BU Bridge Evening/Overnight Bridge Closures: Sunday, 2/21/2010 through Thursday, 3/4/2010 the BU Bridge will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 9PM to 5AM each week (Sunday to Thursday.) The upstream sidewalk will remain open during the bridge closure for bicycle and pedestrian access. For more information and updates, see link below:

http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/

Here are the results of the survey we created at the beginning of December.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you can view and take the survey here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W9GLZLY

Here’s the break-down:

!Attn Concerned Bikers!

Next Wed, Feb 3, 6-8 pm, Mass DOT is hosting a public meeting where they are discussing the reconstruction and potential redesign of 2 major bridges in our neighborhood: Western Ave, and River Street Bridges.

Please come and see their plans, and voice your opinion.  We will be watching this project intently, and keep everyone up on the issues as they develop. (info below)
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Who: Mass-DOT and their consultants

What: Presentation and Following Q/A about the Reconstruction Process

Where: Honan-Allston Library, 300 N Harvard St, Allston MA

When: 6-8pm, Wed, Feb 3

Why: Because the bridges are falling apart, they don’t provide the appropriate infrastructure for the residents, and there’s a ton of money going to these projects thanks to Gov Patrick’s Accelerated Bridge Program ($$ t0 go to improvements!)

See the link to an informational flier below, created by our friends at LivableStreets:

Western Ave Bridge handout2

PLEASE take this survey about how you cross the MA Turnpike:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/W9GLZLY

The data will go to Boston city planners so they better understand the needs
of A-B Bikers. PLEASE also share with any and all A-B Bikers who may be
willing to do the survey. Thanks and ride safely out there!

It’s been two weeks since I was struck by a car on North Harvard Street in N. Allston, while I was biking in the new bike lane. I haven’t confirmed this with the police, but I’m probably the first accident on those lanes… (perhaps a memorial plaque is in order?) No real damage was done, except for some road rash on my ankle and knee, and a busted rear-view mirror on his car. But I figure I should tell the tale as an example: This is what can happen when bikers assume the bike lane gives them protection on the road.

View Larger Map

Two Wednesdays ago, I was traveling southbound North Harvard, riding fairly brisk and smooth in those brand new bike lanes, at around 5:45 pm (back when that was still broad daylight). Traffic was light, but fast, and I was keeping square within the lane to the point where I was riding over the sewer grates along the curb. The accident occurred as I approached Western Ave. At the intersection the bike lane juts out to the left to open up a lane for cars to turn right, while the left travel lane is for straight and L-turning traffic. (this is a new traffic pattern, the old one had cars yielding to turn left while r-turn and straight passed by on the right)

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* * * * * * * * * * * * *

As I was approaching the intersection, I thought to myself “There is a car coming from behind. Do I keep to the right, as bikers are generally expected to do? Or do I stay in the bike lane, cut to the left, and hope he sees these lanes painted on the pavement?” At that time, going that speed, in those lanes, I felt like a vehicle moving in traffic, so I decided to keep biking in the lane.

Here’s an example of the exact spot where I was hit. The biker is doing what I did — keeping within the lane:

The car clipped me with the passenger side-view mirror. I heard the crunch of the plastic before I noticed I’d been struck. I was hit right in the basket on my rear rack, and I went down, hard. “Oof!” was the only thing I uttered as I hit the pavement. I was lucky I have a basket, otherwise that mirror would have struck my body, probably my backside or leg, and I probably would have tumbled over the bars. As it was, the bike was pushed forward by the momentum, and I went down on my side, scraping along the pavement for a few feet. I had board games in the basket, so along with body and bike strewn across the road, so were hundreds of “Apples to Apples” and “Pictionary” cards. But the nice folks at the bus stop, right in front of where I was struck, all came out and helped me gather my games.

The car immediately stopped, and the driver, Paul, a man of about 40, got out. Paul was terrified. He was white as a ghost. He couldn’t even gather his words when he saw the mess (the playing cards were for added effect). He thought he’d seriously injured me (he was going a good 30 mph when he hit me), but quickly I was up on my feet, asking him for his license and registration and insurance company, and talking a million-miles-a-minute about how I felt OK and could put weight on my leg and the wheels of the bike seem to be fine but I want to make sure we have each others information and I will be in touch with him for any medical bills or bicycle repairs. Really, I was in shock. And he was completely obliging with all my requests.

I decided not to call the cops on the scene. I wasn’t seriously injured, and I had no interest in having a ticket written out to Paul. Based on how I view biking in Boston, I felt this was a true accident; not anyone’s fault. I took down all the appropriate information, and that of a witness, and a few days later I filed an accident report. I gave one copy to the RMV, one to the D-14 Police Department in Brighton, and sent one to Paul. Here’s a quick link to MassBikes “What to do if you crash”

Paul and I kept in touch over the next few days, he wanted to see if my leg was doing better and to make sure there wasn’t any serious damage. The following week he took me out for drinks at the Bus Stop Pub. We talked about the problems of that intersection, and what can be done about it.

See, Paul is a cyclist sometimes too, and he’s even been doored before, “In the neck,” as he puts it. He’s lived in the neighborhood for years, and understands the hazards of biking on these roads. What happened, then, was the roads changed their pattern, and Paul just wasn’t expecting it. The bike lanes are new, so is the turning lane, and they aren’t very clearly marked. There is no “New Traffic Pattern” sign or even a “R-Turn, Watch for Bikes” sign. There is, however, a “Bike Lane End” sign. They striped the pavement, but as Paul put it “When you’re on top of it, you don’t see it.” Unlike what has been done on the Comm Ave lane, which have been painted green for visibility, it’s hard to understand exactly what the new lines on the pavement are doing at the intersection of N Harvard and Western Ave.
The lanes are also designed in such a way that forces cars to drive into the bike lane in order to turn. As Paul put it, “There’s not a wall there, at some point I gotta go through your lane.” As he was passing, Paul was not expecting a biker, me, to be making a change in direction, and I was not expecting a driver, Paul, to be passing by driving into my lane. That, and the fact that he was going about 30 mph, made it hard for either of us to respond to the situation and prevent the collision.

I suppose the point of this 1000 word post is that we need to work on awareness on the road. Drivers need to be more aware of how bikers navigate the road — know when to expect sudden changes in direction and drive cautiously around bikers, and bikers need to be aware that the road still holds dangers even when there’s fresh asphalt and new striping. I thank God the worst that happened was a scraped-up ankle and a busted rear-view. I hate to imagine what could have been the outcome if it was a few seconds later, when I would have been directly in the path of Paul’s car. All in all, though, 2 weeks later, I’m no worse for the wear. Paul even invited me to his Halloween party next weekend. At least I made a friend out of the experience.

I found this article today about Dedicated Bike Lanes from the Independent UK paper. I find many bike articles coming out of the Independent. This one brings into debate the usefulness of bike lanes, especially on heavily trafficked roads. The claim is, with bikers in bike lanes they get less space and safe-distance from passing cars, at least in the UK.

Since Allston just got its first bike lane, I figured the topic is fitting. Hopefully this isn’t the case here, but I know that with new pavement, wide travel lanes, and no signs or speed deterrents to calm traffic, cars have been zooming up and down North Harvard Street. Still, the awareness of having a bike lane is crucial to get drivers to understand that bikes are going to be on the roads too.

The link to the full article is here: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-big-question-do-dedicated-lanes-make-cycling-less-safe-and-should-roads-be-redesigned-1785239.html

“The Big Question: Do dedicated lanes make cycling less safe, and should roads be redesigned?

By Simon usborne

Friday, 11 September 2009

Why are we asking this now?

Because research published yesterday suggests that when cyclists ride in dedicated lanes motorists give them less room. Teams at Leeds and Bolton universities, supported by CTC, the national cyclists’ organisation, put a camera on the back of a bike being ridden along three roads in the north of England. Analysis of the footage revealed that drivers gave up to 18cm (seven inches) more space to cyclists on stretches without cycle lanes. The findings question the perceived wisdom that slapping down strips of green paint and white lines makes riding safer. And as cycling continues to enjoy a boom, the suggestion that cycle lanes could be endangering rather than protecting users highlights increasingly fraught relationship between riders and drivers.

Why is this a big deal?

Cycling is booming like never before. In the capital alone there has been a 91 per cent increase in the number of cycle journeys since 2000 as commuters ditch gridlock and delay in favour of fresh air and exercise. But not everyone’s prepared to take to two wheels. “The main barrier stopping as many as two-thirds of the people who don’t cycle regularly is a fear of traffic,” says Chris Peck, CTC’s policy chief. “While cycle lanes can have a positive effect, bad facilities only make those initial excursions terrifying, putting people off altogether.”

Why do drivers behave this way?

It comes down to psychology. “The very existence of cycle lanes can lead to drivers to being lazier when overtaking because they believe the space between the cycle lane and the middle of the road is their territory,” Peck says. It’s though the presence of a solid white line offers the illusion – to both rider and driver – of a barrier behind which cyclists are protected. When the barrier is not there, drivers take care as they move to overtake cyclists rather than roaring past with inches to spare. Other research suggests drivers react in similar way to cyclists wearing helmets. In 2006, a traffic psychologist at the University of Bath found drivers gave him less room when he was wearing head protection than when he rode helmet-free.

How long have cycle lanes been around?

Almost as long as bicycles. And sharing space was a problem long before the car chugged and beeped its way on to the streets. A New York Times report on the early explosion of cycling published in 1896 describes how “riders found no favor on the roads. They were liable to wayside abuse and to legal injustice… If they took their machines on the roads where carriages travelled, they were in some localities liable to arrest.” Tension only increased with the arrival of the internal combustion engine and in pre-war Britain the cycling lobby even attempted to confine cars to specially-built “motor roads”. Of course they failed and the car would become king.

What have other studies found?

This latest research isn’t the first to paint cycle lanes in a bad light. Studies in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Milton Keynes have also shown an increased risk for cyclists using lanes. And in 2007, the Cycle Campaign Network, an umbrella organisation representing 70 local cycling groups, said it “knows of no evidence that cycle facilities and in particular cycle lanes, generally lead to safer conditions for cycling”.

Can lanes be effective?

Only when they’re properly built and in the right places. Government standards require cycle lanes to be two metres wide, with a minimum width of 1.5 metres. But all the lanes used in the latest research fell short – and CTC believes that the same is true of the “vast majority” of Britain’s bike lanes. “You wouldn’t see authorities skimping on lane width when it comes to motorways,” Peck says. “Even if drivers are being lazy that’s not so much of a problem if the cycle lane is wide enough to give the required berth.” Other cycle lane failures include stretches that stop suddenly, depositing riders back into traffic.

Are lanes always a good idea?

Not in slower traffic. “It’s the difference in speeds on the road that creates danger,” Peck says. “Cycle lanes try to alleviate that by creating separate areas but they aren’t always successful. But if traffic is limited to 20mph, that’s the speed at which road users can mix happily.”

Many local authorities have started to introduce 20mph limits in residential and urban areas in recent years. The “shared space” scenario which this allows has become something of a global trend in urban planning. In some places, including parts of Ashford in Kent, kerbs, traffic lights, road markings and signs have been ripped out. In almost all cases, average speeds and accident rates have dropped. CTC believes it’s an approach that should be adopted more widely. Peck says: “Even if you only went so far as to allow one-way roads to go two ways for cyclists it would increase the ability to navigate back streets away from dangerous main roads.”

What’s the story in other countries?

Generally better but for an example of cycling nirvana we must pedal to Denmark, where the capital was last month named the best city in the world for cyclists. Copenhagen boasts more than 200 miles of cycle routes and bikes have priority over cars at many junctions. As a result, a third of people cycle to work, school or university, and accidents are rare.

“It’s astonishing how many people cycle there,” Peck says. “And they have huge, wide cycle paths. The size and design of British roads would make that difficult but reducing speed and rethinking how we use what we have would make a big difference.”

In what other ways can we improve cyclist-driver relations?

Some say that training would be a useful way to make road users see eye to eye. “There should be an element of cycle awareness in the driving test,” Peck says. “Ideally learner drivers should also be given the chance to find out what it’s like to cycle on our roads.” Peck also believes cyclists would be reassured if they were shown how to share the roads safely.

Cycling proficiency tests area traditionally associated with children and schools but Peck says “training shouldn’t just be for kids”. CTC has established a national standard for cycle training and has contacts with a nationwide network of instructors offering courses in how to ride assertively and with confidence on the roads in your area.”

And the ultimate solution?

More cycling! CTC’s recent “Safety in Numbers” report records a 91 percent increase in cycling in London since 2000 and a 33 per cent fall in casualties. It’s a similar story all over the country. The theory goes that more cyclists means that drivers, increasing numbers of whom also ride, are more aware. And whether you’re on a (hopefully intelligently designed) cycle lane or sharing space with road users doing reasonable speeds, that means less fear and fewer accidents. So get on your bike.

So should cycle lanes be got rid of?

Yes…

* Several studies suggest they encourage drivers to steer too close to cyclists

* All too often they are too narrow, poorly built and in dangerously inappropriate places

* They only serve to increase the rising tensions betweent motorists and cyclists

No…

* Effective cycle lanes reassure riders who would otherwise be put off by a fear of traffic

* Conspicuous bike paths can reinforce the impression that cycling is the way to travel

* As the cycling boom continues, anything that makes roads more organised is positive”

Just under two weeks ago, the construction crews finished their repaving and re-striping of North Harvard Street in North Allston, from Western Ave to Soldier’s Field Road.  With the new pavement (which was oh so necessary), they managed to fit two bike lanes on the road — at the expense of some on-street parking.

Besides the fact that I commute through this stretch multiple times every day (direct route from North Allston-Brighton to Harvard Sq/Cambridge), this is actually Allston’s first bike lane, so I figured we’re due for a perspective look via before/after photos of the road.

* This is a shot of the OLD road surface before repaving:

and NOW we have this:

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* This was the OLD intersection facing south down N Harvard:

Now it has a NEW design (notice the lack of parking along the southbound lane):

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* This was the OLD intersection facing North up N Harvard:

NOW it’s this (notice the shift in bike lane so it’s between turning traffic):

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* BEFORE bikers took to the middle of the lane to avoid doors:

NOW they can zoom by safely:

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* The lanes also have great “Bike Lane Begins” and “Bike Lane Ends” signs. These are effective to get drivers to know what the lanes are, and to inform bikers about the extent of the lane. I haven’t measured yet, but GoogleMaps says the lane runs for about .7 miles, at best:

And as the lanes enter the intersection, I found bikers actually stop at the traffic light. Perhaps due to the fact that they are given a bike lane, with distinct demarcations on the pavement.

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BEFORE, bikes had to contend with parked cars, moving cars, and MBTA buses:

NOW, the MBTA buses are still a problem. Notice the cars swerving across the yellow line into oncoming traffic. Imagine if a biker gets trapped in that mess. This is a flaw in the design of the lanes, and is unavoidable when trying to mix all forms of transportation with only a strip of paint to separate. If the lanes were dedicated, and separated by curbs, this wouldn’t be an issue. Of course, that isn’t always possible, and the construction and striping was done without changing the width of the street.

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Parking in the bike lane will be an issue, but with the new city ordinance where the fine is $100, hopefully the enforcement will keep the lanes clear.

and:

and:

but there is hope for enforcement!:

They started ticketing last week, and ever since, I have yet to see a car parked in the lane for an extended period of time.

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So, what we get is a new, smooth, clean bike lane right through Harvard’s stretch of North Allston. Politicking and Editorializing aside, I do like how the city stepped up to fix one of the worst stretches of road, and one with a high amount bike traffic, I have seen in the city. Now, if only they can continue the lanes through the rest of Allston, and maybe even into the surrounding neighborhoods, to help calm traffic and keep parking violations in check. Maybe continue the lanes across the bridge and into Cambridge, while also having it stretch south down to Cambridge Street.

In my ideal world, that “Bike Lane Ends” sign would read “Bike Lane Continues”

Nothing but bikes, smiles, and sunshine at the Allston Brighton Rock and Roll Ride. Thanks to everyone who came and had a blast!

A special thanks to everyone who helped make it all happen, including:

the organizations and vendors who organized the event and provided free helmets, tune ups, and a bikes for everyone:
-Boston Bikes and BCYF
-Boston Public Health Commission
-International Bikes/Helmets in Play
-Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center
-Mark Hurley of Trips for Kids who led trail rides

the performing artists:
- The Allstonians
- ElderFlower
- Ferrous Wheel
- SkitZo the Virtuoso
-Dangerous Stylez Crew

For the art exhibit “I want to ride my…”
-Emily Putnam for curating all the wonderful artwork.

And last but not least, all the A-B Bikes Volunteers who helped out, especially Chris for pulling it all together and Galen for taking all these lovely photos:

This past Wednesday the Boston City Council passed this Bike Lane Ordinance prohibiting motor vehicle parking in Boston bike lanes, punishable by fines:

AN ORDINANCE PROHIBITING PARKING IN A MARKED BIKE LANE

OR MARKED SHARED LANE

WHEREAS: The City of Boston is lacking an effective method to ensure public safety as members of the public not only travel in motor vehicles in marked bike lanes and shared lanes but also park in said lanes; and

WHEREAS: This Ordinance shall establish the following guidelines for parking motor vehicles in marked bike lanes and shared bike lanes; and

Ordained by the City Council as follows:

1. Purpose. The purpose of this ordinance is to establish guidelines for parking motor vehicles in marked bike lanes and shared bike lanes.
2. Prohibition from Marked Bike Lanes and Shared Lanes. No driver shall stand or park any motor vehicle in a marked bike or shared bike lane in the City of Boston.
3. Penalties. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be subject to a fine of one hundred dollars and no cents ($100.00) for each offense. This fine shall increase by thirty-three dollars ($33.00) if it remains unpaid at least twenty-one (21) days after issuance of a notice of the violation.
4. Exceptions. Nothing in these sections shall prevent standing or parking a motor vehicle in a marked bike lane or shared bike lane: (i) when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or pedestrians; (ii) in compliance with the lawful direction of a police officer or official traffic sign; or (iii) unless authorized to do so under existing regulations (including but not limited to designated residential parking lanes or parking meters).
5. Enforcement. The Boston Transportation Department and the Boston Police Department shall have the authority to enforce this section. The provisions of Massachusetts General Laws c. 90, s. 20A1/2 may be used to enforce these sections, and the adjudication provisions of this chapter and of Chapter 190 of the Acts of 1982 shall apply to this section. The Boston Police Department and Boston Transportation Department shall have the authority to impound any motor vehicle in violation of these sections.
6. Regulatory Authority. The Commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department and the Commissioner of the Boston Police Department shall have the authority to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to implement and enforce these sections.
7. Severability. If any provision of these sections is held as invalid, then such provision shall be considered separately and apart from the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect.
8. Implementation. The provisions of this section shall be effective immediately after passage.

[official PDF here]

It’s good to see that Mayor Menino was on board with the ordinance from the start, but we’d also like thank Jackie Douglas of Livable Streets who wrote a letter expressing the support for the ordinance on behalf of a number of local cycling advocacy groups, including A-B Bikes and BU Bikes:

It’s great to see another huge step for Boston toward a bike-friendlier city.

The Helmets in Play (HIP) program of the Joseph M. Smith Community Health Center (JMSCHC) is one of the grantees of the Allston-Brighton/Boston College Community Fund recognized at an award ceremony held May 7, 2009. HIP, a partnership of JMSCHC and Allston-Brighton bikes (a/k/a A-Bbikes), will offer free bike and/or skate helmets to MassHealth eligible Allston-Brighton youth. Vouchers will be distributed by JMSCHC through its Allston clinic and satellite community health center sites at the Jackson-Mann complex and Gardner Pilot Academy. International Bicycle Centers will assist with fitting and supplying helmets through HIP. MassHealth eligible youth get a free helmet while supplies last! For more information contact: Francisca Guevara (JMSCHC Community Health Manager) at 617-208-1562 or fguevara@jmschc.org

Helmets in Play is part of A-Bbikes’ and its partners’ efforts to increase local youth access to bikes, helmets and bike education. A-Bbikes encourages local schools to take advantage of the bicycle education and other resources available through the Massachusetts Safe Routes to Schools program. Supported by funds from Ron Gluck (of the Boston law firm Breakstone, White & Gluck) additional bike education opportunities will be provided by MassBike to Allston-Brighton youth through West End House Boys and Girls Club and JMSCHC. Gluck’s donations will also be used to help maintain a fleet of bikes and helmets donated for use at the West End House by International Bicycle Centers and other A-Bbikes donors.