Biking the Boston 'Burbs (Trails, MDC, & Towns beyond Hubway area)

There's research on this exact topic, and you'd probably get more space if you *didn't* wear a helmet: https://psyarxiv.com/nxw2k. Whether that's because you're more relatable as a human being or because people are more risk-averse, I don't know.

I'd never looked into it much beyond the articles that pop up every now and then on social media, but this actually appears to be pretty well researched. More fun reading: http://drianwalker.com/overtaking/
 
I consider "full kit" to have a shirt with many logos on it. That's why I prefer solid day glo t-shirts (the kind they give out to finishers at 5k races, and therefore having not a cycling look but a "general other non-vehicular road user" look)
 
City of Waltham is replacing the decking and railings on the foot bridge over the Charles River that connects the Blue Heron trail to the plaza on River Street behind Shaws. The bridge will be closed 24/7 for 2-3 weeks (till mid June)
 
The first 1.5 miles of the Wakefield-Lynnfield rail trail are paved! Didn’t get a good look at the end but am a little worried that Eversourse skimped on the HMA thickness compared to what DOT would have put down. Assuming the limits of the DOT project get pushed back to Salem Street now.


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This bench is not long for this world.
 
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That's a first coat. They'll put down at least one more.
 
Biked from Rozzie to Lynn and first time I’ve been up in those towns in a couple years. Improvements to 99/Alford by the casino are great. They could be better, but it’s wayyyy better than before. The northern strand trail is amazing. In Everett, all these new parks with tennis courts etc. In Malden, tons of community gardens. The revere and Saugus parts are spectacular by the marshes. Crossings are still under construction but the trail is paved all the way into Lynn. The whole way both ways, the trail was filled with people. Just goes to show how much people will use public amenities if only we just build them out. I’m very impressed, though, and especially a nice thing to see in communities that aren’t as affluent.

I sort of stopped biking as much in 2019, used to go all over all the time. Had a pretty comprehensive trip thru the city and pretty impressive how much Boston has changed for the better from the standpoint of bike infrastructure.
 
FK4 said:
Biked from Rozzie to Lynn and first time I’ve been up in those towns in a couple years.
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What's even more exciting about this new stretch is how easy it is to push your trip even farther. Once you get down to the Nahant Beach you can ride the the Lynn Shore Drive promenade over to Swampscott, then take quiet roads up to the Marblehead rail trail, which gets you all the way to Salem!
 
kjdonovan said:
What's even more exciting about this new stretch is how easy it is to push your trip even farther. Once you get down to the Nahant Beach you can ride the the Lynn Shore Drive promenade over to Swampscott, then take quiet roads up to the Marblehead rail trail, which gets you all the way to Salem!
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Totally. Unfortunately, I was on a deadline, otherwise I would’ve continued noodling north.
 
Arlington said:
Did Coolidge have an office railcar? (we're going to move this tangent, if I figure out what it topic is ;-)
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HenryAlan said:
Yeah, I assume he worked on the train, but also thought perhaps the service was better than what EGE describes. I looked for time tables but couldn't find them, so had no idea it was that slow.
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Coolidge did most of his work on the train but was famously mad whenever the wifi cut out. I think he was an early proponent of broadband access across all commuter trains.
 
Has anyone been on Northern Strand in the last six weeks? Wondering if it’s pretty much finished, aside from the rail spur in Everett portion… that part looked in July like it’s probably months from being finished.
 
Bits and pieces toward something awesome. In just a-bit-shy-of-Northern-Strand news, the MBTA/DCR Bike Path (a.k.a. flood mitigation?) looks like it's complete from the Alford Street bridge to Draw Seven Park. Striped new pavement but still fenced off. I pinged the MBTA about why, no answer. Seems like a no brainer to open it.
Also... does it have a NAME?

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A pic of the complete but fenced off Draw 7 to Alford Street path on the Charlestown-Somerville line. Opening this would lets bikes opt out of the deadly Sullivan Square gauntlet. The commonwealth is exhibiting its cyclist concern level here. What are they waiting for? A ribbon cutting?
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BeyondRevenue said:
A pic of the complete but fenced off Draw 7 to Alford Street path on the Charlestown-Somerville line. Opening this would lets bikes opt out of the deadly Sullivan Square gauntlet. The commonwealth is exhibiting its cyclist concern level here. What are they waiting for? A ribbon cutting?
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How long is it been that way?
 
BeyondRevenue said:
A pic of the complete but fenced off Draw 7 to Alford Street path on the Charlestown-Somerville line. Opening this would lets bikes opt out of the deadly Sullivan Square gauntlet. The commonwealth is exhibiting its cyclist concern level here. What are they waiting for? A ribbon cutting?
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Supposedly they are waiting for a new crosswalk across Alford St before opening the path to the public
 
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