This post may get changed and added onto. Any of my local friends PLEASE either post a comment or e-mail me directly if you think of anything I’m leaving out.
We’ve caught wind of an event by Boston Bikes on 11/16 at the Library to provide input to the direction they should be heading when developing more bicycle infrastructure. WOW! Outside of ditching cars there are dozens of suggestions that come to mind.
To start, if the City and State would only require ALL ROAD PROJECTS include a plan for bicycles, we’d get off on the right foot. It seems there have been a dozen or so projects in Dorchester that simply haven’t thought about bikes for a mili-second. Boston Bikes would take a big step up if they had more input on the projects. We might have lanes on Morton Street, Geneva Avenue, Bowdoin Street as well as a few other streets. Or Sharrows anyway.
What’s the dream? Let’s start with Mass Ave from Everett Square to BMC. A separated bike lane from the Square to the bridge past South Bay would be a good start. Then a solid lane up to the point where cars have to veer around the fire station and THEN a direct bike lane up Mass Ave in the face of the one way traffic coming south. Add southbound lanes all the way and we’re in there.
So, while we’re looking at commutes, finishing lanes on Blue Hill Avenue to Dudley and all the way to Mattapan works. Branching off that, River Street, Cummings Highway, Norfolk Ave, Morton Street, Seaver Street (Talbot, American Legion Hwy, Columbia Road and Warren Street (sharrows) are done!), Quincy Street and hey! Dudley could use attention.
Looking off Dot Ave, Adams Street (in Lower Mills and Fields Corner), Neponset Ave, Freeport Street, Hancock Street, Pleasant Street, Boston/Dorchester Street, D Street, Dover Street Bridge all come to mind. Morton Street and Washington Street from Lower Mills? Sure.
Harvard Ave, Bowdoin, Ashmont Street, Park Street all come to mind as east/west streets that are major arteries in Dot. Granite Ave? Let’s! Adams Street from Adams Village? Of course!
Out on the waterfront, we have the Missing Link movement trying to obtain millions to finish that neglected segment. How about Morrissey in front of BC High and the Globe? Lane after lane for cars…nothing for bikes! Day Blvd, Columbia Road out to Southie? Way overdue. Old Colony Boulevard!
Improve ALL access points to Franklin Park so we’re not jumping a curb or slithering through a gap in the fence. Yup!
There is an effort somewhere (is it dead?) to make a bike trail along the Purple Line. Sounds good!
How about Hubway stations at JFK, Fields Corner, Ashmont, the new Purple Line Stations, Franklin Park and on into other neighborhoods? Great idea! Throw in UMass, Codman Square, Grove Hall for Hubway? Wow!
We’re going to measure the width of Dorchester Avenue where the state only deigned to put Sharrows and compare it with the other laned part of the Avenue. We’re hoping (and pretty damn sure really) that something built in 1804 maintained most of its original width from Lower Mills to Congress Street no? Betcha!
So that’s it off the top of my head right now. Please let us know if you have any other thoughts. Dot-centric of course. Thanks!
