Spokes persons, continued

by Laura A. Siegel

ROAD WARRIOR: bike messenger Owen McGonagle had to inform a police officer that bicycles are allowed on Storrow Drive.

Often riding in a bike lane means riding right near car doors, which can open suddenly. And drivers may assume that bikers are going to ride only in the bike lane, and get angry or confused when they ride with traffic.

Still, there's no evidence that properly designed bike lanes make streets less safe for bikers, maintains Cara Seiderman, who manages the bicycle program for the city of Cambridge and has led the drive to put in more bike lanes. "On streets where there are bike lanes in place," she says, "cyclists are more likely to ride in the correct direction of traffic, not to ride on the sidewalk, and to stop at signals."

And bike lanes can be a way of promoting biking. "It says we've designated a space for you," explains Joan Blaustein, who is responsible for bicycle and pedestrian planning for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, a regional agency. But, she says, "the most important thing about a bike lane is how it's used. If you get people parking in the bike lane, cars going into it to pass, you'll get that space taken up by vehicles again."

There's just one bike lane in all of Boston right now, though the parks department will soon be creating one near the northern edge of Jamaica Pond. And the city issued new streetscape guidelines last year that call for bicycle-friendly designs when streets are rebuilt or repaved. That initiative follows a 1996 state law that requires the state highway department to include bike lanes on repaved roads. The BAC hopes that Pave the Way 2000 -- a public-works initiative to repave hundreds of Boston streets -- will create an opportunity to establish more bike lanes.

Two-wheeled resources online General info on bicycling around Boston: MassBike has a comprehensive Web site at www.massbike.org. And the Boston chapter has its own resources online at www.massbikeboston.org. List of Boston bike paths: www.massbike.org/bikeways/bikebos.htm For Metro Boston, see www.massbike.org/bikeways/bikemtro.htm. Bike safety: For safety tips, check out www.massbikeboston.org/tips. For comprehensive safety information, try 164.156.5.76/penndot/bicycle.nsf/biketoc ?readform. Massachusetts bike laws: www.state.ma.us/legis/laws/mgl/85-11b.htm Bikes on the T: www.mbta.com/passfares/pass-programs/bike-pass Effective-cycling classes: www.massbikeboston.org/projects/ec.htm Cambridge bicycle programs: www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CDD/envirotrans/ bicycle/index.html -- Laura Siegel

There are also "shared lanes" -- wider right-hand lanes, usually 15 feet across instead of 11, that are shared by cars and bikes. The street system that will cover the depressed Central Artery will have these wider lanes, as will Washington Street from Dudley Square to Downtown Crossing when the MBTA's Silver Line is completed.

Then there are completely separate bike paths, which are invaluable for cyclists who want to avoid the dangers of riding in traffic. Though streetside paths -- which cut across intersections and driveways -- are actually considered more dangerous than riding in the street, off-road bike paths are considered safer. These paths, such as the Minuteman trail (which runs from the Alewife T stop through Arlington and Lexington to Bedford) and the Esplanade along the Charles River in Boston, are popular with recreational riders.

Hard-core riders often shun them, however. "Go on the Minuteman on a Saturday in July," says Andrew Fischer, a bike-commuting lawyer who specializes in bicycle issues. "I've got to dodge the rollerbladers, worry about the little kid who's learning to ride. If I'm looking to get from Lexington Center to downtown Boston and I've got to make time, I'm going to be on Mass Ave, not the bike path." In fact, though paths would seem to be an easier sell than lanes, they are also controversial. "There are a number of bicyclists who don't believe in bike paths," Fischer says. "They fear that paths create an excuse for banning bicycles from public roads."

Fischer and most other bikers still support the creation of bike paths, though. The routes help get less die-hard riders onto their bikes. And although Boston boasts many well-loved bike paths -- including paths through Arnold Arboretum, along the Charles River, through Franklin Park, through the Southwest Corridor and beyond, along the Muddy River, and along the Jamaicaway -- it can always use more.

"I want to build a network of bike paths through the city and connect things," says Mink. "So you can connect the paths that already exist, and get from the Charles River to downtown in a straightforward way." Plans for several bike paths in Boston are in the works, and advocates are pushing for plenty more (see "Happy Trails," page 22).

The Boston Bicycle Plan identifies places where bike paths should go and where connections between them should be strengthened. Major gaps between bike paths include the Arborway, which connects the Arnold Arboretum to Jamaica Pond, and the heavily trafficked area between the Fenway and the Esplanade. The bicycle plan "serves as a framework so advocates and communities can work with the city to win funds to install those," explains Gorden, the BAC chair. Other engineering solutions might encourage cars to drive slower and make intersections safer for bicyclists.

Education and enforcement are less controversial. Virtually everyone agrees that drivers, bikers, and traffic cops need to be taught the rules of the road. Boston has done some bike education in the schools in the past, and that idea will be included in the Boston Bicycle Plan. The city also recently launched a program to educate police about bicycle laws. And on an individual level, Schimeck and others offer "effective cycling" classes that teach bikers how to ride safely in traffic.

The state has also put together brochures on road rules for both bikers and drivers, and there's a state "Share the Road" campaign. Such materials could be included with utility bills and mailings from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, as well as in drivers'-education courses.

The brochures, titled "Don't Be a Road Warrior" (for bikers) and "Don't Be a Road Hog" (for drivers), list road rules and safety tips. They also offer this advice to drivers: "City traffic can be slow and frustrating. Don't take anger out on others."

Instead, try getting out of your car and onto a bike.

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Laura A. Siegel can be reached at lsiegel[a]phx.com.