Morgane Treanton shares this image of the new North End cycle track image noting, “One cycle track painting is not like the other.”
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I’m trying to keep an open mind with this track but…based on the traffic patterns I’m already seeing, I can’t say this was a smart move. There is no questions that Commercial Street is now much narrower for cars. Taking a right hand turn off of Charter St and onto Commercial needs a precise hard turn. Much more difficult than the previous set up.
Moreover, pulling out the public parking lots on the harbor side of Commercial St is much more dangerous (to both cyclists and cars) than before the track was installed. I know this because I do it everyday. Sight lines have been greatly compromised.
From one cycle track abutter to another: I agree. These inconveniences and reasons to drive with more caution are not pleasant in the short term. In the long run, we can cling to the fading reality of a car-centric city, or one that invites more human-powered mobility. For me, that longer-term reality, along with slowing drivers down, makes the current disruption a whole lot easier to swallow.
I’m curious to see how much these cycle tracks are used… We already know they will be rarely used December – March, where days like today and it is 30 degrees out… To me this feels forced on the neighborhood… wish we could’ve voted for it…
I used it last night, and will again tonight despite it being only in the 20’s and not even complete. I feel so much safer riding home this way now, even though its not my most direct route. I cant wait until its complete.
i’m all for car alternative transportation and making biking in the City safer for everyone. My problem with the cycle-track on Commercial Street isn’t the concept, but the location! If the City had done the right thing and consulted with the neighborhood residents BEFORE they pushed this through, they could have come up with a much better route design that worked for evryone, not just the summertime tourists and the handful of year-round commuters that actually will use it. Designers ignored the fact that the traffic situation was already bad when the number of lanes on Commercial went from 4 to 3 for the painted bike lane, and rushed ahead with a bad idea before the clock expired on their Federal funding. The cycle track could have been placed along the HarborWalk, making for a safer and more scenic cycling experience whie restoring the badly needed four lanes of car access to Commercial Street.
I agree. Someone is going to get killed / hurt badly before the city acts! How about when the duck tour buses start up in the spring? It was NOT a smart idea… Two people can barely walk along side eachother on the side walk in certain areas!
I am eager to use the new cycletrack because all too often it is stressful and unsafe to bike in the street alongside motor vehicles. Being able to bike separated from cars is an amazing feeling that I have enjoyed in other cities around the country and world. Many of my friends will be more likely to bike to get around town with options like this. I hope that lots of people use the new cycletrack and it will be interesting to see if data is collected before and after the cycletrack to see how much bicycling is increasing. If we want to fight climate change and create cleaner air and healthier communities, we need to take steps that make bicycling and other forms of sustainable transportation safer, more convenient, and more welcoming to people of all ages.
Im already a big fan. Its far safer than the on street bike lanes that were here before. This, combined with the new ones coming in Causeway St will reatly improve my bike commute. And, yes, I bike commute all 4 seasons, and in all types of weather.
I’m imagining that this new infrastructure will likely reduce the risk of injury and death on that stretch of road, and make it into more of a multi-modal corridor than just a place for cars and trucks. This sort of shift is increasingly common, especially in Europe.
This cycle track this great and will get a lot of use once people know that it is here. All modes of transportation need a way to get from one place to another safely, so we will ultimately need more like this.
Being able to directly observe part of the Commercial St cycle track from my home it is so far currently being used more by pedestrians than cyclists. Also tonight saw a group of skate boarders go by. Also popular with joggers. Leaving actual existing sidewalk somewhat empty. Cycle lane especially popular with pedestrians before and after Garden events.
Still have cyclists on sidewalk and road on non water side of Commercial St. Of course it is new and not completely operational but for the 5-6 blocks along Commercial St hardly worth losing an entire lane of traffic on a major downtown thoroughfare. It seems to stop at waterfront park?and at the skating rink where you then pick up the Harborwalk go under the Charlestown bridge and exit out to Causeway St from Beverly St.? Of course read somewhere that underpass will be closed when Charlestown bridge construction starts.
love it
I cycle through the North End Waterfront area a few days a week for work and it is much safer and less stressful now with this lovely protected bicycle lane.
No longer do I have to dodge around illegally parked cars and no longer do I have to hear the deadly sound of a truck approaching too closely behind me. Thank you!
Dan: Yes, the trucks are a problem for the bikers, as well as illegally parked cars. An accident waiting to happen. There are 2 lanes parallel to the bike path, and opposite side, the road is ample wide. Drove it this morning and wondered why all the fuss.. A great advantage is that traffic will be obliged to slow down a bit.
Ah, that’s Sarah, as usual? She an empty street on Sunday and made a wide-ranging conclusion that it’s all fine. Drive it on a weekday in rush hour or on a summer Saturday afternoon. And try to think. What would happen with any emergency vehicle trying to get through?
I, personally, will reserve judgement. Will probably use the bike lanes as riding without them was fairly scary. But it’s hard to tell how actual traffic patterns will be affected, and that’s just it – we don’t know yet.
Like the eyes. Nice touch.
Bicycle lanes versus traffic aren’t the problem. We have a old, congested city and an old, but expensive, public transportation system putting more cars on the surface routes. How many times as the T simply raised fares with no improvement to show riders?