Aug
26
People affiliated with Harvard should know better.
Posted by nathanael. Filed Under bikes, transit | Leave a Comment
For your amusement.
As seen by Bu Bikes on North Harvard Ave for parking in the bike lane. As potentially perpetrated by Zero Combustion, via Boston Biker.
Jul
31
Bikes vs parking
Posted by nathanael. Filed Under bikes, parking, transit | 2 Comments
If you’re interested in local transit issues you might want to take a minute to read a thoughtful post from Aaron on the bike lane/parking situation on North Harvard Ave.
I’m not entirely supportive of his main premise that removing N. Harvard spots for a bike lane will by necessity force all those cars into the neighborhood. This may happen to some extent, but it’s as easy to imagine a scenario where some of that parking burden disappear with reduced demand by commuters making use of the new more liveable street. When people see parking along main streets, they tend to associate that place in their mind as a future option when they choose to drive. No visible parking means no mental association, they well may choose to take the bus or train or bike next time. And given there are currently 50-60 cyclists per hour a 10-20% increase in that number during daylight hours would offset the loss of those spots. As for the parking/bike lane/traffic/no turn lane option, that’s not without it’s own added risk. Per John Allen -
“When the city constructs a bike lane that instructs people to ride in the door zone, it is responsible for the dooring problem to some degree.”
Aaron’s other point about enforcement of parking in the new bike lane itself is of course spot on. Failure to enforce leaves both violation money on the table and puts the people using those lanes at risk. It may be the community just has to ask for enforcement at first given then change in acceptable behavior. District 14 of the BPD can be reached at 617-343-4260. The Office of Parking Control is at 617-635-4410.