Community feedback on the project was overwhelmingly negative. Unfortunately, our weak city council is desperate to pander to people who don't even live here.

Not only on Concord/Huron... I have been almost hit by bikes and scooters on sidewalks on Brattle, Mt Auburn St., Huron Ave, Sparks Street... and where there are bike lanes!!!
Blue Bike rental folks also ride the sidewalks... we need both signs and enforcement
that sidewalks are for walking not for biking!!

How did this pass when community feedback was negative? I could barely pick up my child from school today on concord ave the traffic was so bad.

I raised this because the amount of bikes on sidewalks and riding against traffic is noticeably higher now than prior to the changes on Garden Street. This is not a decision for the Council but the administration. The new City Manager would make many friends ending this disruption.

It was approved due to a he loud voices of a minority of citizens. I would understand and accept the outcome if it was done for a greater good, like making all of the sidewalks in our neighborhood compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. Given that much of the sidewalk infrastructure is non compliant, and the City has instead put up signs showing this with accessibility issues the sometimes multi block detours necessary to find accessible sidewalks, why not just put up signs telling cyclists where to go?

Cambridge’s war on cars continues. The tyranny of the loud virtue signaling minority prevails.

Another day of bumper to bumper traffic.

City Hall - FG assigned this issue to Traffic - KC (Permits)

It’s perfectly legal for bikes to be ridden on the sidewalks in most of Cambridge.

It’s generally safer also because there are fewer bikes going head-on in the bike lane.

It’s well past time people get used to bikes and start to appreciate that they REDUCE traffic and help protect Mother Earth.
Here are the rules if you’d like to familiarize yourself with the facts.

https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/economicopportunityanddevelopment/aboutcambridge/harvardsq

Here are all the rules and areas where bikes cannot be ridden on the sidewalk.

https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/Transportation/GettingAroundCambridge/BikesinCambridge/RulesoftheRoad

My point was that bikes are using existing infrastructure despite the installation of bike only infrastructure. This suggests that the bike lanes on Garden are not appreciated or desired by the cycling public.

I will also note that given most of our sidewalk infrastructure is narrower than required under the ADA. Bikes on said sidewalks may be legal but they also create a safety issue for pedestrians of all ages.

Oh and my bus was almost 15 minutes behind schedule due to the streets being backed up by traffic.

Bus travel reduces congestion. Bike travel creates a different form of congestion. Replacing 100 cars with 1.2 passengers each requires bikes that individually carry the same number of passengers. This results in bike congestion. 4 moderately full buses can carry the same number of passengers using less roadway thus less congestion. Backing up busses to build bike infrastructure only adds to congestion.

Also I again make the point that the City continues to ignore its federal requirements regarding accessible sidewalks under the ADA.

I guess I would say replacing 100 cars with 100 bikes would dramatically reduce congestion.

it seems you ride the bus and use the sidewalks, so you want those modes made a priority in Cambridge.

Those modes have always been made a propriety in Cambridge. Just look at al the new bus-only lanes (that people in cars are screaming about!)

Also, providing safe bicycle lanes does not impact ADA compliance, so I don't quite see your connection there.

The analysis and estimation showed there would only be 2 extra cars per minute outbound on Concord in the evenings, so your experience must be at odds with the official study.

you should take it up with the authors of the study and ask them if something is different than the study predicted.

https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/Traffic/2022/gardenst/tooleanalysis/gardenstcommunitymeeting4presentationanalysisslidesupdated.pdf

https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/Traffic/2022/gardenst/tooleanalysis/20220902_gardenstonewayanalysistechmemo.pdf

Replacing 100 cars with 100 bikes reduces car congestion and creates bike congestion. The sidewalks have not been made a priority as miles of sidewalk have not been made ADA compliant since the law was enacted thirty years ago. The bus only lanes would be less controversial without the bike lanes. It would also be nice if busses were given signal priority at intersections.

I will also note that many Cambridge streets are undersized for their uses and have been for decades. This was a choice the City made.
The City of Cambridge has been trying to stuff ten lbs of infrastructure into a five lb. bag. That bag appears to have burst with the Garden Street experiment.

Re the studies. The City started with an answer, bike lanes, and the study authors provided data to get that answer.

Yes, I understand that you want busses to have priority over cars and for pedestrians to have priority over bikes. You've made that clear.

But sometimes other priorities than yours get implemented.

I hope you understand that there are other users of public infrastructure than busses and cars.

I hope you have a nice travel experience next time you're out using our shared resources.

The official "study" looked at cell phone data from a random Tuesday in June. It is a shamefully poor "study." The city commissioned it with a specific outcome in mind, and somehow they managed to get the outcome they paid for. The study itself wasn't even intended to be performed in the first place.

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I want us all to share the infrastructure we have and understand the limits. The current bike lane building is being done on infrastructure inadequate for its current uses. Bikes are vehicles and can share the road with other vehicles. Separated bike lanes are a nice addition when they can be accommodated. Those location are scarce in Cambridge. Even the proponents know this as they show photos of six and eight lane roads in European cities with trams, cars lanes, parking, bike lanes and wide sidewalks. When asked where this would work in Cambridge the response is that it is representational of what is possible. Without adding is possible with 200 feet of right of way available (versus about 50 feet on, for example, Concord and Garden.

We have built two way bike lanes to accommodate scofflaws (see Brattle Street), forced bike lanes where roads and sidewalks are inadequate (and served by a parallel bikeway) see North Mass Ave. and now reduced Garden Street to one lane one way resulting in constant congestion on Concord, Garden, Huron, and many side streets.

As I stated before, stuffing 10 lbs of traffic into a 5 lb bag.

Oh an to echo Concerned NC Neighbor when will the cycling community start campaigning to license and register bikes so fees can be used for bike infrastructure. That is also sharing resources.

City rules currently say sidewalk bike riding is OK IF they ride at the same speed as a pedestrian walking... and only outside of 'business districts'.. They need to modify the rules when bike lanes
are provided... I have been hit by bikes on Brattle street sidewalks which is a business district AND there is a 2-way bike lane! Also bike must obey driving rules when on the street/bike lane and stop
for pedestrians in crosswalks... they do not... they generally try to speed through! We need to think
about bike licenses to ride a bike in Cambridge! And tickets as well!

I don't even own a bicycle, so I don't think I need to respond to the user who thinks I'm claiming shared resources above.

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