More Shared Priority Lanes Installed On Brighton Ave!

Greg Hum (Contributor) plays drums on his bike, gets people together for really big midnight and monthly bike rides, and is easily distracted by shiny things and fried potatoes. He shares stories and more on his personal bike blog, The Humble Cyclist.
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Just a little while ago, Jasmine Laietmark snagged these shots of city workers laying down the thermoplastic for more priority use lanes on Brighton Ave. in Allston!

Priority lanes are as Globe Reporter Martine Powers called “Sharrows on Steroids.” Kind of like shared lane use markings you’ve seen around town but with dotted lines to indicate to bicyclists and drivers where bicycles safely belong (in the middle of the car lane)

Looks like these go from Packard’s Corner to Harvard Ave. And if these look familiar, it’s be because you may have noticed these same priority lane markers farther down Brighton Ave. on the between Harvard Ave. and Cambridge St. since they were installed a few months ago).

New Brghtn ave. sharrows keep you safe from doorzone.Comm./Hunt. Ave needs these. @bikeboston @universalhub pic.twitter.com/chfj5SkbiY

— Greg Hum (@thehum) November 20, 2013

On my first ride down the priority bike lanes, I immediately noticed more cars changing lanes to pass me rather than queuing up behind me and riding up close to my tail. It felt less stressful and a lot safer to bike on Brighton Ave. which was both strange and a huge relief.

According to Boston Bikes plan for priority lanes on Brighton Ave., we’re still
in Phase 2 of this plan. During Phase 3 of this plan this coming Fall, these dotted priority bike lanes will get painted green.

This is pretty exciting since this type of shared priority lane is an idea born from local Northeastern Civil Engineering Professor Peter Furth and Boston is still one of the first cities to put it into practice.

And I’m not just excited for Boston being one step closer to a complete network of bicycle infrastructure that one day I’ll get to ride on – I’m also excited for the thousands of college students who will inevitably return to Allston in the fall will have a much safer bike commute up and down Brighton Ave. than I once did.

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6th Annual Boston Bikes Update

Here it is in all its glory, in case you couldn’t make it. Sure it might not contain EVERY detail I reported yesterday…but the first day of April can be a tricky day to be on the internet.

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Boston Bikes Update

From Boston Bikes:

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Boston selected as a Green Lane City! Photo credit Galen Mook We’re happy to announce that Boston has been selected by PeopleForBikes as a Green Lane Project City. We will participate in an intensive two year program to build protected bike lanes in Boston.   “Over the next six years, I want to take Boston from one of the best bicycling cities in the country to one of the best in the world.  Investing in protected bike lanes is a critical path to that success,” Boston’s Mayor Martin Walsh said. Green Lane Project

Boston Bike Update – New Date & Location! 6th Annual Boston Bike Update hosted by LivableStreets Alliance Come hear about our 2013 accomplishments and plans for 2014! Monday, March 31, 2013 Faneuil Hall, Great Hall, Boston 5:45 pm – Doors open 6:15 pm – Presentation & Q&A 9 pm – LivableStreets member social The event is free and open to the public, but requires registration. To register visit: http://livablestreets.nonprofitsoapbox.com/component/events/event/4   Bike Valet will be provided by MassBike. Seating is first come, first served. RSVP does not guarantee a seat.   Follow @StreetsBoston and like LivableStreets Alliance for more updates

Register for Bike Week Festival and Bike Fridays To register visit: bit.ly/bikefriday2014 We’re happy to announce our 2014 Bike Friday Schedule! Join us for fun, music, food, and bike love on City Hall Plaza on the following mornings: May 9th June 27th July 18th August 29th   For more information visit: bikefridays.org/

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Tonight: Public Hearing For Game-Changing Cycle Track Loop In Downtown Boston

Greg Hum plays drums on his bike, gets people together for really big midnight and monthly bike rides, and smiles too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. 
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Imagine being able to bike around the heart of downtown Boston on completely safe and separated from car-traffic bike paths, or cycle-tracks. This is the goal of the Tiger Grant-funded Connect History Boston Trail

Tonight is the public hearing to present plans for a protected bike path loop around downtown Boston to the public. Here’s the info about the hearing from the Boston Bikes event calendar, so definitely show up to voice support, comments, or concerns:

A Public Hearing will be held by the City of Boston Public Works Department to discuss the proposed Connect Historic Boston project that is being funded through a Federal Highway Administration Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant.

WHERE: City Hall, Boston
One City Hall Square, Room 801
Boston, MA 02201

WHEN: Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Open House 6:00 PM
Meeting 6:30PM

The City of Boston Public Works Department will be holding a public hearing to present the City’s Connect Historic Boston Project at the location and time shown above. The public notice which provides additional information relative to the hearing and project can be found here.

The plans for this path sound almost too good to be true:

The Connect History Boston Trail will be a family-friendly bicycle loop around downtown Boston, providing access to major transit hubs, regional trails, and National Park Service visitor centers and National Park service Partner sites.

A loop that provites two-way travel will simplify navigating Boston’s complex one-way street system. The trail will make it easier to connect from North Station to offices in the Downtown or Seaport District, or between the two stations themslves. For people just getting to know Boston, the out and back nature of the trail will make it easy to go from site to site and return along the same route.

The trail will be separated from traffic, such as a cycle track or path, in order to appeal to the broadest range of people and abilities. Trail users will be able to ride comfortably in small groups.

The trail will be buffered from sidewalk path by street furniture, special paving, or a curb where appropriate.

Wayfinding will direct bicyclists from the Connect History Boston trail to NPS sites and the regional shared-use path system.

Bikeshare, bike rental, and bike parking will be conveniently located to the trail.

If these plans go forward, we can expect to see a very different landscape for bicycling in Boston once completed.

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RSVP For 6th Annual Boston Bikes Update

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