[*BCM*] My thoughts

[Jim Leonard]

On Thu, 5 Apr 2007, Basil Sharpe wrote:

> It's not just Boston that needs more awareness to Cyclist.  So do areas
> such as Medford and Malden.

As someone who lives on the Medford Somerville border, I can say that on
the occasions that I go further into Medford, I am far more routinely
hassled by motorists than in Somerville and Cambridge, including people
who couldn't believe that it was even legal for a cyclist to be on the
road let alone using a turn lane.

--jim


> On the March 07 ride and as we got to
> Harvard Square, I heard a few folks suggest that the CM ride go to
> Medford instead of the usual ride to Cambridge Brookline etc.   I can
> tell you first hand after riding home from Beverly to Medford for the
> past 4 plus years, it's these close proximity towns to Boston drivers
> who could also stand to learn a thing or two regarding bicycles.   Time
> and Time again people in this Medford Malden area respond to Bicycles as
> if they are for kids and belong on the sidewalk.  In fact, a Medford cop
> told me this once.   I know Crit Mass can't do everything but I just
> want to float the idea to going to Medford because I think Medford
> people need in a far more desperate way than Cambridge or Brookline
> people do to be exposed to Crit Mass.  Cambridge people are far more
> accepting to bicycles than Medford people are.  And Medford is in very
> close proximity to Boston.  A ride here could be a good thing.   I've
> just found that people in Cambridge and Brookline are more accepting to
> cyclists than Medford people are.    To go to Medford with a crit mass
> ride would just spread the idea that much more and could be very
> rewarding.
>
> Basil
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org
> [mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces at bostoncriticalmass.org] On Behalf Of
> Ian Thistle
> Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 1:03 PM
> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
> Subject: [*BCM*] My thoughts
>
>
>
> So I have been stewing over the last day and here are some points I'd
> like to bring up for discussion.
>
> First, I offer my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the
> young man who died.  I didn't know him personally but it seems like I
> easily could have.  I'm not sure if his name has been officially
> released, so I'm not going to say it, but he was a friend of friends of
> mine.  It's a terrible tragedy that I'm sure will stick with us for a
> long time.
>
> What I'm upset about is this:  Anyone who rides frequently in Boston
> could have told you that the area where he was hit is very dangerous.
> One of the first responses on this list called it a "highway," and I
> agree.  People drive very fast and the road is needlessly narrow.  You
> always have to watch out for Northeastern / MassArt / SMFA students
> crossing the street without warning and yet it's the quickest route from
> downtown to Mission Hill, Brookline Village, and so on.
>
> Sometimes it unfortunately takes a tragedy for things to change.  I'd
> have hope that the area would be improved, except the area of Cambridge
> St where Kirsten Malone was killed three years ago (if I remember
> correctly) is still just as dangerous as it was the day she died.
> Similarly, anyone could have told you that area was really dangerous
> before she was killed.
>
> Now, MassBike does some good things, but for a cycling advocacy group,
> they haven't done much to make things better for cyclists in the city
> (at least that I can tell in the four and a half years I've lived here).
> One of their major recent victories was securing $40 million of funds
> for bike paths (link here)
> <http://www.massbike.org/projects/federal_bikepath_funding.htm> .  Most
> of these are in the rest of the state, and the ones that are in the
> Boston area aren't ones I will ever ride, nor do most of my biking
> friends.  I don't want to stereotype, but they seem to mainly be for
> "weekend warriors" rather than commuters.  No matter who rides them,
> bike paths are in my opinion counter to the safety of cyclists, since
> they get overwhelmed by joggers and rollerbladers and they reinforce the
> idea to drivers that cyclists belong off the road.
>
> I don't want to pin it all on MassBike, as I fully support a lot of the
> things they are doing.  I guess what I'm mostly looking for is some way
> to get my voice heard, as a cyclist on the streets of Boston who sees
> the city as needlessly forboding to cyclists.
>
> Lastly, I wanted to voice to everyone that while being scared to ride is
> a natural and understandable reaction to this death, that they shouldn't
> stop riding.  Fewer bikes on the streets makes it harder for everyone
> still riding, not to mention increasing pollution and lowering personal
> health.
>
> Be safe,
> Ian
>
>
>
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