Biking in Boston

Quick question, I am looking to bike into the downtown area, maybe somewhere along Charles St near MGA and lock my bike up so I can go do some exploring. Am curious if I should be worried about anyone trying to cut the lock, steel the front wheel, or otherwise vandalize the bike. It's an expensive ride that I would rather not have messed with, so if it's risky I'd love to know. Thanks in advance.

I recommend a multi-lock strategy. I use two u-locks and a thick cable: u-lock each wheel to the frame and if possible, each lock to the bike rack. Then run a cable through all of it to get extra redundancy. Best to lock up near lots of other bikes if you can. A thief can defeat the three locks, but it will take longer than a less secure bike, which they'll pick instead of yours for the theft.
 
I have some info on Columbus. City is hoping to start work on protected bike lanes on the northern portion next spring (where the protected bike lanes were last summer). There appears to be a political issue with the stretch just north of mass Ave, though, and the city is not able to comment on it.
 
I recommend a multi-lock strategy. I use two u-locks and a thick cable: u-lock each wheel to the frame and if possible, each lock to the bike rack. Then run a cable through all of it to get extra redundancy. Best to lock up near lots of other bikes if you can. A thief can defeat the three locks, but it will take longer than a less secure bike, which they'll pick instead of yours for the theft.
Some of the buildings downtown have bike parking in their garages. The Garage at the Copley Marriot comes to mind. Still follow the guidance on locks from Henry, but I used to park there (pre-pandemic) and it was well lit, not visible on the street, had multiple parking attendants on-site and also had cameras over the parking area. I never had any problems there.
 
Is this available to the public, or is it just for MGH employees? Generally speaking, I think it's hard to find places like this without directly seeing it. Is anybody aware of a resource that lists or maps secure bike facilities throughout the city? It's often challenging to even know whether an intended destination will have anything better than a sign post, let alone this kind of facility.
 
Is this available to the public, or is it just for MGH employees? Generally speaking, I think it's hard to find places like this without directly seeing it. Is anybody aware of a resource that lists or maps secure bike facilities throughout the city? It's often challenging to even know whether an intended destination will have anything better than a sign post, let alone this kind of facility.
On further review, it appears that's an MGH only garage.
They don't think I'm gonna drive my bike in if'n I sawed a finger off? They don't know me.
 

Amazing! I saw the new paint on Tuesday night, had no idea this was coming. I had been hoping for this for the 10+ years I lived there, and now that I've moved out of the neighborhood they put them in! Here's what I found of the full design: https://www.boston.gov/sites/default/files/file/2021/08/boylston-plan-rendering.pdf

I will say, though, over my time biking around there (and the rest of the city), I've kinda come to the conclusion that the lanes are going to be a lose-lose. If the Seaport has taught me anything, any segment that is not parking-protected is going to serve as pull-off stops for commercial vehicles and rideshares. Where there is parking protection, idling vehicles will block the entrances and exits of lanes. And I'm sure drivers will complain about the loss of parking. I dunno, maybe I shouldn't be so pessimistic, but game days will be the true test.

I wonder if we would have been better served having bike throughput prioritized via a two-way cycletrack on Park Drive? There's nowhere near the traffic to necessitate two automobile lanes, at least between the Sunoco and Kilmarnock. I personally would be willing to go out of my way for a short stretch, in order to have a more relaxed ride... and plus you'd get to ride along the park!
 
Sorry, saw this. Wet self.
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And yes I replied to myself just to reiterate how flippin’ cool this would be.
 
I’ve heard DCR is going to start the master planning process for the SW corridor this summer. Anyone know what this means? I’ve also heard the city has been looking at the crossings - hopefully to make them more bike friendly.
 
I’ve heard DCR is going to start the master planning process for the SW corridor this summer. Anyone know what this means? I’ve also heard the city has been looking at the crossings - hopefully to make them more bike friendly.
So the city started a public works project to work on the crossings in early 2019, they then put the project on hold and never discussed it again. Hopefully it will make a comeback in parallel with this perhaps?
 
So the city started a public works project to work on the crossings in early 2019, they then put the project on hold and never discussed it again. Hopefully it will make a comeback in parallel with this perhaps?
So a corridor crossings project was originally being constructed in 2015. After the Boston Public Works rebuilt the crossing at Gordon St (just south of the Green St MBTA Station) several cyclists, including myself, and a few members of the PMAC (Park Management Advisory Committee) had an informal meeting with Boston Public Works Department. We thought we had a reasonable criticism of the crossing being no longer in line with the path and being pushed closer to the intersection was a very poor design solution, apparently the PWD thought otherwise. Like Charlie on the T, they never returned.
I have high hopes that it will be revived, the person at the head of the 2015 project left long ago, and PWD are getting better at designing bike infra.
 
For the record, I learned yesterday that loading/unloading by commercial vehicles and pickup/discharge of passengers is probably permitted in any curbside bike lane in Boston, because neither is considered “parking”

Other modes cannot park in bike lanes and they cannot travel in bike lanes but they can actively do curbside loading (if commercial) and passenger on/off—unless it is specifically signed “no stopping” or “no standing” or “no loading”
 
For the record, I learned yesterday that loading/unloading by commercial vehicles and pickup/discharge of passengers is probably permitted in any curbside bike lane in Boston, because neither is considered “parking”

Other modes cannot park in bike lanes and they cannot travel in bike lanes but they can actively do curbside loading (if commercial) and passenger on/off—unless it is specifically signed “no stopping” or “no standing” or “no loading”

Bike lanes are typically signed "no stopping" or "no standing" for that exact reason.
 
Boston Plans Wider Sidewalks, Protected Bikeway for State Street Downtown
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“This summer, the City of Boston’s Public Works Department will start drawing up detailed blueprints for a project that will rebuild State Street in downtown Boston with wider sidewalks, a permanent, physically-protected bike lane, and traffic-calming elements between the Rose Kennedy Greenway and the Old State House…”
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/0...ther-meeting-for-state-street-reconstruction/
 
Eyes On the Street: Protected Bike Lanes Under Construction in Cambridge’s Inman Square
InmanSquareConstructionMay31-2.jpg

It’s been under construction for two and a half years now, but bike riders and pedestrians are finally beginning to see some above-the-ground changes in the street infrastructure of Inman Square near the Cambridge-Somerville city line.
InmanSquare_BeforeAndAfter.jpg

A comparison of Inman Square’s intersection before (left) and after (right) a reconstruction project that’s expected to be complete later this year. The project will split the x-shaped intersection into two smaller T-shaped intersections, and add protected bike lanes between the two new intersections and to adjacent segments of Hampshire and Cambridge Streets. Images courtesy of the City of Cambridge.
InmanSquareConstructionMay31.jpg

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/0...ike-lanes-under-construction-in-inman-square/
 
Eyes On the Street: Protected Bike Lanes Under Construction in Cambridge’s Inman Square
InmanSquareConstructionMay31-2.jpg

It’s been under construction for two and a half years now, but bike riders and pedestrians are finally beginning to see some above-the-ground changes in the street infrastructure of Inman Square near the Cambridge-Somerville city line.
InmanSquare_BeforeAndAfter.jpg

A comparison of Inman Square’s intersection before (left) and after (right) a reconstruction project that’s expected to be complete later this year. The project will split the x-shaped intersection into two smaller T-shaped intersections, and add protected bike lanes between the two new intersections and to adjacent segments of Hampshire and Cambridge Streets. Images courtesy of the City of Cambridge.
InmanSquareConstructionMay31.jpg

https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/0...ike-lanes-under-construction-in-inman-square/

Rode through here this morning on my commute. Obviously it'll be better when everything is completely finished up but it's already way better than it used to be. Light cycles also seem much shorter and more efficient as well.
 
Boston Begins Construction on ‘Mass. Ave. South’ Protected Bikeway in Dorchester
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On Monday, the City of Boston broke ground on its Massachusetts AvenueBetter Bike Project, which will build a two-way protected bikeway along the western curb of Massachusetts Avenue from Melnea Cass Boulevard in Roxbury to Columbia Road in Dorchester.
https://mass.streetsblog.org/2022/0...ss-ave-south-protected-bikeway-in-dorchester/
This article was dated from June 7. So being eight weeks in, I was hoping a section might already be done, and thus took this route home from Back Bay yesterday. So far they've only spray painted the outline of a couple of bus islands and curb extensions exclusively between Magazine and Shirley Streets.

Pretty disappointing, but look forward to this finally getting done.
 

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