycle use, at about 2 percent right now in Boston, is good for our environment and, in many ways, the health of riders and the community—especially in conjunction with use of other environmentally friendly transportation. Boston’s Director of Bicycle Programs Nicole Freedman lives in JP. We have Bikes Not Bombs, Ferris Wheels and Revolution Bicycle Repair. That’s very cool. The six or so new stations for the bicycle-share program are cool, too, even if they popped up by surprise to most people. They can be put elsewhere in JP next spring. google_protectAndRun("ads_core.google_render_ad", google_handleError, google_render_ad); Bikes are inexpensive and good for us, but it is important not to (pardon the pun) get carried away. Bicycle riding has too many drawbacks to be a panacea. JP’s bike riders face more dangers than getting “doored” or hit by a car. Inhaling automobile fumes isn’t good for riders’ hearts, at least short term, studies have shown. An experiment in London found that bike riders had 2.3 times as much carbon in their lungs as pedestrians who walked the same route at the same time. Riders are advised to travel when and where traffic is less dense. Good luck with that here. According to the federal Air Quality Index, Boston in general had 128 days of “moderate” air pollution, mostly from particles, so far this year. Advocates have said their goal is to see 10 percent of Boston trips be on bikes in the next few years. With one-third of us between 20 and 34, that might be possible. But those who don’t ride routinely shouldn’t feel guilty if they don’t want to make big concessions for the minority who do. Living in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s, most travelers, including me, crowded the streets on bikes, not in cars. We do not have those favorable conditions here and never will. Winter sees ice and snow on the streets, and we also get rain in all seasons—not mostly one. Quite a few people are not obviously disabled, but cannot ride bikes for physical reasons. We don’t have bicycle cabs for them or for shoppers who need to buy three cans of paint—yet. And many of us couldn’t pedal fast enough to meet the demands of our 21st century daily schedules. I heard a new term recently. I described to an environmentalist how Hubway stations suddenly appeared in a few landmark locations in JP, taking away popular parking spaces. The large, metal bike kiosk at historic Monument Square seems especially intrusive, unattractive and unnecessary. Across the street, Curtis Hall offers better locations. Another Hubway station suddenly grabbed spaces in front of the post office, which has no parking lot. My friend said that making a prominent—but awkward—display of commitment to the environment like that is called “greenwashing.” - See more at: http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2013...ce-but-there-are-limits/#sthash.LIIaWgty.dpuf

Well, I guess, that cars are pretty enough to park at the monument, but bikes are not. If only I still had my piece o'shit rust bucket to park there I might be able to change this ladies mind!
 
The city gouged out the lane stripes on N Washington between Haymarket and Charlestown. They made thin lines to guide the restriping process, and there's noticeably bike lanes that will be added.
 
Let's see... Denmark is much colder than Boston but has much higher cycling rates!

They complain about weather, they complain about traffic, but it's all bullshit. Amsterdam was called a "suicide" for bicycling in the 1960s. Look at it now...
 
Matthew said:
Let's see... Denmark is much colder than Boston but has much higher cycling rates!

They complain about weather, they complain about traffic, but it's all bullshit. Amsterdam was called a "suicide" for bicycling in the 1960s. Look at it now...
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Denmark is not "much colder" than Boston at least in the sense that it matters for cycling. It's an oceanic climate with a milder winter, similar to Portland or Seattle.
 
pixelsand8 said:
Denmark is not "much colder" than Boston at least in the sense that it matters for cycling. It's an oceanic climate with a milder winter, similar to Portland or Seattle.
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the winter temps are very similar to here (lows can sometimes get into the teens -F- in the winter), except they don't get the massive snow storms we get. The summers are much milder than here.
 
rinserepeat said:
the winter temps are very similar to here (lows can sometimes get into the teens -F- in the winter), except they don't get the massive snow storms we get. The summers are much milder than here.
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A few degrees when you are that low can make a big difference if it gets below freezing. As for mild summers that's actually far superior for cycling than the humid crap we often get here which leaves you bathing in sweat. I'm not saying weather is the greatest excuse to not cycle since most of the time it's fine but let's not pretend it isn't an issue more than some other places.
 
pixelsand8 said:
A few degrees when you are that low can make a big difference if it gets below freezing. As for mild summers that's actually far superior for cycling than the humid crap we often get here which leaves you bathing in sweat. I'm not saying weather is the greatest excuse to not cycle since most of the time it's fine but let's not pretend it isn't an issue more than some other places.
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Then how do you explain high cycling rates in cities like Minneapolis and Montreal? Weather in both those cities are much more extreme than here.

Malmo, Sweden gets quite cold in the winter and their mode share is around 25% (although they have milder summers). In terms of European cities with similar weather to Boston, Stockholm has around 10% mode share, and Oslo has 5% mode share (and our winters are warmer).


And the summers - the only reason you'd be bathed in sweat is if you are pushing yourself to ride fast (unfortunately a necessity in shared lanes) - otherwise you'd be sweating just as much as if you were out walking.
 
rinserepeat said:
And the summers - the only reason you'd be bathed in sweat is if you are pushing yourself to ride fast (unfortunately a necessity in shared lanes) - otherwise you'd be sweating just as much as if you were out walking.
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Some people do sweat in the summer when they're just out walking. People respond to high humidity in very different ways.
 
All season biking in Boston is eminently doable, but you need to commit and make some clothing purchases. I know this is an impediment for many, but there's no reason to say that we couldn't get a fairly decent mode share in the Fall and Spring.
 
I biked to work through October, but have carpooled the past couple weeks. This is due to it being dark when I leave work. I'm going to make the necessary purchases of multiple blinking taillights (backpack, behind the seat, etc.) and a powerful headlight.

The biggest impediment for me (and I believe I'm not alone) is that the sun sets during working hours. My commute is suburban and auto-centric, so being seen is very key on a bike at night. The fact that the sun sets before 5:00 for 3 months of the year is notable.

Of course, on the other hand, the Chinese bike to and from work in the dark on a regular basis.
 
^ Ultimately it comes down to your personal comfort level, and obviously that can be greatly impacted on both the culture and the level of bike infrastructure. You're definitely not alone in feeling that way.
 
I agree, darkness is a greater impediment than temperature and weather. Reflective clothing, lights, etc., can all help, but once you get out of the city, I think I'd feel uncomfortable, too.
 
bigeman312 said:
I biked to work through October, but have carpooled the past couple weeks. This is due to it being dark when I leave work. I'm going to make the necessary purchases of multiple blinking taillights (backpack, behind the seat, etc.) and a powerful headlight.

The biggest impediment for me (and I believe I'm not alone) is that the sun sets during working hours. My commute is suburban and auto-centric, so being seen is very key on a bike at night. The fact that the sun sets before 5:00 for 3 months of the year is notable.

Of course, on the other hand, the Chinese bike to and from work in the dark on a regular basis.
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Thank you for realizing the importance of lights. If youre biking through dark areas I would recommend a high powered light aimed at the road (to see) and a blinkie aimed up towards windshields (to be seen). In the city all you really need is the blinking light.

People are always worried about getting hit from the rear, but its rare, drivers are usually looking at what's ahead of them. A red flasher is pretty much all you need. Drivers pulling out from driveways, or making turns are far more dangerous, so spend your money on front lights. Also, side reflectors are great. Either an ankle strap or the ones on the spokes.

I've been hit four times, three during the day. Since I got lights and put them on every time I ride, I haven't had an issue. Also riding defensively is huge no matter what the hour: don't cower too close to the side of the road or weave in and out of parked cars. It seems like a "safe" thing to do, but being vigilant and owning the road makes a difference.
 
I bike two miles to work in Harvard Square from Winter Hill. Hoping to make it through the winter and then maybe sell one of the family cars. I would have to say that light is definitely a bigger impact on my comfort level than temperature or even precipitation. I would rather bike into Boston across the Mass Ave bridge in rain and snow than at night during a blackout. The road condition in certain areas makes it downright unsafe to bike without an appreciable level of chutzpah.

I'm actually shocked at how much more I prefer hopping on the bike in frigid temps like this morning. It has it all over sitting in a freezing car stuck in traffic. If Boston delivers on a fraction of the five-year plan (and Cambridge/Somerville follow suit) then people will be stunned by the migration to year-long bike commuting.

In the meantime... From a Nov 7 Somerville Patch article about a bike accident:

As more cyclists have come through the area, there have been more accidents with bikes, said Barletta, whose business has been there for 31 years.
"They've got to be careful, because they're going to get killed," Barletta said. He added, "I can't wait to get out of Somerville because of the bikes."
 
davem said:
Thank you for realizing the importance of lights. If youre biking through dark areas I would recommend a high powered light aimed at the road (to see) and a blinkie aimed up towards windshields (to be seen). In the city all you really need is the blinking light.

People are always worried about getting hit from the rear, but its rare, drivers are usually looking at what's ahead of them. A red flasher is pretty much all you need. Drivers pulling out from driveways, or making turns are far more dangerous, so spend your money on front lights. Also, side reflectors are great. Either an ankle strap or the ones on the spokes.

I've been hit four times, three during the day. Since I got lights and put them on every time I ride, I haven't had an issue. Also riding defensively is huge no matter what the hour: don't cower too close to the side of the road or weave in and out of parked cars. It seems like a "safe" thing to do, but being vigilant and owning the road makes a difference.
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I appreciate the advice.
 
bigeman312 said:
My commute is suburban and auto-centric, so being seen is very key on a bike at night.
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Doesn't even have to be suburban for this to be a problem. Today I was biking home in the Fenway area and some moron wasn't looking and almost hit me by doing a left turn, despite the fact that I was in the intersection first and had bright blinking lights with 5 LEDs. That was just a bad driver though. Usually I feel pretty safe with my lights on.

"They've got to be careful, because they're going to get killed," Barletta said. He added, "I can't wait to get out of Somerville because of the bikes."
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Good riddance.
 
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