Oh, to be a bicyclist in New York
With its wide avenues and actual, dedicated bike lanes. Mike Ball returns from a trip there and is amazed at what you can do with real streets - but also what a little enforcement might do on our non-cow paths:
... I think of the new, narrow bike lanes painted for a short distance on Columbus Avenue here. Eleven days ago, I took it both ways. In that short distance, I counted 22 motor vehicles blocking the lane, 9 one way and 13 back. Of course, there was no enforcement. Bikes had to take the single lane in either direction from cars and trucks to move instead. ...
Sean Roche, meanwhile, is loving the new bike lanes along Beacon Street from Cleveland Circle to the Newton line, but no liking how the just disappear at the line.
Let's see....from Cleveland Circle to the Newton line...
...that's about two..maybe three blocks! Nice going guys!
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who and the what now?
It's an important link
With decent bike accommodations from Newton Centre to Hammond Street and then good accommodations the length of Beacon Street in Brookline, there's been a big hole between Hammond Street and Cleveland Circle.
The hole is nearly filled and, with any luck, will be completely filled shortly.
It's going to take very,
It's going to take very, very heavy fines and strict enforcement, especially the closer you get to downtown.
Commercial trucks park illegally all the time because of the limited space, and the companies just take the $40 a day hit.
Exactly... the enforcement
Exactly... the enforcement necessary to make bike lanes viable just isn't going to happen, especially in this crappy economy. Furthermore, I just can't behind the daily dose of whining from cyclists about bike lanes when there are people being shot in broad daylight in Dorchester and Roxbury.
Not "not liking," waiting patiently
We fully expected the bike lanes to end at the Boston/Newton line -- temporarily. Newton plans to stripe lanes that continue from the Boston/Newton line to Hammond Street. I'll keep you posted.
Check Again
Just drove down Beacon Street this morning, from St Thomas More Road along Boston College. There is a shiny new Bike Lane!