Thursday, March 7, 2013
Alex Epstein, a Beacon Street resident and chair of the Somerville Bicycle Committee, addresses what he calls "false and misleading statements" regarding plans to reconstruct Beacon Street.
Editor's note: The author of this letter, Alex Epstein, is a Beacon Street resident and chair of the Somerville Bicycle Committee. He is writing in response to a boisterous public meeting, held Tuesday night, about a plans to reconstruct Beacon Street. Here's what Epstein wrote: I was surprised and extremely disappointed by a number of false and misleading statements, made at Tuesday night's Beacon Street reconstruction meeting, against improving bicycle facilities. I feel compelled to set the record straight with the vocal critics who've shown no bounds in their factual creativity opposing the project. And now they've even got the ear of an elected official. It was claimed that "the majority of the neighborhood" opposes the project, and a…
Sunday, October 7, 2012
The bike tour, which takes place Oct. 13, will take riders along the 15-mile border of Somerville.
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 …
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
A recap of the infrastructure, programs, ideas and issues that surfaced in Somerville this year.
During the last year, the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, city officials, cycling enthusiasts and local organizations have established and upgraded programs and infrastructure that have bettered bicycling in the city. They've also focused on getting rocky roads fixed and removing other obstacles to riding safely. 1. The League of American Bicyclists names Somerville a bicycle friendly community. 2. The city paints 11 miles of new bicycle lanes and sharrows as part of its "11 in 2011" campaign. 3. Hubway, Boston's bike share network announces that the program should arrive in Somerville this spring. 4. The Metropolian Area Planning Council grants Somerville 75 bicycle racks and three bicycle corrals to be installed throughout …
Monday, November 28, 2011
The Somerville Bicycle Committee offers advice on how to stay warm, dry and safe through the coldest months.
The thought of bicycling through the winter might seem impossible, but members of the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee, many of whom bicycle year-round, said it’s not that difficult or uncomfortable, as long as you’re prepared. Read their tips for maneuvering in frigid weather and down icy roads and keeping your bicycle in good riding condition. Somerville Patch: What do you wear when bicycling in the cold, sleet and snow? Brian Postlewaite: I wear cycling in the winter what I wear walking in the winter: a heavy wool coat, winter boots, thick gloves and helmet liner (not cycling I would wear a more casual winter hat). You don't have to do anything to the bike, but fenders, hub or disk brakes and studded tires can extend the degree …
Monday, October 31, 2011
Plus: more bicycle corrals might be coming to Somerville; the scope of the Hubway bicycle share program is growing and the committee is pushing for a bike lane on Temple Street.
The Somerville Bicycle Committee will continue to urge the city to smooth the uneven pavement on Beacon Street, according to minutes from the Oct. 18 meeting. The committee has sent a letter to the mayor, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure asking officials to repair the road, which is the one bicyclists use most in the city. In the letter, the committee suggested that the city lay new pavement over the sections of the street that are in the worst condition, and it calculated that filling the potholes and flattening the patched ones would cost about $75,000. However, the DPW doesn't have enough money to repair the road before 2013, when the city will receive money from the federal …
Monday, October 24, 2011
If you missed Tour De Somerville this year, you can take a self-guided tour at your leisure with these maps.
The 2011 Tour de Somerville, with the theme, "Arts in the 'Ville," took cyclists past 68 of the city's art galleries and studios, stopping at several, including Fringe and Artisan's Asylum. If you missed the Oct. 15 event, you can take your own tour with maps provided by the Somerville Bicycle Committee. Click here for a map of the tour, minus the stops in Davis and Union squares. Then click here for the stops in those parts of town. To get to and learn about each place, follow this guide, which Ron Newman, a member of the Bicycle Committee, created. Did you take photos of video at Tour de Somerville? If so, share them with the community here.
Steven Goodridge
9:42 am on Thursday, March 28, 2013
I bike with my kids at slow speeds, but I find cycle tracks to be more hazardous for our family than cycling in the roadway if there are driveways or intersections. When we are in the roadway, other drivers are able to see us better, and we don't experience conflicts at every junction like these sidepath facilities create. Providing adequate pavement width on the roadway allows drivers to pass my… more ›