Biking in Cambridge

There’s an interesting article about a bike-sharing program in Spain in today’s New York times:

“The huge new European bicycle-sharing networks function less as recreation and more as low-cost alternate public transportation. Most programs (though not Paris’s) exclude tourists and day-trippers.

Here in Barcelona, streets during rush hour are lined with commuters and errand-goers on the bright red bicycles of Bicing, the city’s program, which began 18 months ago. Bicing offers 6,000 bicycles from 375 stands, which are scattered every few blocks; the bikes seem to be in constant motion.

“I use it every day to commute; everyone uses it,” said Andre Borao, 44, an entrepreneur in a gray suit with an orange tie, as he prepared to ride home for lunch. “It’s convenient, and I like the perspective of moving through the streets.””

This idea appears to be relatively widespread in Europe, I had no idea until reading this! I wonder what it would take for such an idea to take hold in MA. We don’t have very many bike-friendly streets, poor weather can be a powerful deterrent…nonetheless, if there were little bike depots located throughout the city I can’t imagine the bikes would sit gathering dust. The price model described, a $30 yearly fee for a smart card granting access to bikes for 30-minutes at a time, followed by a $0.30 charge per subsequent half hour, is VERY reasonable! I can think of countless times I have been out in the city on foot and wished that I had quick access to a bike, whether it’s to satisfy a whim to bike around the Charles or to actually get to a specific destination.

I don’t have much time to write so I’ll just provide a link to an article about bike safety in Cambridge. Nothing really new here…

This will just be a quick post but it’s about a concern I’ve had for a long time….providing the appropriate punishment for bikers who blatantly break the laws of the road (and endanger themselves and others in the process). The Boston Globe has a tidy little article on the increased Cambridge Police presence targeting bicyclists who burn red lights and ride on the sidewalks.

No mention of why there is no mandatory helmet law (for adults)…

I had to bike home for a few minutes to meet a friend and return some books to her. As I was biking back to work, around 7:45, I found myself almost cornered by a car cornering in to double park in the bike lane in front of Rendevouz (in Central Square). He opened his door about 5 feet in front of me and, had I not anticipated it (kinda hard not to do so, given the drivers in Cambridge), I easily would have been doored. I yelled at him: “What are you doing? You can’t just park like this in the bike lane!” to which he scoffed “What bike lane? Is there a law against it?” I was at the traffic light by the Middle East, the corner of Mass Ave and Brookline Ave and I turned back to respond “Actually it is” when I saw that he was right up next to me. He cursed me out and made as if to punch me but turned back and went inside Rendevouz. I’m not one for fights (refer to my ACL injury as proof of that) but I’m not letting this one go either. I took a quick picture with my phone and will file a complaint with the Cambridge Police (hah, one of my posts below will actually be useful!).

Here’s a quick list of  links which may be worthwhile for old and new bikers alike. I really don’t want to sound patronizing but it’s important to understand the laws before launching off on tirades.

1) Register your bike to help thwart thieves! This can be done online at:

http://www.cambridgema.gov/CPD/CommRes/bicycles.cfm#registration

2) Become familiar with the laws, this can’t be stressed enough:

http://www.cambridgema.gov/CPD/CommRes/bicycles.cfm#laws

3) The Cambridge Police FAQ has a number of good questions worth reposting:

-How do I report a bad driver?
To complain about a driver who drove so as to endanger you, whether through extreme carelessness or
malevolence, send a letter describing the incident with the license plate number to the Registry of Motor
Vehicles “Office of Driver Control, PO Box 199150, Boston, MA 02119-9150″, or use the Registry’s Driving
Complaint Form.

-How do I report traffic-related problems such as double parking?
If you would like to report a specific or general problem, you can contact the following divisions. It is
helpful if you can identify the exact location(s), such as with nearby street addresses:
* Traffic, Parking and Transportation Department Enforcement Division 617/349-4731
* Cambridge Police Department Traffic Unit 617/349-3307

-How can I report street defects and potholes?
The Department of Public Works is responsible for the repair or reconstruction of streets and sidewalks
in order to ensure that all public right if ways are safe and accessible at all times. If you would like
to report a street or sidewalk defect, please call the Operations Center at 617/349-4800, 617/349-4846 or
email theworks@cambridgema.gov and leave your name, phone number and the address of the defect.
To report potholes, please call the pothole hotline at 617/349-4854 or email
theworks@cambridgema.gov. Please provide the street address closest to where the pothole is located.

2 years ago I took a trip to Turkey for a close friend’s wedding. On the way back I had an 8 hour layover in Amsterdam so I seized this opportunity as a means to get a quick feel for the city. I’d like to share two pictures I took of some really pleasing sights for sore eyes:

Look at all those bikes! Call me sheltered but I have NEVER seen so many bikes in one place before.

It doesn’t take long to notice that on many roads in the city there are an equal number of bike lanes to car lanes, which is just plain awesome.

There’s certainly not much hope for getting a 1:1 ratio of bike:car lanes around Cambridge/Boston when so many deserving streets are lacking with even a single lane, but it doesn’t hurt to set a goal

  I’m not quite sure what will become of this blog, this is my first organized attempt at such a thing, but I’m hoping to use this space as a means to pool my thoughts regarding the hideously chaotic state that is bicycling in Cambridge and Boston.

Biking is a wonderful mode of transportation (plus it’s fun!) and the streets are often filled with avid cyclists but sadly there is a constant battle between bikers, drivers, and pedestrians over the rights of the road. All too often I observe the bikers breaking numerous laws and cars involved in numerous “close-calls” on the road. I’ve grown frustrated with the lack of action on behalf of the Cambridge Police and the dearth of helmet-wearing, street-law abiding bikers so hopefully through this medium I can organize my thoughts and observations and direct them toward enacting some form of change in the way we bike and drive in the city.

Chances are I’ll run out of steam before anything substantial is done, but who knows, maybe a new initiative will sprout out of my ranting and raving