Sunday, May 20, 2012
The “Somerville Parks, Now and Then” tour kicks off at 2 p.m.
A bike tour of the city today will explore Somerville's parks. Here's a description of the tour, which begins at 2 p.m., from the city of Somerville: “Somerville Parks, Now and Then” is sponsored in cooperation with the Somerville Bike Committee. This year’s theme will take us from one end of the City to the other, learning about Somerville’s wealth of parks and what they used to be. The guided ride, escorted by the Somerville Police, is designed for all ages and riding levels, and includes a couple of rest stops and park hosts. Starts at City Hall and ends at the Somerville Museum around 4:15 pm, with light refreshments. $3.00 donation suggested." You can see a map of the route here. Check out the event's Facebook page here.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Sgt. James Rooney, of the Somerville Police Department, spoke on "Greater Somerville" about the department's efforts to make bikers adhere to traffic laws.
The Somerville Police Department began issuing citations to bicycle-riding traffic scofflaws on April 11, and since that time the department has issued 87 citations to bikers, according to Sgt. James Rooney, who spoke about the issue on "Greater Somerville" Tuesday. You can watch the TV episode here. To put that number in perspective, Rooney said in that same time period, the department issued about 1300 traffic citations to motorists. Rooney joined Hayes Morrison, director of traffic and infrastructure with the city of Somerville, and "Greater Somerville" hosts Joseph Lynch and KyAnn Anderson for a special Bike Month episode of the show. In addition to talking about the police department's bicycle traffic enforcement efforts, the guests …
Monday, May 14, 2012
The MBTA rider came in second and the car came in third in Monday's commuting race.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
The race starts at Redbones in Davis Square and ends in Kendall Square.
What's the quickest form of transportation from Davis Square to Kendall Square? Find out Monday morning. During the Rush Hour Race, bicyclists will compete in a race to Genzyme in Kendall Square agaisnt cars and people who ride the T. The race begins at Redbones. If you want to see the race, show up at 7:45 a.m. for some refreshments. The race kicks off at 8:30 a.m. There will also be refreshments at the finish line. The race is part of the Bay State Bike Week. Learn more here.
42.39507
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Redbones
55 Chester St, Somerville, MA
/articles/monday-rush-hour-race-pits-cars-against-bikes-and-mbta
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Wednesday, April 18, 2012
The city is in the process of installing bike corrals in ten locations. Each corral takes up a parking space and has enough room for 14 bikes.
Bicyclists in Somerville will have an easier time finding a place to lock up their bikes this summer. After experimenting with the idea last year with two locations—one in Davis Square and one in Union Square—the city's bike corral program has expanded to 10 locations this year. Most of the corrals are already in place or in the process of being installed, according to an announcement from the city. Each corral fits in a parking spot on the street and has room for 14 bikes. "Bicyclists can use the corrals instead of locking their bikes to street signs or parking meters, which reduces congestion on sidewalks and promotes easier access to meters in business districts," the announcement explains. Union Square will be home to three bike …
Friday, April 13, 2012
Police officers also wrote some citations in the first day of their campaign to enforce traffic laws with bicycle riders.
Bicyclists who got pulled over by cops in Union Square Wednesday mostly received verbal warnings, though a few received written warnings, according to Paul Upton, deputy chief of the Somerville Police Department. "I'm pretty sure there wasn't a $20 citation so far," he said, speaking Thursday afternoon. Upton was talking about a new campaign by the Somerville Police Department to enforce traffic laws with bicyclists. "This is an accident reduction effort," Upton said. He said traffic enforcement officers are doing "what they need to do to make the city a little safer." The campaign, which began Wednesday in Union Square, is meant to be educational at first, the deputy chief said. Most bicyclists obey the law, but some openly flaunt it, he …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Police began "increasing enforcement of bicycle traffic regulations" in Union Square Wednesday, according to Somerville's police chief and the city's ResiStat blog.
Somerville police initiated a "bicycle enforcement" operation Wednesday, according to Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello, who spoke to seniors at the Winter Hill Yacht Club Wednesday. Somerville's ResiStat blog has also announced the initiative. In a statement on the blog, Pasquarello said, "Bicyclists have a right to share the road and they should command respect from other drivers … At the same time, they need to show respect for the rights of pedestrians and vehicle drivers." Pasquarello explained Wednesday that a new change in law makes it a requirement that bicyclists, if stopped by a police officer for violating a traffic law, must provide their name and address. If they don't, explains the ResiStat blog, they could be …
Monday, February 27, 2012
Catch up on the latest news about bicycle infrastructure and programs in Somerville.
Update, Feb. 28, 1:33 p.m.: Hubway will come in the spring, but may not arrive for March, according to Senior Transportation Planner Sarah Spicer. "The Hubway system will not launch in March," said Spicer. "Our goal has consistently been spring; now we are looking at late spring as we finalize the regional agreements that are enabling the system to takeshape. We will know a more specific date after these agreements are finalizedin the coming week or two." The Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee met last Tuesday at City Hall. Here are some highlights from their discussions: The Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee will meet next on Tuesday, March 20 at 7 p.m. in the employee's lounge in the basement of City Hall. All are welcome to …
Monday, January 23, 2012
Clean it, lubricate it, wax it and keep it parked inside.
If you left your bicycle outside this weekend, susceptible to damage from snow, dirt and ice-melting salts, there are a few things you should do to get it back into good working order, according to local experts. Clean it, and keep it clean. Tyler Oulton, who owns Ball Square's Paramount Bicycle shop, writes on his website that cleaning a bicycle is the most important part of winter maintenance. Taking mild soap and a sponge to the frame will not only remove dirt, he says, but also get you to check for damage or deterioration. He recommends looking for wear or rust on the break pads, correct wheel alignment, broken spokes and cracks in the frame. Then to keep you and your bike as clean as possible, he writes, install either full or clip-…
Monday, January 9, 2012
A member of the Somerville Bicycle Committee has come up with direct routes between Porter and Inman squares that he says are safer.
As reported last week, a member of the Somerville Bicycle Committee has been thinking up routes other than Beacon Street that cyclists could take to travel between popular destinations. Beacon Street, with its uneven pavement, isn't the safest route, the committee has said, though it's the most used one in the city. For travel from Porter Square to Inman Square, Brian Postlewaite came up with a route parallel to Beacon Street, which has roads, he said, that are in better condition. The route takes riders down Elm Street, Somerville Avenue, Dane Street and then through a series of neighborhood streets to the intersection of Beacon and Cambridge streets. According to Google Maps, the trip is 1.6 miles and 9 minutes. The trip along Beacon …
kevin thomas crowley
11:27 am on Saturday, May 19, 2012
we paint the city orange with tickets for all sorts of behaviors, yet we ignore the dangerous actions of pedestrians. i speak here of people approaching crosswalks. daily i see people not stopping to look around themselves before walking across a crosswalk. so many just ignore the world around them , walking directly from the sidewalk into the street. often they are talking on the phone or … more ›