Why People Don’t Ride Bikes In Boston

From Bostinno:

The U.S. Census Bureau specified some of the reasons in its recent American Housing Survey. Health reasons (9.9 percent) rank as the No. 1 reason Bostonians who don’t bike say they steer clear. No bike (4.38 percent) and traffic issues (3.23 percent) round out the top three.

Interestingly, a “lack of adequate sidewalks” is also a major reason, despite public perception on the practice remaining largely negative amid a somewhat nebulous city stance. (The author has some opinions on the subject, too.) It’s possible, or perhaps likely, these are complaints pertaining to walking to work rather than riding, but it still seemed worth mentioning.

I assume “health reasons” means that people feel they are not fit enough to ride bikes, and at 10% that does represent a huge amount of folks who feel they are not healthy enough to ride a bike.   However even if you add up all the “folks who can’t ride” you still end up with a whole lot more people who COULD be riding, but don’t.

My gut is telling me that there are a whole lot of folks ready to get out there and ride, but are waiting for a couple of things.  More access to bike lanes, and bike infrastructure.  And a feeling that its a “movement.”

Every day I go to work and I see more and more people riding their bike, and I think that draws more people out onto the streets with a bike under them.  Their are a lot of people who don’t want to be first adopters, they want to join an established group.

Boston plans to install more and better bike infrastructure, more and more people will ride, and eventually the tidal wave of change will smash against the rocks of car culture and break it.  Northern European cities like Copenhagen didn’t get to be the way they are overnight, it took decades of directed improvement.  Boston is on the same path, they are far behind but catching up fast.  Lets hope we see continued improvement in the bike infrastructure, with more and more adoption of bikes as peoples main form of transportation.

Is there some reason keeping you from riding your bike?  Share it with us in the comments.

Add to Reddit.

A Perfect Example Of How Cars Don’t Work For Boston

Yesterday our fair city got a good dose of snow, a sizable storm in its own right, but combined with the big ass blizzard we had last week, the entire city was struggling to keep up.  Today the city woke up to an public transportation system crippled by yesterdays snow, the head of the MBTA actually told people to drive to work…

Anyone unlucky enough to drive into the city today (or drove in any of the cities around Boston) knows that without the MBTA to carry most of the folks to work, driving simply is not an option.  Snow or no snow, there are just too many cars, and not enough road.  There was bumper to bumper grid lock for both the morning and evening commutes today.

This truck was stuck like this, cars were backed up for a long way in both directions, I just got off my bike and walked around.

I have been riding through this weather, and a lot of my coworkers have been telling me just how crazy I am.  But the only thing moving on wheels today was people riding bikes.

Not only did the cars fail to get people around, but they made removing the snow a lot harder as well. They also slid around crashing into things, getting stuck in snow banks, and potentially killing or harming people or property.

It doesn’t have to be this way.  If even 20-30 percent of people rode bicycles (levels many snowy northern European cities accomplish), the roads would be relatively unclogged, allowing the folks that absolutely needed to drive the road space needed to do so.  It is also a lot easier to clear space for cyclists on the road, as they need much less of the road clear in order to cycle safely.  The lack of cars parked on the road would also allow for more area to place the snow.

Sure it sounds like pie in the sky thinking, but as today’s epic traffic jams illustrate, the current system isn’t working for anyone.

Add to Reddit.

Hubway Ready To Close Boston Stations For The Winter

Even though its been another one of those spooky warm winters, Boston Hubway station are still closing down on the 31st, from the email:

—————–
BOSTON-BASED STATIONS TO CLOSE FOR WINTER ON 12/31

Cambridge-based stations to remain open year-round

SYSTEM ALERT: The final day of 2014 winter operations for all Boston-based stations will be Wednesday, December 31st. Though you may continue to see the Boston-based stations during the first week of January, they will not be operational, andriders will not be able to rent or return bikes to these stations.

Almost all Cambridge-based stations will remain open throughout the winter. All closed Boston stations, in addition to those based in Brookline & Somerville, are expected to relaunch again in spring 2015.

If stations you typically use are within Boston city limits, we recommend making alternative arrangements for your trips beginning on Thursday, January 1st. Hubway will continue to post updates on its website in addition to its facebook and twitter pages, so make sure to check those sites for the latest info, and to develop a contingency plan for your routes. Thank you for almost 3 million rides… and counting!ng.

View the entire updated Hubway station map here, and use the Spotcycle app or Hubway Tracker for up to the minute
system information and bike/dock availability when planning your rides.

For more on Hubway winter operations,
including cold-weather riding tips, visit thehubway.com/winter.

Add to Reddit.

World Naked Bike Ride Saturday Boston Common

Its that time of year again, get naked, get on your bike and ride around!  I know for some of you this is just another weekend, but now is your chance to do it with a bunch of other cyclists! (without getting arrested ha ha). Meet at the boston Common band stand at 9pm, ride at 10pm.

he World Naked Bike Ride is coming to Boston for its fifth consecutive year.

The yearly ride takes place in cities across the world and aims to highlight the vulnerability that cyclists experience daily, albeit in a slightly shocking way. That’s right, cyclists will take to Newbury Street and Massachusetts Avenue sans clothing on June 28 at 10 p.m. (via)

More details here and here.

Are you going? Are you going in your birthday suit?

Add to Reddit.

Video: Virtual Tour Of The $39m Bike-Ped Path Coming To Somerville

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.
Connect with Greg on  Twitter | YouTube 
____________________________________________________________________

Have you ever wished there was a better way to bike from Boston to Somerville? Or vise-versa?

Not long ago state officials secured $39m in funding for a new Bike and Pedestrian path in Somerville that will connect Somerville and Boston, and yesterday MassDOT released this virtual tour video of the bike path so you can see what it will look like to bike on when it’s completed:

From the globe,

The path, an extension of an existing network of paths, will connect the Lowell Street, Gilman Square, Washington Street and relocated Lechmere stations providing a continuous route between Bedford and Boston for cyclists and on-foot travelers. If you are in o virtual sports also, the Uneekor golf simulator might work just well for you.

This 1.9-mile path is the blue-dotted line on this map (the black-dotted lines are existing paths). In addition to providing a safe bike and pedestrian link between Boston and Somerville, it will also serve as a final link in the 104-mile network of the Massachusetts Central Rail Trail connecting Boston to Northhampton, MA. You’ll not only be able to walk and bike on a safe path from Alewife to Boston, but also from Boston to Central Mass. Pretty exciting stuff (and more info here):

Source: SomervilleMA.gov Tiger Grant Application

This community path is part of the Green Line Extension project, which will bring the Green Line up into Somerville through Union Square, which you can also ride a virtual train through to see what that will look like:

Both the community path and the Green Line Extension are slated to be completed around 2020, but the path will open up as sections of it are completed.

Hell yes.

Add to Reddit.