City Installs Posts on Two New Protected Bike Lanes

CAMBRIDGE—The City of Cambridge began installing temporary flex-posts on two new pilot protected bike lanes in Central Square Tuesday morning.

As cyclist safety has come into question with recent deaths in Cambridge and Somerville, city officials are continuing to work on Vision Zero, a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. The Cambridge City Council unanimously adopted the initiative in March. See the resolution here. Cambridge resident Amanda Phillips was killed in Inman Square last year when she was thrown off her bike when a driver opened the door of a parked car.

The "demonstrations," as the City Council and community are calling them, are temporary bike lane infrastructure to allow the City to understand what the maintenance and installation would be like, along with tactical issues like street sweeping and snow clearance.

Cambridge City Councillor Nadeem Mazen thinks more is needed to fully implement Vision Zero. He told Patch, "I must say that we need to see more traction on this one. I believe that a commitment to Vision Zero means proactively informing policy makers like the council and proactively engaging fulltime transit advocates (like Livable Streets or Boston Cyclists Union) in this planning. Unfortunately, this part of the work seems like it is ambling along, at best - and will probably see another kick in the process from activists and onlookers in the spring, so as to "lock in" commitments that the City has made to be more diligent, but has not yet fulfilled entirely."

He also explained that the Department of Public works is engaging with utilities, developers, and others to routinely dig up streets on a schedule of 5-years so that bike lane changes can be made.

Two locations were identified as priority locations for protected bicycle lanes in the Cambridge Bicycle Plan in October. They are: Massachusetts Avenue Northbound (east/odd side of the street) from Sidney Street to Douglass Street, and Massachusetts Avenue Northbound (east/odd side of the street) from Waterhouse Street to Everett Street. The locations will be monitored to see if any adjustments like expansion or removal are needed.

The City released a video earlier this year featuring Taha Jennings, Assistant to the City Manager, and Joseph Barr, Director of Traffic Parking and Transportation, explaining Vision Zero.

Residents noticed the new posts.

Image: City of Cambridge