Action Alert: Council To Vote On Inman Sq Redesign TODAY

From the email:

Tonight, the City Council will vote on whether the Inman Square intersection redesign project, now a two-year process, goes forward. These safety improvements have been proposed in response to the death of Amanda Phillips in the intersection in 2016 and because of the high crash rates and injuries for people biking, walking and driving. The current design was not our first choice as we laid out in our recommendations last year, but city staff should be commended for including needed protected infrastructure throughout the intersection and some best-in-class transit improvements. We all need to contact the City Council and let them know that we cannot wait another two years for a protected intersection in Inman Square!

Take Action:

• Contact city councilors at [email protected] (and bcc[email protected]) and ask them to vote in support of moving the Inman Square redesign forward because we can’t wait any longer for protected bicycle lanes and other Vision Zero safety improvements.

The existing Inman Square intersection is dangerous by design for all road users. In terms of major squares of Cambridge, it is as bad as Porter Square in overall crashes, and second only to Central Square for bicycle crashes. Pedestrian crashes also occur due to the long intersection that encourages speeding and the misalignment of crosswalks with desire lines. Historically, a third of all crashes in the intersection resulted in injuries requiring EMS.

Other users of the intersection will also benefit from redesigning for safety: with substantially reduced crossing distances and shorter signal times, pedestrians will face less delay and lower vehicle speeds. Bus riders from will benefit from the city’s first floating bus stops, which do not require merging with traffic, and a proposed queue jump that allows buses to get ahead of traffic at the leading signal. This means less delay on the 69 connecting East Cambridge.

The city is ready to move forward and this vote is the last step. Help support protected bike lanes by emailing [email protected] (bcc [email protected]) and/or attend the city council meeting tonight, May 21, at Cambridge City Hall at 5:30 to speak on this subject (register here, call 617-349-4280, or sign up in person).

• Read our full statement on the proposed redesign.

• Read the home rule petition the Council will be voting on.

A little more on what’s happening tonight:

The City Council is voting on a home rule petition which is necessary move the design forward, because a part of Vellucci plaza will be moved across the street. If the city council votes yes the petition will be sent to the statehouse for approval. Then the city will start building protected bike lanes in Inman square!

If the Council votes no, the city will likely have to start from scratch with a new design which doesn’t touch Vellucci plaza. And who knows what will happen for future bike lane projects.

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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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Crucial Inman Sq Meeting Tomorrow (Tues 1/24)

Get out there and let your voice be heard!

Got this in the email:

Inman Square is one of the most dangerous intersections in Cambridge and we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make it a place that’s safe for everyone. The city is in the process of redesigning the intersection and will be presenting their plans for public feedback tomorrow, Tuesday, Jan 24 and we need you to show up!

WHAT: Inman Square redesign public meeting
WHEN: Tomorrow, Tuesday January 24, 6–9PM
WHERE: Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge Street, Macht Building 3rd floor
RSVP and SHARE the Facebook event

It is critically important that we get a great turnout at the meeting to speak out for safer, protected infrastructure for people from 8 to 80 years old. There are two major design options: a “wrap-around” and the “peanut-about” proposed by the Boston Cyclists Union. (See designs for both here)

We look forward to seeing the city’s wrap-around options in more detail at the meeting, but based on what we know now, we strongly support the peanut-about proposal as it achieves the key goals of protected bike infrastructure, improved pedestrian safety, and efficient design. Representatives from Kittleson & Associates who worked on the peanut-about will be at the meeting tomorrow to answer questions.

KEY TALKING POINTS:

• Inman Square is one of the city’s most dangerous intersections for bicyclists and pedestrians.

• The top priority for the redesign must be to improve the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages.

• Protected, separate bike infrastructure is absolutely necessary and must be a part of the solution. It will also maintain the vitality and uniqueness of the square.

• The peanut-about design is the best option for the city to achieve the goals of a safer intersection for people of all ages and abilities.

One last note: If you haven’t filled out our survey about the pop-up winter pilot protected lanes on Mass Ave yet, please do so now! We’ve got over 150 responses so far. Please share it on Facebook & elsewhere so we can help make the spring network as successful as possible!

Sincerely,
Annie, Nate, and other members of the CBS core team

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No Left Turns In Inman

In an effort to improve cycling safety, the city of Cambridge has restricted left turns in Inman square.

via

Effective November 3rd, the Department of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation will restrict several left turn movements in Inman Square in order to improve the safe operation of this complex intersection.

The following turning movement prohibitions will go into effect on this date:

– No left turn from Hampshire Street southbound (towards Kendall Square) to Cambridge Street eastbound.

– No left turn from Hampshire Street northbound (towards Somerville) to Cambridge Street westbound

– No left turn from Cambridge Street westbound to Antrim Street southbound.

In coming months, the Department will study the impacts of these changes on safety in Inman Square as well as evaluating the impacts on surrounding intersections and neighborhoods.

Variable message boards and advance warning signs will be in place to advise drivers of the change.

For more information on safety improvements in Inman Square, please visit our Inman Square Transportation Safety page.

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Amanda Phillips Dies After Being Hit By A Truck

As we mentioned yesterday there was a horrible crash in Inman Square.

Sadly Amanda Phillips has succumbed to her injuries and has died.

A 27-year-old woman was killed Thursday after she was hit by a truck while riding her bicycle in Inman Square, a four-way intersection often jammed with cars, pedestrians, MBTA buses, and bikers, authorities said.

Amanda Phillips of Cambridge was struck by a landscaping truck at 12:17 p.m. at the intersection of Hampshire and Cambridge streets, said Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christopher Burke in a statement Thursday night. Phillips was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, they said.

…

“She was really one of the sweetest, smartest clients that I have,” Pinho said. “She was a really gentle girl.”

Phillips worked full time as a barista at Diesel Cafe in Somerville, had graduated from Harvard University, and planned on pursuing a career in health care, Pinho said.

The Diesel Cafe owners lamented Phillips’s death in a statement.

“We are all heartbroken,” Jennifer Park and Tucker Lewis said. “She was an amazing friend, employee, co-worker and human being. We are sure that the world is a little less without her.”

Phillips was a student at the MGH Institute of Health Professions, a graduate school in Charlestown founded by Mass. General, according to her Facebook page.

“She really loved to exercise. That was her big thing,” Pinho said, adding that Phillips also doted on her two pets, a dog and cat.

My heart goes out to her friends and family, we must not rest until our roads are safe for all users.

EDIT: I am getting reports that Amanda was doored and then flew into the path of a large truck, these are unconfirmed, but if true mirror what happened last year when a cyclists was doored and then hit by a bus.

The solution for this must be better designed bike lanes that have a barrier between the parked cars, the cyclists, and another one between the cyclists and the moving traffic. If there is not enough space for this infrastructure remove the on-street parking.

Our goal should be less car use, not more. All the research shows its better in so many ways. We can not continue to allow people to be killed by lazy people failing to look behind them before opening their god damn car door.

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