biking
Casey Overpass: A New Bridge Is Better
By Ferris Wheels B... - 11/29/11 - 5:59 pmA Forest Hills bridge is a connector, not a barrier, because it keeps 24,000 vehicles per day that are not going to local destinations off local streets. With the bridge, the traffic volumes on New Washington Street are kept relatively low, about one-third of what traffic volumes would be without a bridge. This is the central argument for building a new bridge—the quality of the pedestrian, auto, bike, and transit experience would be degraded with the addition of 24,000 vehicles per day, the additional lanes required to accommodate these regionally vehicles, the additional signals and travel time required for vehicles to maneuver a contorted and convoluted surface street pattern. A new, modern bridge would allow a simpler, reduced traffic surface street that would help reconnect the area divided by the 1950s Casey Overpass.
Please visit the new website for pro-bridge advocates: RebuildCasey.org
Bicycle Accommodations on Washington Street: Lanes or Paths?
By Ferris Wheels B... - 10/5/11 - 3:41 pmJeffrey Ferris of Ferris Wheels Bike Shop is asking for residents' opinions of two proposals for bicycle infrastructure on Washington Street, just south of Forest Hills Station. Two maps are hanging just inside the front door at Ferris Wheels Bike Shop (66 South Street, Jamaica Plain) showing the proposed options, and you can write down your opinions on the clipboard.
Jeffrey Ferris will bring this feedback to the next Casey Overpass Project Working Advisory Group meeting on October 25th. (You can see all the information presented at these meetings by clicking here.) Click here for a photo of the maps.
Test-driving Hubway
By JennyMack - 9/13/11 - 10:17 amBU Today's Leslie Friday takes Hubway for a spin to find out what all of the fuss is about:
All along Newbury Street and Comm Ave, habitual bikers whiz by me, their backdraft mocking my steady, but slower, speed. Hubway bikes are made for heavy-duty use by people of all skill levels—more like beach cruisers than speed racers, so I enjoy the sights. The Citgo sign looms as I cross back onto campus. By now my legs are burning, the setting sun is striking me squarely in the eyes, and I’m going uphill to my last stop: FitRec.
[...] So, lessons learned: visit Hubway’s site beforehand, bring a helmet and a cell phone, and don’t rely on these bikes if you’re on a tight schedule. I wasn’t, so I chalked it up as another urban adventure.
Have you tried Hubway yet? What have your experiences been so far?
Riding Right: Nine Tips for Better Biking
By kateziegler - 8/2/11 - 10:07 amOriginally posted at Union Jack Creative on July 29th, 2011 - from two Boston bikers to hundreds of new Hubway riders, nine tips to make biking better for you, and for the rest of us.
It’s no secret that we’re pretty big on bikes. We think they’re pretty fun to ride (and are kind of like magic carpets ferrying you home in the wee hours when everyone else is fighting for cabs) and we love when friends ask us for help breaking into biking in the city. More bikes are better for everyone involved, in our opinion.
And so, though we’re a bit confused as to the target market, we really want to get behind Boston’s Hubway bike share initiative, which had its grand opening last Thursday. Kiosks are up, bikes are out and locals are signing up – but what about that influx of new riders?
Meeting for the Friends of the Community Path in Somerville
By rob edwards - 1/10/11 - 8:21 pmThe Friends of the Community Path are having their monthly meeting this Thursday evening. Come out if you can! The group is advocating for the proposed multi-use path from Somerville to Lechmere station along the new green line extension right-of-way. The info is below:
Thursday, January 13, 2011 - 7:00 to 9:00 pm
Visiting Nurse Association (VNA)
259 Lowell St., 3rd Floor Community Room
Somerville, MA 02144
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Friends-of-the-Community-Path/129724153751066
Riding down Comm Ave on a bike
By JennyMack - 9/7/10 - 1:28 pmBU's Katie Koch shows us firsthand what it's like for a biker on Comm. Ave. Personally, I'm terrified just watching it.
Bike Safety Day is today at BU, and Dean Elmore is giving away a brand new bike (helmet and lock included).
Globe highlights Portland OR's transportation policy
By neilv - 8/15/09 - 3:15 amTour de France Party Night! 7/25 at Jeanie Johnston Pub
By Ferris Wheels B... - 7/24/09 - 3:51 pmFerris Wheels Bike Shop throws a last-minute Down to the Wire Tour de France Party this Saturday, July 25th, 8-11 pm. Since Lance is defending his place on the podium in the perilous climb up Mont Ventoux, the night seems party-worthy.
Join cycling enthusiasts at Jeanie Johnston Pub, 144 South Street, Jamaica Plain. A free raffle, Tour 101, Tour trivia, and the Jeanie Johnston's great food and drink round out a fun evening.
Cyclist Hit in Cambridge
By cosmo.catalano - 5/8/09 - 9:07 amAt the corner of Mass Ave and State Street. One of those minivan school buses was stopped the over the bike lane, mid-left turn from Mass Ave southbound onto State, with a cyclist and a bike lying on the ground in front of the bumper.
Doored
By Brett - 10/15/08 - 12:30 pmThis morning on my ride into work, I saw a car door wide open. As I approached and saw a bicyclist wincing and breathing hard in front of the car, it clicked. "Did you get doored?" "Yeah", he replied, and lifted up his shirt to show a half-inch deep, 4 inch long gash in his chest, starting around his collarbone, in the perfect shape of the corner of the door. "Call the police", I urged. He nodded, and pulled out his cell phone and dialed 911.
I've been shown hands where fingers don't move properly and heard horror stories of people ending up stuffed into the driver's side footwell.
Many people who don't bike (or have just started biking) think that bike injuries are pretty minor, but the reality is that a fall from a bike, even if your body isn't hit or run over, can still result in serious injuries- broken hands, wrists, arms. Speaking from first-hand experience, these injuries are extremely painful, result in weeks of hassle (ever tried to wash your dishes with one hand?), lost pay, and difficulty doing the fun things that keep you sane.
Bikers- what can you do to help yourself? Have well-adjusted brakes and wear a helmet. When riding near parked cars, keep your fingers on your brake (braking with the FRONT brake is most effective; practice bracing yourself against hard braking.) Use a FRONT bike light as soon as the sun starts to set, and look for signs someone's in the car and about to get out. ANY time you're injured by a driver, CALL THE POLICE, insist a report is filed, and go to the hospital (the driver's insurance covers it, unless you were at fault.) Adrenalin and shock can mask injuries.
Drivers- what can you do? It's really, really simple: look in your mirror before you open your door.
