[BCM] Longfellow / Cambridge Bike Police

Wed Jul 30 16:17:13 EDT 2008

some states = not massachusetts
I typically see 3+ cars per day run red lights... I have never witnessed one get a ticket.  In the last two weeks I have seen 4 cyclists get tickets / warnings at that one intersection.
The majority of people that complain about cyclists running red lights are the people in their cars that are just upset that they are being passed by a bicycle.  *MOST* cyclists (not all) slow down at red lights, look to see if it is safe, and then go through.  THIS IS WAAAAAAAAY less likely to injure someone, than a car speeding up to make the yellow.
The people in their cars who are all squeezed up about a bike getting through the intersection before them are too easily irritated... which is a common side effect of driving near boston.   A simple cure is for them to get on a bike instead into their car.

----- Original Message ----
From: Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>
To: Boston Critical Mass <list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:59:17 PM
Subject: Re: [*BCM*] Longfellow / Cambridge Bike Police

Nevertheless, the number of people killed/injured by cars far exceed the number of people killed/injured by bikes.

On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 3:40 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:

Cyclists who run red lights are at greater risk of potential harm as when they're struck by oncoming traffic they have nothing to protect them.  Unlike, say, being in a car which is struck.  Screw property damage, let's talk serious personal injury.  And about the fastest way to get stopped by a cop is to run a red light in a car.  

Cars that run red lights are considered so serious that in many states and countries, they are automatically photographed and issued with penalty points.  No cops even required.  This has certainly had the effect of substantially reducing the running of red lights by cars.  Now, if only cyclists would learn as well.  

People's most common complaints about cyclists?  Seems to be the running of red lights.  That Newsweek article's common theme?  Running red lights (including the guy who picked up his bike and RAN through the red light.  The red lights are a big deal.  Put your big girl panties on and learn to deal with it.

2008/7/30 Rob Arnold <rsarnold at gmail.com>

Speaking of percentages, I wonder what percentage of property damage are responsible by cars versus bikes? Or personal injuries? Or deaths? The enforcement should be proportional to the potential harm. I'm guessing it isn't.

On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 3:15 PM, Anne Wolfe <goannego at gmail.com> wrote:

Look at it in terms of percentages.  What percentage of traffic violations (and/or police time) in Cambridge are given to cars?  What percentage are given to bikes?  

If you want to complain about non-enforcement of traffic laws against vehicles, the time to do it is not during grumbling for being caught running a red light.  Because of course, while you might think it is safer, traffic and pedestrians coming the other way may well disagree when you hit them.  Or they hit you.  Etc.  

I've seen a lot more cyclists in my day fail to signal a turn than drivers.  And I've seen a whole lot of drivers fail to signal.  

As an aside, I just noticed this on Newsweek.  Feeding in with the Seattle and NYC issues, non-law abiding bikers are in for considerably more crackdowns everywhere it seems.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/149224

2008/7/30 Charvak Karpe <charvak at alum.mit.edu>

Yes, I've been stopped by the Cambridge bike cops for running the 77
Mass Ave light.  They only gave me a warning and told me that they'll
be around town and I should stop the next time I see them so they
don't write me a ticket.  It's one more thing to be alert for,
distracting me from dodging cars.  I was polite, but I did ask why
they don't do something more useful like ticket people for not using
turn signals.  They claimed that they write tickets for that too and
enforce all laws.  They thanked me for being green and "helping mother
earth".  I thanked them for the warning.

If I had time, I'd demand statistics of how many tickets the City of
Cambridge has issued for failure to use turn signals and carry that
with me for the next time I see them.  Has anyone heard of someone
getting a ticket for turning without signalling?

It's not their fault that they've been assigned the bicycle
enforcement shift, so the best they can do is hand out a bunch of
warnings.  We should be nice to those guys.  One might expect the
police to do useful things like track down stolen property or stop and
ask questions when they see a bike lock being cut instead of writing
bike tickets, but at least they're not pushing us off the bikes.
Sarcasm aside, police presence does help keep drivers tamer than they
would be otherwise.  And although they vary as much as any group of
people, most of them are pretty nice if you're nice to them and
respectful of their authority.

------------------------------------------

Agreed about the hypocrisy of these bicycle traps.  Just this morning, at
that very location, I was right behind a rider who was fined for running
the light ahead of me.  With the reputation that Boston motorists have, I
can't help but feel they have much bigger fish to fry.

However, I have to say that last Friday (in the afternoon, following the
police-supported Bike Friday event that I attended) I was told by a cop to
go if I saw a chance through the busy intersection.  It was "the least
they could do" because I was "sparing us all the gas."  He was a really
nice guy, and if I'd had the time, I'd have grabbed his badge number and
commended him (leaving out the law breaking part of course) to his
department.
--
James David Morgan
Co-Founder and Designer
The Groundswell Collective
http://www.groundswellcollective.com/
http://blog.groundswellcollective.com/

Jon Ramos wrote:
Speaking of the area near the Longfellow Bridge....
There have been an increasing number of bike police traps in
Cambridgelately.? I have noticed that they are spread out along my route
at different locations, but they seem to always be at least one cop the
intersection of Broadway & Main Street in Cambridge (just before the
Longfellow).? I have watched other cyclist get stopped and ticketed a few
times, usually when crossing with the pedestrian walk signal when all
lights are red.
?
Here is a map of the spot:?
(http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Broadway+%4042.362770,+-71.084582&daddr=42.361977,-71.082423&hl=en&geocode=12899578198328372370,42.362770,-71.084582%3B6747366231024457007,42.362270,-71.083680&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=17&sll=42.362008,-71.082627&sspn=0.003623,0.006748&ie=UTF8&ll=42.363047,-71.08283&spn=0.014491,0.043302&z=15)
(In my opinion) I think it is good for the police to stop cyclists for
blasting through a red light, but I personally think it is safer to cross
that particular intersection with the pedestrian signal vs. waiting for
the green and battling for a safe spot with the cars.
?
I also think it is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS that the bike police at that
intersection do NOTHING about all of the shuttles, taxis, large trucks,
and cars that are parked in the bike lane less than 50 yards east from
where the cops are handing out tickets to cyclists.
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-- 

Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
"If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."

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_______________________________________________
Boston Critical Mass mailing list
list at bostoncriticalmass.org
http://bostoncriticalmass.org/list
To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe at bostoncriticalmass.org

-- 
Anne M. Wolfe, LL.M.
Mobile: ( 07805) 456901
"If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head. Please do not taunt Happy Fun Ball."

_______________________________________________
Boston Critical Mass mailing list
list at bostoncriticalmass.org
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