Come Out May 2 To Create A New Inman Square Safe For Everyone!

From the email:

Together, we’re making streets in Cambridge safer for all ages and abilities. As a result of our voices, we have seen some initial wins with pop-up lanes and great community support in favor of the city’s plans for Cambridge Street protected bike lanes. We need to continue this momentum this Tuesday, May 2 at the important Inman Square redesign meeting where the city will unveil the results of its months-long internal deliberations.

Cambridge St Update: 150 people showed up for the Cambridge Street protected bike lane meeting, and the tone was overwhelmingly positive, especially for making the street safe for the hundreds of CRLS students that bike or walk to school. Many bicyclists also emphasized the need to support local businesses and how this project can benefit them. The city has promised to begin construction in June, with one more public meeting between then and now, and we’ll keep you posted on how we can all make sure this project is a success.

Inman Sq Public Meeting: The other major project happening this Spring is the redesign of Inman Square, which will connect directly to the east end of the Cambridge Street protected bike lane. There is an important public meeting this Tuesday, May 2where city staff will present their preferred design and solicit feedback. All four of the designs presented at the last meeting, particularly the bend options, need significant changes to be as safe for all users as they can be. Thus, it’s crucial for as many of us as possible to come out on May 2 in support of safe, protected bicycle infrastructure and traffic calming! We deserve safe streets for all ages and abilities and the final design must reflect this.

When: Tuesday, May 2, 6-8pm (6-7: presentation, 7-8: discussion)

Where: Cambridge Public Library (Main Branch), Lower Level (L2)

Please RSVP so that your friends find out about it too!

Members of Cambridge Bike Safety have spent the last several months talking with local residents, businesses, neighborhood associations, and transportation professionals to understand how best to meet the needs of the community. CBS has put forward criteria for the project reflecting these conversations, based on safety, convenience, and environmental sustainability, and ranked the four proposed designs by the city. Read our full recommendation.

All plans meet the basic goal of providing safer bicycle facilities, in particular through the use of protected bicycle lanes. The Roundabout scores best on our metrics of safety, convenience, and environmental sustainability, with Bend Cambridge scoring second best.

Regardless of the design chosen, we expect that further changes will be needed, and Tuesday is a critical juncture to make these views known to the city.

Read our blog post for our full recommendation and considerations for all designs.

We hope to see you on May 2!

Sincerely,

All of us at Cambridge Bike Safety

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Hubway Update

From mid-April to mid-September, Hubway offers Valet Service for expanded dock availability at high volume stations during peak usage times. These stations will be staffed by a friendly Hubway Ambassador to help you with any Hubway-related question, and allowing the station to operate at increased dock capacity. That means more room for your your bike! Details here.

Join Mayor Walsh and Greenovate Boston as we celebrate Earth Day and Boston’s climate action leaders with the announcement of the 2017 Mayor’s Greenovate Award winners. Throughout the evening, you will have the opportunity to connect with neighbors and colleagues who make Boston a greener city. Nearest Hubway Station: Prudential Center – Belvidere St

Celebrate the fabulous cycling community in Boston, spiritual seekers, the actual publication of a first book!, a vision of transit justice, and a love of the complicated, formative and holy experience of cities. Join us for the launch party for author and friend of Hubway Laura Everett’s Holy Spokes: The Search for Urban Spirituality on Two Wheels from 6-9pm at Dorchester Brewing Company. Nearest Hubway Station: E. Cottage St at Columbia Rd

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Zoning Session – PLAN: South Boston Dorchester Avenue May 2nd!

Tuesday May 2nd

195 OLD COLONY AVE
Iron Workers Local 7 Building
South Boston, MA 02127

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: PLAN: South Boston, Dorchester Avenue zoning process will translate community values and guidelines outlined in the December 2016 BPDA Board approved Plan into updated zoning for the corridor along Dorchester Avenue between Andrew Square and Broadway stations. The approved planning document was developed through a 17 month long public engagement process that incorporated the input of the community members, City departments and state agencies and established a framework for implementation of community’s vision. The zoning session on May 2, 2017 is an opportunity to learn about the Plan and to have a discussion about zoning process as it relates to PLAN: South Boston, Dorchester Avenue.

We look forward to having you join us on Tuesday, May 2.
5:30 PM-6:00 PM Open House/Networking
6:00 PM-7:30 PM Presentation and Dialogue
To learn more, please visit: bit.ly/plandotave
mail to: VIKTORIJA ABOLINA

Boston Planning & Development Agency
One City Hall Square, 9th Floor
Boston, MA 02201
phone: 617.918.4312
email: [email protected]

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Help Bring Protected Bike Lanes To Cambridge St!

got this in the email:

————

Do you want to see protected bike lanes on Cambridge St? We need your in-person support to make sure it happens!

On April 25, the City is holding its first public meeting for the Cambridge Street protected bike lane project. We need as many people as possible to show up and express support!

When: Tuesday April 25th from 6PM-8PM
Where: Cambridge Rindge & Latin School – Media Café, 459 Broadway (use main school entrance)

1. Click here to RSVP on Facebook.
2. Canvass with us at least once this week along Cambridge Street! Click here to sign up. The focus of the canvass is to inform neighbors about the project, building support for protected bike infrastructure at the local level. Talking points and materials will be provided.

This project is in no small part because of our community’s collective effort last fall and will be a model for future protected bike lanes and lay the groundwork for a much broader protected network. It’s essential that we work with the city to get this one right.

More details about the project below.

Sincerely,
The CBS core team
What is happening, and where?

Protected bicycle lanes are going to be installed on Cambridge St from Inman Square to Quincy St (near Harvard). The lanes will have a similar design to those on Mass Ave near the Harvard Law School and Lafayette Square, except that they will be longer and on both sides of the street. Here is an example cross-section, and here is a photo of one of the similar lanes on Mass Ave.***

Detailed comments

Three design elements that Cambridge Bicycle Safety views as critical for safety for Cambridge Street and all protected bike lane pilots:

1. The protected bicycle lanes need to be physically separated from parked and moving cars along the entire length of the protected lane. This can be accomplished using a range of options from flex posts to pre-cast curbing and planters.
2. Vehicles such as buses, taxis/Uber/Lyft, and delivery vehicles should not need to, or be able to, block or stop in the bike lane. Floating bus stops–where the bus stops in the travel lane and picks up riders from a raised platform–and appropriate signage and physical barriers to prevent disruptive stopping in the bicycle lane should be included. Here is an example from the MassDOT separated bike lane design guide.
3. Designated loading zones need to be provided elsewhere to make sure that deliveries and passenger pickup/dropoff can take place. Loading zones are crucial for small businesses who depend on deliveries, and they are also important because they provide an alternative to stopping in the bicycle lane.

We’ve recently sent the city two memos outlining our suggestions for the spring projects. Read them here.

*** Although they aren’t the focus of this public meeting, two other short segments of protected bike lanes are also being added this spring, one on Brattle St from Harvard Square to Mason St, and one on Mass Ave from Trowbridge St to Bow St. Additionally, protected bike lanes are part of all the Inman Square redesign options. We’ll be writing more about these projects soon.

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Hubway Will Be Closed For The Crazy Weather

Duh, but you know still a heads up.

Hello Hubway rider, Due to the inclement weather, Hubway will temporarily close at 10 AM on Tuesday, March 14th, for the safety of our riders and staff. Once the closure has begun, no bikes can be rented at the stations, though any bikes in use at that time can be returned to any Hubway station with an available dock. Following the storm, Hubway field staff will be working to clear stations, after which all currently deployed stations in Boston and Cambridge will reopen, and seasonal redeployment of additional stations will continue. Of course forecasts vary and may change, so we will make sure to get updates to you. Closure and re-opening information will be posted to the Hubway website, Facebook, and Twitter. We will also send another email when the system is ready to reopen. For real-time station, bike, and dock availability, visit our station map, or call to speak with a Member Service Representative at 1-855-9HUBWAY (948-2929). Thank you for your cooperation, ​The Hubway Team

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