Tag: Massachusetts
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Comments on Arlington Center Proposal
I attended the Wednesday, January 12 meeting about closing the gap in the Minuteman Commuter Bikeway in Arlington, and I have submitted the written comments that follow. But first, some links: The proposed design options for the Minuteman path are described here: http://www.arlingtonma.gov/Public_Documents/ArlingtonMA_DPW/projects/ArlCtrSafeTravel/ACST_MemoPres11212011.pdf Adam Auster’s excellent report on Wednesday night’s public meeting is here: https://tinyurl.com/ArlMtg…
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Clyde and Lee Street Proposal: Bicyclists’ Dreamroute?
Four students of Northeastern University professor Peter Furth have proposed a transformation of Lee and Clyde Streets in Brookline. These streets in the southwest part of Brookline connect Route 9 at one end with Newton Street at the other, and are an important if not very heavily-traveled arterial route. The streets pass the Brookline Reservoir,…
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Where will you find Massachusetts Rules for Driving?
[Updated January 6, 2025] Massachusetts rules for driving are found in many different documents. These apply in different places, so depending on where you are, different rules may apply. The most generally applicable rules for driving are found in Chapter 89 of the General Laws. Specific rules which apply to bicyclists are in Chapter 85,…
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Nasty law covers electrically-assisted bicycles
Electrically-assisted bicycles are becoming increasingly popular. Please see my post about them on my personal blog for more detail about this phenomenon. [And a later post on this blog] This definition in Chapter 90, section 1 of the Massachusetts General Laws appears to cover electrically-assisted bicycles: [Updated in 2023 to define electrically-assisted bicycles with a…
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Doug Mink’s Boston Harbor Ride 2010
I have posted my photos of Doug Mink’s Boston Harbor ride. Doug {now Jessica] has posted many more photos, from this ride and from rides in previous years. I had been hoping to take Doug’s ride for years but usually was on vacation when it happened. I wasn’t disappointed this year when I finally had…
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Boston Red Light Flub, Watertown Win!
Boston has been installing traffic-signal actuator loops that don’t work for bicyclists, and sometimes not even for motorists. Installing the right kind of loops doesn’t cost any more — it’s merely a question of cutting a different set of slots in the pavement and laying a different pattern of wires in those slots. Traffic signal…
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Fatality in Brighton
Regarding the recent fatal crash in Brighton: I understand that the cyclist was traveling down a rather steep hill on an arterial, Commonwealth Avenue, at speed, ran a red light and collided with a vehicle that was crossing on the green. Last I heard, it was unknown whether the cyclist ran the light intentionally, or…
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Bicyclist falls under bus on Huntington Avenue, dies
Tragic occurrence. Unfortunately, neither article gives enough detail to say why this happened. But according to several commenter eyewitnesses on the Herald blog, the bicyclist got a wheel caught in the trolley tracks in the street. The bicyclist and bus were eastbound according to the Globe. I got an e-mail passing along information from the…
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Comments on the River Street and Western Avenue bridges
I ride the River Street and Western Avenue frequently on my way between Waltham and Cambridge. The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation plans to reconstruct these bridges. The roadways need repair, and so do the sidewalks, which connect the paths on each side of the river. But also, there are many issues with connections…