Special-interest politics: How single-issue lobbying undermines community
I love Wordle, but not the way it, and facts, have been twisted (“Wordle this: Roads that allow space for bikes and buses are safer,” Feb. 25).
Here are the facts: Dozens of businesses have already reported to the City Council losses of revenue of ranging from 20 percent to 60 percent or more due to removal of the parking for protected bike lanes. These include long-standing businesses; even the franchise of the iconic Dunkin’ Donuts in Central Square has lost 45 percent of revenue and is in the process of closing.
Those who support removing parking from Cambridge commercial districts have no understanding of the operational constraints of small business. It’s a myth that locals carry the majority of small businesses, except perhaps in high density areas such as New York City and San Francisco. Most rely on people from other areas to thrive, and most do not have margins of anywhere near 45 percent – most small businesses’ payroll alone is between 20 percent and 40 percent of sales, depending on the business, and a 45 percent drop in sales means a business cannot continue to exist.
In the case of my business, Violette Bakers, which has not yet suffered the removal of parking, we’ve been doing a survey of every customer for more than a month. We ask how they arrived at the store and from where, and we record their spend. Our survey shows that 21.2 percent of our revenue comes from customers who walk, bike or ride public transport. These customers come from a maximum of four cities daily and an average of two. Drivers make up the rest of our revenue and come from a daily maximum of 40 cities, with an average of 21. Even on days when the number of biking, walking and public transport customers closely approximates the number of driving customers, biking and walking revenue has been only one-third or less for the day, because most are buying something small to eat in the moment, whereas drivers buy for families, weddings, birthdays and other celebrations. That 21.2 percent does not cover our weekly payroll, not to mention rent, utilities, ingredients, supplies, fees and charges, maintenance and repair, marketing, health insurance, 401(k) payments, and the list goes on. With no street parking we would close quickly. And no, this is not an anomaly of winter months – summer is the slow season in Cambridge, as many businesses can tell you. Our sales in the summer are one-third of the amount they are in our busy fall and winter months. This story is repeated at almost every business in Cambridge’s commercial district.
Nor is this, at its heart, about safety. In the past 30 years, five souls have died in bike accidents in Cambridge. In the three most recent, no driver was found negligent. Many Cambridge cyclists say they don’t like these “protected bike lanes” because they make it hard to avoid inattentive bikers, and so will continue to bike on the open road. There is no activity that is perfectly safe from harm, and human error on the part of drivers or bikers will not be solved with these lanes. Real training (including regarding opening parked car doors and who has the right of way in right-hand turns) and enforcement of safety measures is what is most needed for the safety of the entire community.
Nor do any serious environmentalists argue that bikes will save the planet from global warming, or even make a dent in solving the problems. Real solutions that will help reduce our carbon footprint include reducing consumption, using solar and electrical options and developing products such as mobile phones meant to last a decade rather than a year. Where are the city incentives to help and encourage lower- and middle-income drivers to convert to electric cars? Why hasn’t the city started an electric ride share program rather than putting Bluebikes on every corner? Why hasn’t the city used its resources to develop a “carbon score card” that residents can use to calculate their entire carbon footprint and make informed decisions about where they want to use their carbon points? An older person who drives several times a week to the grocery store in all likelihood has a smaller carbon footprint than a young bike rider who buys the most recent bike, gadget, clothing and the like.
The real problem, as demonstrated by “Wordle this” author Jan Devereux, a former city councillor, appears to be that special-interest politics has come to local government. Politicians are being elected with the targeted aid of special-interest advocacy groups. A politician who engages in single-issue advocacy obviates their duty to a democratic process that engages and addresses the needs of all resident stakeholders. They’ve pre-concluded the results they want to achieve. That’s both anti-democratic (the needs of all stakeholders are not addressed) and bad governance. With single-issue advocacy, there is no notion of a comprehensive approach to community goals; only an attitude of “I want what I want, and I don’t care how it comes about.” It’s the essence of entitlement. And often, as we’ve seen on our TV screens and in our local communities, those engaging in single-issue advocacy use guerilla tactics. In Cambridge, businesses that have publicly opposed removal of parking have been targeted by bike advocates who engage in attempted (but thus far failed) boycotts and illegally target review sites to leave false one-star reviews, even though they are not customers. They rip down residents’ flyers that have a different opinion than theirs as well as make statements that, in their most charitable light, are fibs.
Take Devereux’s assertion that the majority of people in Cambridge don’t own cars. This “fact” has been repeated ad nauseam by bike advocates on the social media platform Nextdoor. But it simply isn’t true. Census Bureau data shows that only 33 percent of Cambridge households don’t own cars, while 66 percent own one or more. Perhaps bike advocates are including all infants in their calculus or perhaps they are repeating what they have heard informally without researching the underlying data themselves. Advocacy around guns, masks, vaccine and bikes all use the same faulty yet seemingly successful repetitive process to make their arguments. Businesses aren’t using scare tactics – they are simply informing the City Council and the public that they can’t survive without a diverse customer base, and until there is comprehensive public transportation, that depends on drivers.
In a democracy there shouldn’t be winners and losers. Good governance demands that the City Council solicits the opinions of all constituent stakeholders, listens to their needs and works hard, sometimes impossibly hard, to come up with solutions that meet the needs of all. For instance, an obvious solution would be to install an interconnected bike lane system that traverses the city and connects with the amazingly long protected lane network on Beacon Street, but avoids commercial streets such as Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge Street and Broadway. Why do bike advocates think they are entitled to ride “comfortably,” as they like to put it, down a commercial corridor, even if it means they will deprive hundreds, if not thousands, of people of jobs and a livelihood – and local residents of the benefits of same?
Leesteffy Jenkins, Upland Road
Leesteffy Jenkins owns Violette Bakers, a gluten-free bakery near Porter Square.
Amazingly accurate!
We a family of four have remained in Cambridge raising our children in the public school system.
We’ve remained watching things get more and more expensive and more and more difficult. Yes we own two cars, we are a family and have jobs, activities, dentist appts etc.
To watch the children be last off with masks, small local businesses disregarded, schools closed for 2 days for no reason after winter break on a moments notice leaving us and many many other with no support for the kids it’s getting to the point why bother anymore!?
Does the City value small local businesses? Appears not local businesses are pleading to not be destroyed. The rammed through bike lanes in n Cambridge at all costs literally over the night is a glaring example. Then after the fact to add parking meters on side streets, loading zones in bus lane, no left or right turns, painted streets, signs everywhere it’s a complete embarrassment.
Does the City value the cdc science? Appears not just look at the state of the union last night masks for thee but not me.
Does the City care school enrollment is alarmingly down? Appears not limited / no after school, watered down math curriculum,innovation agenda let’s not even get started on the empty promises with that.
We’ve sat and watched many many friends families move, attend private school in person while our children sat lost into a screen. We’ve wondered why schools were abruptly closed for 2 days while every surrounding town was open in person.
When our friends ask “how much more will you take?”
We often wonder maybe the same as where violette is heading why bother anymore? Think of a new small business hmm should I open my new xyz in Cambridge!? Umm no thanks.
We as a city should be treasuring the small businesses we have left AND attracting new ones
Instead we are driving out the ones that made it past the brunt of the pandemic and pushing families out of the public school system. #Sad#
Thank you Leesteffy Jenkins for your courage in writing this and thank you PRC for your comments. I feel exactly the same way.
Well I guess we should trust “facts” about how customers arrive from a totally non-biased source like this author.
I also really appreciate the callous disregard for the dead, and the environment.
Good luck training everyone to be safe road users. I suppose once we all attend this required course we’ll no longer need cross walks or traffic lights…
Now I know where to not get my baked goods.
Foster123 it’s pathetic you actually think a small local business would use their name, put it all out there and make it all up?
You are the type of person that should run for city council and keep driving small local businesses and families out of Cambridge.
We all want bike lanes but not at the destruction of small businesses. I for one will be taking my family to violette bakers ASAP to support our amazing local gluten free baker! Hopefully more will do the same. #MoreSad#
It’s worth noting that the group Ms. Jenkins is part of is also calling for a halt to dedicated bus lanes on Mass Ave. So when she says “until there is comprehensive public transportation”, what she actually means is that she is also fighting to prevent us from improving our public transportation.
One problem with biking on side streets is that it’s much harder to safely bike to businesses on the main commercial corridors. And in any case, in order to make biking safe on those side streets we would still need to remove resident parking, something Ms. Jenkins is also opposed to.
To give an example, here is an eyewitness account from someone on Oxford St. this November (a common somewhat safer alternative to Mass Ave, but still not safe): “Fwiw, This afternoon I witnessed a 14 year old boy on a bike get knocked to the ground and his arm broken by a careless driver on Oxford st. We called the police, etc., the driver stopped and the boy was taken away in an ambulance. The boy was riding responsibly and was helmeted (which may have saved his life). ”
You can see this in the police log for the day (https://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/newsandalerts/Archives/detail.aspx?path=/sitecore/content/home/cpd/newsandalerts/archives/2021/11/11072021): “An operator of a motor vehicle and bicycle crash was reported on Wendell Street. The operator of the vehicle was cited for unsafe passing of a bicyclist, while the bicyclist sustained a wrist injury.”
PRC: a local pharmacist on Cambridge street who didn’t like bike lanes either completely disregarded the facts in all related discourse, so why should we trust this person either? They clearly have an agenda and their information is not verified. Might I add that the pharmacy staid open, and so did all the businesses on Brattle st.
Sad to be as cyclical as you foster. Now you will boycott local small businesses!? Look in the mirror next time you want to head out somewhere in a few yrs and you need to go to Arlington to get it. Yes so now a gluten free baker is part of some anti bike group. Good gracious.
We all want protected bike lanes! NOT at the expense of small businesses along mass Ave. It’s not rocket science. Just look at mass Ave berry line recently closed, hi rose as well of course the small grocery store still sits vacant, chez henri/Luce across the street various empty store fronts my goodness jidt look. This is prime A1 location quickly becoming a wasteland.
We all want in person school. There was at one point people arguing for remote school to continue. All meanwhile every private school in the same city Cambridge offered some form of in person. Full time every other week etc. all while the “public school kids sat staring mindlessly into computer screen.
The pandemic exposed the union and huge divide of public vs private education. The virus didn’t just infect public school children.
Violette baker took a lot of courage to submit this. I applaud them and we all should so as to keep our small businesses which are slowly closing down with no replacements…
Foster, I’m sure you’re not the type to home brew or eat out or get Froyo or a yummy sandwich but all fairly recently:
-After 30 years, Cambridge’s Modern Homebrew Emporium is closing “It breaks my heart.”
– Now there are for For Lease signs recently put up on Season to Taste.
https://www.cambridgeday.com/2021/12/17/berryline-closes-one-of-two-froyo-locations-deciding-to-consolidate-in-harvard-square/
– Hi Rise mass Ave by Lesley gone. Appears not coming back. Nor any other business.
Of course the removal of parking didn’t close all of these great establishments. But knowing what’s coming aka removal of parking a small business owner just like violette has to make a decision do I sign a 3yr lease for 150k with all of this uncertainty…
I personally know two families that moved due to the lack of in person schooling, after school support and mask forever seemingly policy which appears they were correct. They each have 2 children. The kids went to fast Phil’s since born. Neither goes anymore “it’s too much trouble now”. Between the traffic explosion and lack of parking around Phil’s it’s just not worth it they both said sadly.
It’s a desperate plea/warning Violette was trying to make. The policies of the city are driving out small business and families alike.
The #s don’t tell of an inclusive open city. It’s one of we will do it overnight “quick build” style aka down your throat and incur a severe negative impact to businesses.
It’s one of closing all the schools for days for no reason on a Saturday with no warning or anything. No other school system in the world did this.
The city has lots of “revenue” sources thankfully so losing lots of small businesses clearly doesn’t matter.
The city has an enormous school budget so losing 5-8% of the children per yr clearly doesn’t matter either.
This isn’t rocket science.
+Keep parking for small businesses
+Add protected bike lanes in a manner and where there is little to no impact to small businesses.
+Keep schools open and in person
+Remove the masks from our children before being the last on planet earth to do so
It’s that simple. These are the very basics and we can’t even get any of this right. Getting into solar credits, charging stations, carbon scores, advanced math, enough capacity for after school support etc is next level.
“Why do bike advocates think they are entitled to ride “comfortably,” as they like to put it, down a commercial corridor,”
Your lack of concern for cyclists is as clear as ever.
I can’t find a single part of this essay that seems to be written in good faith. It’s really disappointing and upsetting that my neighbors feel like this and express themselves this way.
Bring on the bike lanes. We have waited long enough
Great points, Leesteffy!
Sadly, our system for electing the City Council leads to exactly the single issue mania you describe. To win a seat on Council, one needs only 10% of the electorate’s support. Even our most popular leader has far less than half the voters behind her. This is exacerbated by relatively low turnout at the polls–in large part because we elect Council in off-years from other elections. So with a candidate needing only a very few votes to win, they must find the most passionate voters, not the most holistic. And of course, the most passionate voters are those on the edges of the political spectrum.
Ms. Jenkins, people don’t attack you because you are anti-bike lane. You get attacked because of the way you go about expressing your opinion. As demonstrated by this opinion piece, you continue to put forth disingenuous and inane arguments.
My hope is that we can make reasonable compromises that satisfy multiple stakeholders. If we must shift to a winner-takes-all dynamic between parking spaces and bike safety, then I am firmly on the side of bike safety. My vote and my choice of business reflects this dynamic.
My wife and I have visited Violette bakery probably a half dozen times the past 4 years, even though we aren’t gluten free. I especially like the mint thins. As a regular biker though, I had a close call 2018 in poor weather where my bike lost traction and nearly was struck by a semi (though no fault of the semi). I value my personal safety quite highly, and my preference reflects thats.
Hopefully we can calm down and de-escalate the adversarial dynamic.
Tagus, why can’t it be both? Why do you choose bike safety over having small local businesses.
We aren’t the first city to instal bike lanes. Why do they have to be at the detriment of small business.
This is the logic of the bicycle bullies, maybe you are one of them. Sadly many like you have adopted this winner take all mentality, without compromise.
I don’t own a small business but it clearly (pre pandemic) was part of the decision process to live here.
The city’s schools and small businesses are clearly being hollowed out (they are decreasing at an alarming rate).
Things like removing parking on a main commercial way just accelerates it.
Why can’t it be a win win?
The revenue loss at the Dunkin being blamed on parking changes and bike lanes doesn’t really match reality.
Inspired Brands, which owns the Chain, is phasing out their small sized stores like the one in Harvard Sq. Especially ones that sit in an always overpriced real estate location.
Revenues have been down for a while before the changes in parking etc. because of the pandemic, the inability to make their seating area safer during the pandemic etc. They also now have more competition nearby, which they haven’t had for years, which is sure to cut into their business.
As a chain the quality of their food has fallen for a long time. Dunkin is nothing like it was back in the 1980s or 1990s.
Very few people want to park in that area of Central Square, its way too congested to begin with. A lot of the business for that store has always been foot traffic.
Oh and the Dunkins chain started closing 450 stores in the USA back in 2020, long before any changes that might have impacted it. This was covered in the Boston Globe Business Section online when it was announced.
@prc Cambridge public space is quite limited so compromise and some conflict is part of the game. It’s clear we lean toward different preferences on this topic. I agree a win win would be preferable.
Something like removing the central median, installing a protected bike late on mass ave, and preserving as many parking spaces as possible.
Terms like “bicycle bully” frames the conversation in adversarial terms of win-lose. If that is the dynamic of discourse, then my position will harden in reaction.
Cambridge City Councilors are listening to less than 30% of Cambridge residents as most citizens do not vote, they are also listening to the loudest lobbyists. There has not been any effort to reach out to the Cambridge population as a whole to get further input on the bicycle lanes unless people are willing to attend these polarizing meetings. The smear campaign against speaking out against this powerful lobby is well-orchestrated so I commend this small business owner for having the guts to speaking out.
Most people do not understand the great expenses and risks of owning a small business in one of the most expensive states and cities to do so in. A lease that extends 5 – 10 years is a huge personal commitment and the fact that the City of Cambridge did not give these businesses adequate warning of the dire consequences that they would face when these changes were shoved through at break-neck speed was completely unfair.
These small businesses are also paying the high Cambridge commercial property taxes (11.23%) that keep residential property taxes (5.85%) lower. Most commercial leases in the area are triple net, meaning that the tenant pays their pro-rated share of the building commercial tax rate to the city and a percentage of sales to the landlord if sales exceed a certain amount.
With the amount of development the city is undergoing it’s a miracle we have any small businesses left! Developers have gutted the market – that is why people are seeing more empty storefronts.
Small businesses are also paying one of the highest minimum wages in the country and some of the highest healthcare insurance costs AND they are just coming through a two years of a pandemic which reduced their viability and caused enormous personal losses.
None of these businesses are saying they don’t want public safety, they are saying that these “quick build” bike lanes are hindering their ability to do business and were not adequately planned for ALL involved, the small businesses of Cambridge are suffering and the City Councilors are not listening fairly to these businesses that are most impacted.
Hi Tagus, I generally appreciate your comments etc. I do with this as well and apologize with the “bicycle bully” term.
Unfortunately for whatever the reason the quick build destruction of n Cambridge’s mass Ave has really hardened both sides.
What was clear today on a bike ride! We went to Arlington and yes it’s not Cambridge but it’s still mass Ave and it’s densely populated.
The stores are clearly doing better…and there aren’t stretches of shops with “For Lease” signs everywhere.
Kind of hit us; why how can Arlington support small businesses along commercial mass Ave and Cambridge can’t.
Please everyone it’s not like they didn’t have a winter, pandemic etc. Just amazing the stark difference.
I think everyone wants protected bike lanes and most want local shops. Everyone needs to stop acting as if parking doesn’t matter for these type of businesses. Rather than another quick destruction in Porter sq it is well noted to do it right vs fast.