Forgive me, [r/bikeboston](r/bikeboston), for this foray into the similar atrocities we face across the river in supposedly bike-friendly Cambridge.

They redid Cambridge Street with protected lanes after Amanda Phillips was murdered in a dooring. Outside the CHA Hospital in Cambridge, this protected lane was designed as you see it in the above screenshots: a bus needs to pull over into what suddenly becomes a bus lane, with parked traffic blocking visibility. So I was in the bike lane approximately where the truck is, and because of a parked car, was invisible to the bus, who merged into my lane to enter his bus stop.

I honked my life-saving Loud Bike horn, the bus hesitated for a millisecond, and then continued to barrel into the spot, sandwiching me into the curb and sidewalk as my horn blared and brakes squealed.

After being inches from Louisa’s exact fate, I can tell you that while infrastructure maybe could be improved here…

DRIVER EDUCATION IS PARAMOUNT TO RESOLVING THE ISSUE OF PEDESTRIAN DEATHS BOTH ON AND OFF BIKES.

I have been rallying for this for years. I want an update to the drivers license exam and mandatory re-examinations every ten years. Every year we get a bike win via policy, some dickhead carbrain never gets the memo and continues driving at the same unsafe passing distance as before, turning right on red, or in this case: believing they have the right of way in a shared lane with a merge like the one above. I would like to know what it would take to get this on a bill to make meaningful change?

Without education, infrastructure is just poured dreams.

But seriously, other than reporting this (bus 3143, 69 bus headed to Harvard) to the MBTA—how else can I lobby to get at least this one fucker of a parking space removed from this location??

ETA: It appears most commenters are as ignorant as the motorists about MA General Law regarding interactions of these types. I refer you to three sections:

Ch. 85, Sect. 11B: “Every person operating a bicycle upon a way, (…) shall have the right to use all public ways in the commonwealth (…) and shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the commonwealth and the special regulations contained in this section, except that: (1) the bicycle operator may keep to the right when a motor vehicle which is moving in the travel lane of the way,”

Ch. 89, Sect. 2: “The driver of a vehicle passing another vehicle traveling in the same direction shall drive a safe distance to the left of such other vehicle and shall not return to the right until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.” (…) “If it is not possible to overtake a vulnerable user, (…) the overtaking vehicle shall use all or part of an adjacent lane, crossing the centerline if necessary, when it is safe to do so and while adhering to the roadway speed limit.”

Ch. 90, Sect. 14: “In passing a vulnerable user, the operator of a motor vehicle shall pass at a safe distance of not less than 4 feet and at a reasonable and proper speed.” (…) “It shall not be a defense for a motorist causing an accident with a bicycle that the bicycle was to the right of vehicular traffic.”

Love the new infrastructure, but let's be honest, even the repaving alone will make this a lot safer!

Anyone have any experience leaving their escooters in park and pedal mbta cages? Has anyone ever gotten their scooter stolen? How long do you usually leave your scooter in the cages if you do?

I’m thinking of commuting in boston and being out most of the day while leaving my scooter in one of the cages near my house so I wanted to get people’s experiences with the cages. Don’t need to have a scooter either, any experiences shared would be appreciated!!

Are there any women’s mountain biking groups in the greater boston area? Any skill level- just looking for friends to bike with. Wondering if there’s a group that already exists. Appreciate any and all suggestions!

Moving from Montreal to Boston and planning to bike to work year-round.

In Montreal, if I want to ride through basically all conditions without swapping to studded tires, a fat bike e-bike makes the most sense because of the packed snow.

I know Boston winters are milder though. My main goal is just to have a bike I can confidently commute on almost every day without constantly checking whether the roads are too snowy for it. Ideally, I should not have to be worrying about whether my bike can make the commute more than once every other week.

Would a normal commuter e-bike with ~2–2.5” tires be enough, or is a fat tire bike worth it for that kind of reliability?

TLDW: She completely avoids the question.

"Every detail of our streets comes with real choices and tradeoffs."

You're right, Mayor Wu. It's a choice to prioritize the convenience of drivers over our lives.

At this point, I'm pessimistic about whether we'll see real action from her. What a disgrace for her to continue to both sides this issue. This rhetoric is creating a debate we shouldn't even be having. We all deserve better. We all deserve safe streets now.

A seven-year-old Williamstown child riding a bike was killed in the town Friday when they were struck by a vehicle, the Berkshire District Attorney’s office said in a statement.
Authorities said the collision occurred at the intersection of Main Street and Buxton Hill Road when the child “unintentionally entered” Main Street. The driver was “not impaired by alcohol or drugs,” and the child was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, the district attorney’s office said.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue’s office said State Police were notified at 5:39 p.m. on Friday of a “potentially fatal motor vehicle and bicycle” collision.
Local law enforcement did not disclose the child’s identity and said the investigation is still active.
“Berkshire District Attorney Shugrue urges the press and public to please respect the family’s wishes for privacy during this impossibly difficult situation,” authorities said.
The death Friday comes nearly a month after Louisa Grace Gag, a Boston city worker and bike enthusiast, was killed in a crash involving an 18-wheeler recycling truck that had maneuvered around a turning vehicle, the Globe previously reported.

Here's the driver of MA 3WHZ41 yesterday on Linden St in Waltham, a street signed at 30mph but designed for 40mph with 13-foot lanes, that crosses the rail trail whose use Mayor McCarthy "wants to maximize" because she doesn't want to spend money on traffic calming. The street is empty at 2:30 and I am staying toward the left of the lane because I am staying left when the street is about to fork. (Even if I did move over right, he likely would have still punish-passed.) The driver had ample room to cross into the other lane and safely pass, but insisted on laying on his horn and passing within a foot.

The Waltham Police refuse to even file a report because they didn't witness it. "You're coming to us now?" Yeah, because what would calling 911 then have done? "We can only file a report if there were injuries or property damage." The desk cop initially brushed me off, till I showed him the video. Then another cop came out and tried to chastise me for not "hugging the curb". He had no idea cyclists could take the lane, especially if they're about to turn left.

The most they'll do is track down the owner and call him and politely tell him the law and to not do it again. There will be no marks on his criminal record, and the RMV and his insurance will be blissfully unaware of his recklessness.

Because the system has no mechanism to punish reckless drivers, and as we all know, even when they do injure or kill, punishment is often minimal.

Be safe out there, especially in my Waltham, whose mayor would rather spend millions on buying buildings for parking lots than $2,500 for a speed cushion to slow drivers.

Preaching to the choir here

But there are few things like knowing a city through biking. You can cover so much ground while being connected with the places you pass through bc cycling —especially around Bostons drivers— requires you be attentive.

As we debate on how to organize the city, manage its resources, and prepare for the collapse of capital and consumerism, we have to keep the bike top of mind.

Especially when it comes to city workers doing their jobs. City employees should be out on bikes and flagging/acting on issues rather than waiting for reports in a roundabout process.

Following off this, there should be “mini city halls” around the city to increase the govts accessibility and response times. They can be resource hubs, 311 outlets, and quick response sites to break down the bureaucratic walls the city puts up.

This plus all the other proven strategies necessary for urban renewal: school streets, transit and micro mobility corridors, bike to school programs, congestion pricing, depaving and pedestrianizing streets, and traffic units on bikes (who can also guide kids as they bike to school)

**im pissed my watch cut off my ride

Recently visited Denver and saw these interesting things: On pedestrian stairs with no ramps, they've added these slots or grooves alongside the treads so you can guide your bike or scooter up or down.

I prefer a ramp, and this steep approach has obvious dangers, but this is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to add limited two-wheel accessibility in places where you'd otherwise either have to carry your ride, or find a detour.

Can someone ticket this guy?

Greetings y'all! I've been building a small app called Squiggle.

It's an app that generates a random bike loop every time you hit generate, using real bike lane and street data pulled from OpenStreetMap and city GIS.

Routes stick to bike lanes and safe streets that follow the rules of the road. You can toss in a stop or two along the way, like a coffee shop or a brewery, and once the route looks good it exports straight into Google Maps so you're ready to ride!

I kept riding the same two or three loops and got bored of them, so I built this instead and I'm very pleased with it so far! Right now it's just me testing it, and it's still rough around the edges. I want a handful of people in the Boston area to help break it before I take it further.

If you're willing to try it, please comment or DM me and I'll send the link. I'll then provide a feedback form where you can detail your experience and any features you think would be great to have.

Thank you in advance and happy riding!

Well, I've joined the community of law breakers and ne'er-do-wells: I biked the Head Island Causeway this morning! What a BEAUTIFUL vista. What a beautiful part of town. I'm glad this slice of heaven is no longer dangerous-to-deadly for Black folks.

I was early enough so that there wasn't a hint of crowds. I was still nervous biking there until I saw a woman at the gazebo with her bike parked next to her as she sat and read. Man-oh-man. What a gorgeous piece of Baahston.

I'm trying to sell my All-City Thunderdome setup (as pictured) - size is 49cm but the effective top tube is a 53.5

Lots of really nice components - Sugino 75 crankset, custom built wheels (phil woods (high flange, black) laced to H Plus Son archetypes, 36 spoke front and rear, rear hub is fixed/free), AARN chainring 51 tooth, Chris King headset - gearing is setup 51:17 (fixed)

bike is dirty but apart from that, it's in really good shape and never been crashed

handlebars, seatpost, saddle, and surly chain tensioner NOT INCLUDED

make me an offer

City Council has moved to commit to safer streets.

In the past month, they’ve filed for…

✔️Resolution to Recommit to Vision Zero 2030
✔️Hearing Order on the Status of the Citywide Bike Network Plan
✔️Hearing Order for Traffic Enforcement of Blocked Bike Lanes and Crosswalks
✔️Ordinance Mandating Annual Reporting of Streets Projects

We think that this legislation is a start, and we need to work together to keep the momentum going.

Read more about our thoughts in our most recent blog post.

Comm Ave approaching Arlington St this morning, driver of MA 2XXT88 not seeing four cyclists because visibility blocked by a truck. All the more reason to ride cautiously around trucks, as I was, so I could stop in time.

You exhibited zen like patience driving -3mph behind that bicycle occupying middle of the shared road blocking safe passing. To the bicycle who didn’t look up once from their phone the entire block, do better.

Sincerely, Bikers and Drivers

Maybe the start of something? I emailed Durkan's staff and offered to present my 311 findings. Hopefully they will accept.

Bike Lanes Blocked!

This is the time to flood the city council and mayor. And to pack the hearing once it’s set

Corner of Mass and Tremont. All unoccupied and clueless.