Wheel change

A Boston that's more bike friendly will be better for us all

It can be hard to take bicycles seriously. For most people, they look a bit like outsize childhood toys. But bikes do matter. The reason is a simple one that every Bostonian can identify with: bicyclists reduce the number of automobiles on the road. The city is already overflowing with cars and the problems they bring -- noise; slower, more tortured traffic; and, of course, another layer of the thick haze that settles over the city on hot summer days.

Cities across the country are already working to reap the benefits that come with persuading some commuters to forgo the car. Places like Seattle, Portland, and Palo Alto have led the way with innovative programs that make biking easier. But it hasn't been just a West Coast thing. Here in Massachusetts, Worcester and Cambridge are encouraging commuters to cycle in -- while Boston dithers on several important issues.

Road design. Cyclists need access to the roads to get around. Cambridge, for example, has a city worker who devotes all her time to designing safe routes for bicycles. The city also requires that bikers' needs be considered every time major work is done on a road. The result has been an aggressive program of new bike lanes, such as those painted on each side of Mass Ave. The situation is also better for drivers, who don't have to worry about getting stuck behind -- or hitting -- a bicyclist. Boston has not done nearly as much.

Public transit. Using a bike is far more inviting (and practical) if the rider has the option of using public transportation for part of the trip. In Boston, bikes are allowed on all trains, but only during off-peak hours, and getting them on board can be a struggle. Bikes are still prohibited from all city buses. In Worcester, meanwhile, the city is using federal funds to install bike racks on all its buses. Boston has access to the same federal program and should take advantage of it. The T should also find a way to give bikers space -- especially during rush hour.

Paths. The path along the Charles was a laudable piece of progress when it was built, but even it, like the Minuteman route from Somerville to Lexington, suffers from potentially dangerous problems such as gaps, bumps, and blind spots. Meanwhile, plans to convert the abandoned Neponset River rail line into a bike path have been delayed for too long.

Parking. Biking is difficult without a place to park, and here, too, Boston is behind the curve. The city has allocated money for new racks -- good news -- but the project has yet to move forward. Cambridge, Newton, and Watertown require that bike racks be a part of all major new construction. Boston should do the same.

Certainly, all these steps will make Boston an easier place to maneuver for everyone. But for the urban biking movement to gather momentum, bicyclists will first have to take a tough look at themselves. The vast majority of bikers take their right to use the road far more seriously than their responsibility to follow its rules. The result can be confusion, bad feelings, and, worse, accidents like the one that injured Boston School Committee member William Spring last fall.

To prevent tragedies such as that one, Cambridge has taken to spot-enforcement operations -- issuing citations to both cars and bikes that break the law. This, too, is a model that Boston should take up. It sends a message that some bicyclists may not like, but which is only fair: that they are equal -- no more, no less -- in the eyes of the law. This will give bikers a base of respect from which to demand intelligent changes from the city. These changes will ultimately benefit us all. And with time, one hopes, the respect will turn to appreciation.

What do you think? Send an e-mail to letters[a]phx.com.