[*BCM*] Stupidest Bike Lane

[Rachel Elizabeth Dillon]

On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 01:51:07PM -0400, Jim Leonard wrote:
> cc'd to slatev at slate.com
> 
> On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 09:54:27AM -0400, Daniel Jared Dominguez wrote:
> > I'd say that the bike _lines_ on some parts of Mass. Ave. in northern
> > Cambridge might qualify as worse.
> > 
> > On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 09:49:18AM -0400, Lee Peters wrote:
> > > Slate on-line has a report on the stupidest bike lane....check it out:
> > > 
> > > http://www.slate.com/
> 
> I would say that a ride the full duration of Mass Ave through Cambridge
> from the Harvard Bridge (ya know,  the one that goes to MIT?) to Alewife 
> Brook Parkway would be highly instructive in how not to do bike lanes.

Amen.
 
> But lo and behold, once we get past the intersection of Mass Ave with Brattle
> St and JFK St, where Mass ave becomes two way again (for about 200 feet
> before it splits again getting ready for what is, in effect, a large traffic
> circle around the entrance to the large underground bus stop at Harvard Sq)
> we've got a bike lane again.  Until... WHAT THE... !!!??? it ends with a 
> yellow and black caution sign and a curb jutting out from the side of the 
> road.  But wait, there's another bike lane.  On the LEFT side of the road 
> that we're supposed to use.  What cyclists are supposed to do in this area
> (not that it's overly clear) is to go to the right of the caution sign, and
> into an area to wait for the cross walk to change to cross the road and then 
> start riding on the bike lane on the left side of the road.  Until that goes
> away 150 feet later.  Leaving you stuck on the left side of the road as you 
> enter the traffic circle needing to get right two lanes because no cyclist
> wants to be in the lane that allows you to reverse direction on Mass Ave and 
> reenter Harvard Sq (more lanes if you want to go east on Cambridge St, but
> don't do that).  

This lane is going to hurt someone someday. The worst part (for bicycle
advocacy) is that it will probably be a pedestrian, as someone merrily
follows the bike lane at road speed --- onto the sidewalk. I almost hurt
someone this way the first time I saw the new intersection. It's one of
the few places that I think the road would be better with no bike lane
at all. It's also shiny new construction... there's no hope of getting this
changed, is there? Someone to write to?

-r.