Broadway bike lane plan divides Cambridge residents
Native Information
The challenge is dividing residents over preserving scarce parking areas versus creating protected bike lanes to make the roadway safer.
A proposal to put in separated bike lanes alongside Broadway in Cambridge is drawing blended reactions from neighborhood members.
Supporters of the plan argue that protected lanes are essential to make the busy hall safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Opponents are involved in regards to the potential lack of the world’s already restricted on-street parking, making life tougher for disabled residents, companies, and guests who depend on automotive entry.
On the finish of April, the rivalry got here to a head when the resident-led group Broadway Parking Coalition held an unsanctioned public assembly imploring metropolis councilors to listen to their issues over the results of dropping parking.
Audio system on the April 23 assembly on the Cambridge Elks Membership mentioned methods to protect the world’s remaining avenue parking. Many famous that aged and disabled individuals depend on these spots, particularly for his or her caretakers. Others voiced how tough it’s to search out parking at night time after coming house from a protracted day at work.
“I do know so many people who find themselves distraught about this,” mentioned John Pitkin, a longtime resident.
Pitkin mentioned that eradicating parking for some residents can result in social isolation, a scarcity of important providers, and every day inconveniences.
The assembly got here after quite a few public conferences town hosted. Pitkin of the Broadway Parking Coalition says the group hosted the separate assembly as a result of metropolis officers weren’t listening to their issues.
Nevertheless, Metropolis Council members Ayesha Wilson, Patty Nolan, Paul Toner, and Cathie Zusy attended.
“What we face now could be a significant scarcity of parking areas within the metropolis of Cambridge,” Larry Ward, a Cambridge resident, mentioned on the assembly. “That is the final main throughway of parking that’s being threatened to be taken away, and that’s regarding to many, many, many individuals.”
He added that dropping 60% of parking is “completely devastating.”
In response to residents’ issues, Jackie McLaughlin, Cambridge’s communications director, mentioned that for the challenge to adjust to the protection ordinance, town should take away the parking on one aspect to permit for protected bike lanes.
She added that in depth public outreach started in early 2025, together with mailings to over 7,000 households, a digital information session, a number of open homes, and a citywide design survey.
Bike proponents say the assembly was a last-minute try to halt the challenge, which is already underway.
In a metropolis with a rising variety of bike riders, the proponents from Cambridge Bicycle Security say having separated bike lanes is a should.
“There are at all times going to be individuals who will likely be towards this,” mentioned Christopher Cassa, a member of Cambridge Bicycle Security. However, he mentioned, separated bike lanes are mandatory for security, and can drive extra individuals off the roads and onto bikes.
As a result of when a crash does occur, Emma Batson, one other member of Cambridge Bicycle Security, mentioned, it’s like “your life flashes earlier than your eyes. (Crashes) will be very life altering.”
The challenge
The Broadway Security Enchancment Venture includes putting in separated bike lanes, utilizing parking, flex posts, and bodily limitations, alongside Broadway between Quincy Road and Portland Road.
The challenge will take away about 60% of the present on-street parking. Devoted accessible and incapacity parking areas will drop the bike lane separation to permit simple curb entry.
The town mentioned preliminary work for Part A started this week, together with roadway paving and side-street parking adjustments. The set up of the separated bike lanes on this part is scheduled for June to July.
The town will set up Sections B and C from Columbia Road to Quincy Road in 2026.
Nevertheless, the controversy goes again to when the Metropolis Council handed the Cambridge Biking Security Ordinance in 2019. The amendments required town to put in about 25 miles of separated bike lanes to deliver town nearer to realizing the Cambridge Bicycle Community Imaginative and prescient in 2020. In 2024, the Metropolis Council prolonged the deadline to Nov. 1, 2026.
Security over parking
In keeping with town, as Cambridge applied extra bike lanes, the crash price—the variety of crashes per million bicycle miles traveled—has steadily decreased since 2003, with the bottom price in 2022.
Of the crashes that happen, greater than 50% are non-injury, up from 18.3%, and incapacitating accidents have declined from 5.2% to 0.8%, a lower of 84%.
Amanda Leifer almost misplaced her life when somebody opened a automotive door into the painted bike lane on Broadway, sending her flying into the highway exterior Lamplighter.
“It was actually, actually scary,” Leifer mentioned.
She walked away with minor accidents however went to the hospital as a precaution. Her bike suffered over $1,000 in harm.
Leifer, who depends on biking as her primary transportation, mentioned, “Protected biking routes are a matter of life or dying for me. My crash might have been prevented.”
Whereas she helps protected bike lanes, Leifer acknowledges the necessity for parking, particularly for individuals with mobility challenges.
“It’s unhappy that it’s develop into bikers versus parkers,” she added.
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