On Tuesday, I saw a cyclist take off from a sidewalk in Harvard Square, into a crosswalk where there were pedestrians with no protective equipment, then cycle on through a red light and through another crosswalk with more pedestrians. Minutes before that, I saw two people on a motorized skateboard with no helmets going the wrong way down a side street, fast. Not a great situation in Harvard Square these days.
A few months ago, I was going down Brattle St and passed a side street on the right where a cyclist was lying in the intersection waiting for paramedics. It was where cars turn right and have to do it across the bike lane, which is to their right, without a sight line of a potential cyclist who may be coming up behind them. Sends chills down the spine every time I pass by. So you interpret “false” how you want, but it’s super dangerous for everyone out there in Cambridge these days. > On Feb 27, 2025, at 8:36 PM, Lincoln Miara <[email protected]> wrote: > > I need to respond to this, because for some reason biking and bike lanes are > becoming a hot button issue in the Boston Mayor's race and it seems out here > as well. > > I can tell you, as someone who has biked for over 20 years in Cambridge and > Boston without bike lanes, and in recent years with bike lanes, it is now a > million times safer. You would put your life on the line every time through > Porter Sq, down Boylston St, around the common, in JP, etc.: just look at all > the white bike memorials. Presently, it's a joy to ride around town. > > To say bike lanes are a hazard to everyone is false. If you don't trust my > anecdotal account, see data below > <https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/Transportation/Bike/bikereports/20231023bicyclingincambridgedatareport_final.pdf> > from Cambridge showing decreased numbers of incidents, and of the incidents, > there are far fewer resulting in serious injuries. > > Biking is the best way to get around Cambridge/Boston/Brookline. You can > travel end-to-end in minutes compared to driving or most public transit. > There are bike racks for parking, so visiting stores and museums is cheap and > easy, far easier and cheaper than parking has ever been. There are many forms > of bikes now. You can use a scooter or e-bike, which is great for hauling > cargo and/or not arriving somewhere sweaty. > > For those who can't walk, jog, or bike and refuse public transit, non-drivers > take cars off the streets and allow taxis and buses to flow smoother around > town. As long as people drive, there will never be enough room on the streets > to prevent traffic, and never enough parking for all the cars. We could try > tearing everything down and paving the whole state, but even then, I doubt > there would be enough lanes to prevent traffic, so it's better to provide a > multi-modal transit approach. > > Lincoln > > <image.png> > <image.png> > > On Thu, Feb 27, 2025, 6:34 PM Jennifer Goodman <[email protected] > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> Other feedback… Under public transit, there’s nothing about the trains. >> Enhancing train service is better than adding more buses to the roads, right? >> >> And the question about bike lanes and walking paths fails to address the >> fact that bike lanes are a huge hazard for everyone. If they were safe, I >> would want more of them, but I work in Cambridge, and I can tell you that >> they’re not safe - for pedestrians, for drivers, or for cyclists. It’s been >> a huge hit to have bike lanes constructed. It would make me not move to >> Cambridge, the way people ride in the bike lanes. They act like pedestrians >> moving at 30 mph, swerving through cross walks with people in them, blowing >> through red lights and stop signs, crossing lanes of traffic regardless of >> right of way, and using the sidewalks at will. It’s the worst. >> >> It does seem like the survey has a certain view in mind and is looking for >> affirmation rather than information. >> >>> On Feb 27, 2025, at 9:18 AM, Jennifer Glass via Lincoln >>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> >>> Good morning, Lincoln! >>> >>> The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) has developed a Greater >>> Boston Priority Climate Action Plan and is looking for feedback from >>> residents. I am passing along the information in hopes you’ll take 5 >>> minutes or so to respond to the survey. This is open to anyone in the >>> “Greater Boston region” which covers almost 170 communities, so please feel >>> free to share the links with friends and family! >>> >>> The Plan is here: >>> https://www.mapc.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Greater-Boston-Prioirty-Climate-Action-Plan-March-2024.pdf >>> >>> The web page with the survey is here: >>> https://www.mapc.org/resource-library/metro-boston-regional-climate-action-plan/ >>> >>> I have completed the survey and it really is pretty quick. >>> >>> Thank you! >>> >>> Jennifer >>> >>> >>> -- >>> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >>> To post, send mail to [email protected] >>> <mailto:[email protected]>. >>> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >>> Change your subscription settings at >>> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >>> >> >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>. >> Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >>
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