By Pete Stidman

During Jamaica Plain’s great debate on the Casey Overpass, some have said that it has no relation whatsoever to Boston’s highway revolt of the 1960s—the “street fight” that brought us the Southwest Corridor instead of an elevated highway. But the truth is they are both part of a relatively short period of history when road engineers, politicians and even newspaper reporters were all fighting the evil “bottleneck” and devising everyway they could to drive long distances without ever experiencing a slow down or even a stop light.

Over the last few days I’ve dug into the annals of the Boston Globe to get a little context that adds some detail to this time period and how the Casey rests within it. In its time, Casey was the largest structure the Metropolitan District Commission had ever constructed—and considered “massive” by Bostonians when it was built in 1953. It became part of larger plan for highways utilizing the edges of the Emerald Necklace and other parks called the “Inner Circle” that was eventually halted.

A second scheme, the Master Highway Plan announced by the state in 1948, was even more ambitious. It included the Southwest Expressway (I-95) that would have plowed through Jamaica Plain, seven other radial highways and an “Inner Belt” highway that would have run through Roxbury, Brookline, Kenmore, Cambridge and Somerville.

Once these projects began, and Bostonians began to see the results—not to mention the thousands who were made to move out of their homes—a citywide revolt emerged and after much battle, the governor called a moratorium on all highway construction.

Going back to the beginning of the story, it’s not hard to see how the desire for huge car infrastructure developed. Cars were already gaining popularity rapidly when Henry Ford began producing the Model T in 1908, making cars affordable to a growing middle class.
Continue reading Casey and a brief history of highways in Boston

With time ticking away in the lifespan of the Accelerated Bridge Program and its dedicated funding, the decision on Casey Overpass has been delayed for at least another month. Meanwhile, a small group of bridge supporters have written Governor Deval Patrick criticizing the process, accusing MassDOT of bias and asking that the design process start over again to design a third option that would prioritize traffic flow.

The first delay requested before the original Dec. 12, 2011 deadline for announcing the state’s decision was requested by state Rep. Liz Malia and several other elected officials to provide more time to analyze the two options. MassDOT granted the delay and set a new meeting time for the week of January 16. But now that this deadline has passed, and based on the Jamaica Plain Gazette’s publishing schedule (where a notice two weeks prior to any public meeting would have to be posted) the next possible meeting date for the announcement would be February 14 or later.
Continue reading Casey Overpass decision delayed second time

By Patrick Kelleher-Calnan

Despite his recent arrival in Boston, you may have already come across one or more of Josh Zisson’s projects. He’s been busy promoting his law practice with accident report cards at local bike shops, posts about the state’s bike law on his blog, and reflective Bike Safe Boston t-shirts–the sale of which benefits local advocacy groups.

“What I’m trying to do is use my practice in bike law to pay for my activities as an advocate,” said Zisson a recent graduate from Suffolk Law School. Money from his first big case allowed him to pay for the T-shirts and cards.

BikeSafeBoston.com, Zisson’s website, was an obvious next step for his law practice. Powered by Tumblr, Zisson takes advantage of that platform’s “Ask” function to solicit and answer questions from curious cyclists confused about how the law applies to them.

“This is stuff everyone should know, but there’s no driver’s ed for riding a bike,” he said.

Questions he has answered so far include his opinions on running red lights, wearing helmets, and whether or not mopeds can use bike lanes.

“I think a lot of it has to do with bike lanes,” said Zisson when asked what the most common misconception about bike law, “‘Do you have to ride in the bike lane?’ There’s no good source for this information. People get on the street and think, ‘Oh, I have this special lane — I guess I have to stay in it,’ but that’s totally not the case.”

As far as ideas for changes in the law, Zisson favors a look at the famed “Idaho stop” law. “I do like the Idaho stop law, but I don’t think we’re ready for it here,” he said. “Under the law that they have, a cyclist could be cited for not putting their foot down at a stop sign. So to change that they came up with this idea that, if the intersection is clear, and you slow down, and you look both ways, you can run a stop sign. I think it’s such a reasonable approach to that problem.

However, Zisson does not see law as the major front for bike advocacy. “Laws are great, but I’m really more excited about infrastructure. I think that’s the next step, and laws follow from infrastructure,” he said. “Education is more important than legislation.”

Zisson is, however, very interested in connecting accident victims to lawyers who really know and care about bikes–a mission that would benefit his own bottom line as well as victims in need.

“My goal is to set up a nationwide referral network for bike lawyers,” he said. “If you’re in an accident, you should be able to contact someone who works with bike law, rides bikes, and understand what it’s like to ride in traffic, which I think is very important.”

 

Apologies for the misdirect! Click here if you are intending to read “Casey and a Brief History of highways in Boston.”

By Ian J. Augustine

For many beginners, the thought of commuting by bicycle to and from work, school or play every day can be a daunting prospect. But for those with young children, the idea of including their child on that ride can often seem scary or even impossible. Enter: The Southwest Corridor. 
 
Since 1987, the Southwest Corridor has provided conditions with little to no vehicular traffic for cyclists and pedestrians alike. It runs approximately 4.7 miles and connects Jamaica Plain with Roxbury, Back Bay, and the South End. It’s an ideal and relatively safe route for anyone commuting to and from these neighborhoods, and as such, more and more parents have started to consider the Southwest Corridor a viable route for commuting with young ones every year.
  
“We’re trying something new and it seems to be working out,” said Chris Baard, 37, of Jamaica Plain, who has begun to experiment with commuting with his four year old daughter to school each day. The encouragement that Baard needed to commute with his daughter came from the parents of his daughter’s kindergarten classmates. “I was apprehensive at first, but to be honest, the Southwest Corridor really is a great place to commute with your kids. Doesn’t get much safer.” Continue reading The Southwest Corridor and Boston’s Emerging Family-Friendly Bike Scene

In a disappointing development this week, the City of Boston is delaying the striping of bike lanes on Massachusetts Avenue between Symphony and the Charles River——possibly until spring.

The Boston Cyclists Union learned of the decision during a regular check-in on the project, which has been highly anticipated since May of 2010, when Mayor Thomas Menino first spoke publicly about extending lanes to the bridge. In the spring of this year, anticipating push-back from motorists and possibly businesses, the Boston Cyclists Union petitioned in order to show support for the project and pack an April planning meeting which drew over 100 cyclists. A subsequent letter campaign from the Union riled BTD commissioner Thomas Tinlin, who then reiterated the fact that at that meeting, “the City unequivocally stated that it would install the bike lane between Symphony and the Harvard Bridge in 2011.”

But some measure of push-back about the plan did end up materializing unbeknownst to the union, delaying the project into 2012 and leaving Boston’s most dangerous street for cyclists un-striped till the weather warms. The delay appears to have been fairly innocuous however, a mixture of a councilor’s concern and a fear or angering local business owners, and the department is still bullish on installing the lane.
Continue reading Mass Ave bike lane delayed

Are bicycles becoming the new pop culture aphrodisiac? It seems that every time a commercial wants to communicate romance in two seconds or less, they pan over to a couple riding bicycles.

For example, in a new Air New Zealand commercial (not yet YouTubed fortunately for you), a dashing fellow on an airplane remembers riding bikes and dining out with his young lady love. And in a Helzberg Contrex – Contrexperience (English Version).  Continue reading In the world of advertising, bicycles = love?

[This article has been edited due to a request for privacy—Ed.]

At-grade supporters in the great Casey Overpass replacement debate squeaked out a small victory at MassDOT’s public hearing on the project last month, outnumbering bridge supporters 15 to 11 in a packed house according to the JP Patch, and the letters supporting at-grade have been pouring in. (Sent yours yet?)

But this street fight is not over. At least one bridge supporter is switching tactics and attacking the nine-month, 18-meeting public process so far, which is due to come to an end at 6pm on Dec. 14 at English High School, when MassDOT announces its decision: bridge, or at-grade. All in all, the public process so far has been one of the most involved and likely one of the most expensive in recent MassDOT history. Continue reading Casey Overpass solution still hanging in the balance

A special message from the executive director Pete Stidman. 

Not every one of our readers knows this, but just a year before I helped found the Bike Union I was working late nights as the news editor at the highly regarded Dorchester Reporter newspaper, a job I had a passion for and held for two years.

I had spent a total of five years as a newspaper man, including a long stint at the Jamaica Plain Gazette. I loved the idea that just bringing out the truth could change the world and I still firmly believe that once people understand what’s happening, they will make the right decision.

That’s why I start to get a little heated under the collar when I see and hear misinformation spoken or published, such as I’ve seen online and heard via the rumor mill this week on the subject of the Casey Overpass Replacement Project. Some of it is an innocent misunderstanding of the facts, but some of it seems to come from those who are intentionally twisting the facts or publishing false information in order to further their personal opinions.

Well, this is one looooong article, it’s more like an encyclopedia that debunks the myths being spread around and shows clearly where the benefits for cyclists and pedestrians lie. It’s full of links to more information, pictures, and analysis. If anyone finds a factual error of any kind, please email me. We’ll fix it. Continue reading Misinformation abounds on Casey Overpass Project

As promised, the Boston Transportation Department is set to remove 71 parking spaces and install a bike lane along Massachusetts Avenue between Symphony and the Charles River in the next few weeks before the frost sets in. The Boston Herald is talking of war again, but of course a greater peace for everyone is the goal the city has in mind. Twenty-two bike accidents were serious enough to call an ambulance for along this half mile stretch between May of 2010 and August 2011, a high number when compared to other streets in the city, and the awareness a bike lane could create among motorists may help drive that number down. Continue reading Coming Soon: A safer Massachusetts Avenue

Inspired by a need first cited by a column by lawyer Andrew Fischer in the Boston Cyclists Union’s Union Rider newsletter last year, state Rep. William Brownsberger has introduced a new piece of legislation that takes a shot at giving bicyclists who cross streets from bike paths and greenways greater protection.

The proposed state law pertains only to crosswalks and simply adds the word “bicyclists” to language that already exists to protect pedestrians. If the law were passed, any driver who does not yield to a pedestrian or a bicyclist in a crosswalk would be subject to a $200 fine. Furthermore, a driver who strikes a pedestrian or a bicyclist with their vehicle could not use as part of their defense in a court of law that that person walking or on a bike failed to stop at a stop sign, yield sign, or other traffic control device.

Based on reactions from the blogosphere and the Boston Herald’s “war on bikes” correspondent Chris Cassidy, that last bit is giving some people the wrong impression. And it should be made clear that the Boston Cyclists Union was not involved in creating this legislation. Nor does the union take a position on it. We’re here to provide you with the information so you can decide.

This is the first time this kind of legislation has been put forward in Massachusetts to our knowledge, and often the wording of a particular bill changes before it becomes law. It is clear from experiences elsewhere in the country and common sense that  something should be included that would indicate

cyclists can proceed only at a “reasonably safe speed” as has been suggested in Oregon, and it is also possible that a different kind of marking should be developed for crossings with bike paths attached to differentiate them from normal intersections, but there is a real need here to find a

way to hold drivers responsible for crashes that happen at crossings along the SW Corridor and other urban greenways. It is unfair to allow a larger more powerful vehicle run over a vulnerable road user without consequence.

When cyclists are hit at these crosswalks, the injuries can be quite serious, and drivers are not held responsible because the cyclist did not dismount. When you are on a bicycle you are considered to be in a vehicle, therefore riding in a crosswalk is not in accordance with legal behavior. But because no cyclist in practice dismounts at every crosswalk on their commute (not even grandparents or grandchildren), there is only the weakest of protections for thousands of people daily at intersections between bike paths and roads all over the state.

The aim of this bill, according to Brownsberger, is safety. And Andrew Fischer, who helped craft the bill’s language, maintains the same.

“In this state if someone doesn’t wear a seat belt, they can get a ticket for it,” said Fischer, drawing an analogy to a cyclist running a stop sign. “But if you cream someone in your car and they’re not wearing a seat belt, you don’t get a free ride just because they’re not wearing a seat belt. And this is the same thing.”