Green Line Extension to Medford & Union Sq

TBH, while the Minuteman has lots of bikes moving at high speed, the Somerville community path with all it's winding has always been more tailored to pedestrians.
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I plan to make the path part of my future bike commute to the Kendall Square area. I have no desire to be an "elite" bike commuter, so a more relaxing path with some interesting topography sounds great to me.
 
Also of interest is that the future Green line should be able to permit bikes on board (shouldn't it)? as part of GLT / Type 10 system. (IIRC, multiple doors in the low-floor section will give roll-on via one door and roll-off via another (no "backing in or backing out). Under the right circumstances the Green LIne vehicles themselves will be "bikeways"

Bikeways, like streets, are a network, lots of overlapping O&Ds, lots of biking styles (trip purposes ranging from peoplewatchin, to fitness, to shopping, to commuting)
 
While I'm sure the GLX path is driven much more by cost and constructability concerns, The 606 in Chicago was very purposefully designed to include more curves and elevation than required. The old framework plan provides some good visuals and explainers of how they saw changes in elevation and horizontal curves as opportunities, rather than just challenges to be overcome: http://www.the606.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Bloomingdale-Framework-Plan-small.pdf

The undulations and curves (in addition to the plantings and vistas) really do make for a pleasant an interesting experience on what was previously and arrow-straight and pancake flat ROW. The trail also seems to do a good job of supporting utilitarian/transportation needs while also providing a destination for leisurely walking and riding. GLX doesn't have as much space to work with, but hopefully it can accomplish similar goals
 
fatnoah said:
I plan to make the path part of my future bike commute to the Kendall Square area. I have no desire to be an "elite" bike commuter, so a more relaxing path with some interesting topography sounds great to me.
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Just curious, what way would you plan to use the path, say from central Somerville to get to Kendall?
Would you take it all the way to Leechemere then cycle across to kendall, or get off at cross st and take medford st and go through east cambridge?
I've no idea how the path is going to work, It seems more suited to recreational use from Lowell st to Cross st and then switches to a non pedestrian friendly bike commuter route from Cross st. in to Cambridge crossing.
 
ra84970 said:
Yeah, it feels like this will be part time a commuter route. And really for most of the rest of days of the week a way for people to get off of busy/noisy local arterials and stroads for a nice walk around the neighborhood or perhaps a quieter way to get to and from specific destinations like City Hall or the high school that is off-street. Also, like the paths by North Point Park a weekend destination.
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Yes, most “elite”/advanced Minuteman cyclists will abandon the bike trail at Mass Ave or Davis Square and ride on the streets past that. The Somerville Community Path is not designed for fast bike riding. If you plan on riding at speed, stick to the streets.
 
Will they? Given the new connection to Lechemere/Kendall, I would not be surprised if a number of more aggressive commuter cyclists take the full path through Somerville.
 
RandomWalk said:
Will they? Given the new connection to Lechemere/Kendall, I would not be surprised if a number of more aggressive commuter cyclists take the full path through Somerville.
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There is definitely a "aggressive commuter cyclist" type but I tend to find them on the street. While willing to behave dangerously in any setting, I'm guessing they eventually find too much friction on the paths, particularly where people are walking to transit (Davis, Alewife, and the future Magoun).

To me they seem more abundant just because they inflict so many near-miss-passes during the course of their rides. I struggle to figure out what jobs they're commuting to, since I can't imagine anyone wanting to have them as co-workers.

But most commuter cyclists seem to much prefer going fast on the parkways (MVP directly on its shoulders, and ABP side paths) and on bike-friendly arterials (Mass Ave, Broadway, Som Ave, Hampsire-Beacon) and you don't notice them because they're avoiding those near-miss-passes so well. Up-and-over Teele Sq or intervals on Mass Ave is a much better workout than the path Davis to Alewife

Except for the jerks, bike paths and multiuse paths seem to favor gentler riders and gentler styles (again, by numbers, even if a small minority creates more than their share of near-misses)
 
Ruairi said:
Just curious, what way would you plan to use the path, say from central Somerville to get to Kendall?
Would you take it all the way to Leechemere then cycle across to kendall, or get off at cross st and take medford st and go through east cambridge?
I've no idea how the path is going to work, It seems more suited to recreational use from Lowell st to Cross st and then switches to a non pedestrian friendly bike commuter route from Cross st. in to Cambridge crossing.
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I'd call myself semi-casual. I've ridden from North Station to Concord and back several times, but I also have a strong aversion to street riding. I'll be coming from Winchester, so my plan would be to take the Minuteman to Alewife, and depending on how I'm feeling, either working to the river and following the river or connecting to the Community Path to Lechmere. It's not the most direct or fastest route, but would be the most enjoyable for me.
 
I'm pretty sure the path between Central and School St is going to run at the same elevation as the cross streets; they just haven't dumped enough dirt in there yet. The real hill is going to be going over the Fitchburg Line and the GLX split.

I'm looking forward, when the path is complete and people can work in offices again, to rollerblading to Lovejoy Wharf and taking the Seaport ferry to work.
 
Ruairi said:
Just curious, what way would you plan to use the path, say from central Somerville to get to Kendall?
Would you take it all the way to Leechemere then cycle across to kendall, or get off at cross st and take medford st and go through east cambridge?
I've no idea how the path is going to work, It seems more suited to recreational use from Lowell st to Cross st and then switches to a non pedestrian friendly bike commuter route from Cross st. in to Cambridge crossing.
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Beacon/Hampshire St is the most direct route and getting over there using Dane or Park St.
 
Arlington said:
Also of interest is that the future Green line should be able to permit bikes on board (shouldn't it)? as part of GLT / Type 10 system. (IIRC, multiple doors in the low-floor section will give roll-on via one door and roll-off via another (no "backing in or backing out). Under the right circumstances the Green LIne vehicles themselves will be "bikeways"

Bikeways, like streets, are a network, lots of overlapping O&Ds, lots of biking styles (trip purposes ranging from peoplewatchin, to fitness, to shopping, to commuting)
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Techinically feasible, but I thought the policy that bars bikes was as much about safety at GL stops and stations as much as on the vehicles. Not feeling super comfy to get on/off at Chestnut Hill Ave branch B stop with a non-folding bike.....
 
Hmm. Good point. Bikes will only work well for the new GLX surface stations. Maybe they will have to kick out all bikes at East Somerville
 
ra84970 said:
Techinically feasible, but I thought the policy that bars bikes was as much about safety at GL stops and stations as much as on the vehicles. Not feeling super comfy to get on/off at Chestnut Hill Ave branch B stop with a non-folding bike.....
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Chestnut Hill Ave is inaccessible and would need to be reconstructed with a proper platform for Type 10s anyway so in the eventual GLT dream it wouldn't be an issue. The problem of course is that GLT is so busy making sure the trains don't fall off the aging tracks and replacing the signal system that anything like that is far off...
 
Yeah - and CH Ave on the B isn't the only place where I'd hesitate to roll-on/off a bike from a GL train.
 
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BostonTrainGuy said:
Out of curiosity, are all new bridges meeting double-stack clearance requirements?
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No. Lowell Line is Plate F (17 ft.) clearance, and protected in perpetuity at that clearance under the 1976 MBTA/Boston & Maine deal that traded in the Fitchburg Cutoff clearance route for the Red Line Extension. Where previously the high-and-wide Boston route was Fitchburg Line Ayer-West Cambridge + Cutoff to Somerville Jct. + first 1.2 miles of NH Main...now it covers the whole NH Main from Lowell, and the T did a massive clearance improvements project in 1979-80 for the route switch. You can't get anything taller than Plate F into Charlestown or Everett, so double-stacks will never be an option and this is the most it'll ever be. To electrify you have to add 2.5 ft. of 25 kV wire clearance over the tallest unshielded roof, which means they will have to go back and modify the NH Main to 19'6" for Commuter Rail electrification. A number of these same bridges will have to be trackbed-undercut on the RR side of the fence because the streets can't be raised any higher above the cut.
 
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