A state decision limiting hours on Cambridge’s Riverbend Park continues to upset cyclists, among others, who have literally taken their ire to the street in an ongoing series of Saturday protests – “reclaiming” briefly a lane of the roadway that would had been all-day open space in the recent past.
During the pandemic and into this year the state Department of Conservation and Recreation shut down Memorial Drive between Gerry’s Landing Road and Western Avenue to car traffic, making way for recreational use Saturdays and Sundays. The state announced April 3 it would return to the Sunday-only schedule that began in 1975 and was made law in 1985.
The City Council voted 7-2 on April 24 to support continued Saturday closings of Memorial Drive and ask formally for the state to reconsider its decision. That’s where the matter rested for more than two months, until on July 8, the Car Free Boston organization held its first Riverbend Park “block party” and resistance ride. In the events, John Burkhardt, a couple of fellow organizers and around 30 “volunteers” take over Memorial Drive for a leisurely 30-minute loop of the stretch that includes Riverbend Park.
The group’s goal is to get the state’s attention – and the return of Saturday traffic shutdowns. On the July 15 ride, state Rep. Mike Connolly joined; this Saturday, city councillor Marc McGovern showed up. A knee problem kept McGovern from riding, but he discussed the importance of upcoming city elections on the issue, as three supporters of the city’s Cycling Safety Ordinance are stepping down: Alanna Mallon, Quinton Zondervan and Dennis Carlone.
On a ride-along Saturday, the protest riders took up just one of four Memorial Drive lanes, and car drivers around them were for the most respectful and patient as the bikes slowed traffic.
Burkhardt, an Arlington resident and biotech worker, said they’ll be back every Saturday and described Bike Free Boston and its activities as more “radical” than those of the Cambridge Bike Safety group, which spurred the Cycling Safety Ordinance.
“We’re more hands-on,” he said while rolling along.
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ahhhh look at all those WiPiPo using their privilege for something that will benefit everyone….
@Sam, I remember you live out of town now, but you really should come check this out before judging it like that. I just took a ride out between Western and JFK a few minutes ago, and the people who who are out walking/biking/sitting along Memorial Drive represent all of our neighborhoods and families.
Yes, I await the laws to be obeyed, as this ride protest simulates the identical hoodwinks antics by prior state administration members which concealed “Parts of the adjacent neighborhoods are classified as an environmental justice block group. DCR and the executive office are eager to ensure all communities have access to open space, but we must also ensure that no community disproportionately bears the impacts,” says the letter signed by Douglas Rice, commissioner of the agency. Chapter 457 of the Acts of 1985 and to address the impacts on those on the surrounding neighborhood.” Any measure imposed upon Riverside community should be delegated the same to each state-controlled locations vehicle access as the COVID-19 Pandemic period dictated.
So, the bike “people” are not satisfied that they have totally screwed up the streets by limiting the access that vehicles have on Cambridge streets.
Now they want to take over public roads for their “leisure enjoyment”.
I enjoy having to cross the double yellow lines to try and go around a delivery truck because they are now stopping on the driving lanes to deliver products.
Now they want to take over public roads for their “leisure enjoyment”.
What’s really ironic is bicycle people don’t seem concerned about safety. “Share the road?” Oh, sure bicycle people share the road. Not really. How often do you see them stop for pedestrians? The answer, never.
Bike helmets? Oh please, They don’t need helmets.
It comes down to money. I wouldn’t say any Cambridge politician is on the take as they say, but I wonder. Somebody’s making money, I’m just not sure who.
@myplanb You putting “people” in quotes there really gives up your whole game.
The riverbend Park open street isn’t just for bicyclists. It also gives pedestrians, people in wheelchairs, roller bladers, skaters, etc a safe place to walk and ride.
People want to be able to get around safely. That includes to work, school, shopping, and yes for leisure. Biking is a legitimate transportation mode not a leisure activity and bike lanes actually move more people in less space than general travel lanes for cars can.
It also sounds like you have more of an issue with delivery drivers parking wherever they want than you have with bikes. As someone who bikes I share that concern, Delivery drivers routinely create dangerous situations by ignoring loading zones to park wherever they want. Idk how bicyclists take the blame for that.
A bike has never killed a pedestrian in Cambridge, meanwhile several are killed by cars every year. The lie in your concern for pedestrian safety is illustrated by your lack of concern for the actual danger. Closing this street to cars makes it safer for pedestrians too, again it is not only for bikes.
Bike helmets are not required for adults in Massachusetts so yes literally they dont need helmets. The safest places to bike in the world and with the highest amount of bike ridership have the lowest rates of helmet use. Because the helmet, as you use it here, isn’t so much a tool to keep bicyclists safe (bike lanes do a far better job of that), but to blame them for their own injuries.
You are right about money being important in this but oh so incredibly off base about who has it and how that plays out in this context. Bikes are for one thing notably cheaper than cars. Also look how much play in the press business owners have gotten complaining about bike lanes, claiming they are unsafe contrary to all evidence and that they will hurt business even though every study on the question shows bike lanes help local businesses. The moneyed vested interest group with disproportionate influence on road space is not bicyclists. Who it actually is should be obvious by looking at the real world distribution of road space, which even in Cambridge is still vastly overwhelmingly given over to automobiles. Are are a lot of powerful groups and moneyed interests seeking to keep it that way.