Cambridge May Remove Mass Ave Parking From Harvard Sq to Arl Line

The City of Cambridge is considering removing virtually all parking along Mass Ave from Harvard Square to the Arlington line so they can put in separated bike lanes. The plan currently being reviewed also includes the removal of all outdoor dining in the street that was created during the pandemic and many loading zones. This plan would put many businesses, still struggling from the pandemic out of business.

The Cambridge City Council passed The Cycling Safety Ordinance in October of 2020. The Ordinance sets requirements for the installation of 25 miles of separated bike lanes across the entire city within the next five to seven years. It also includes the requirement of the installation of separated bike lanes on all of Massachusetts Ave, but even the Cambridge Bike Safety Group that helped promote the Cycling Safety Ordinance does not support this current plan. It is important to keep the roads safe for all users, but there are other ways to achieve this goal without removing almost all curb use in this section of Mass Ave. From Harvard Square to Dudley Street.

Documents and links concerning this project Including a zoom meeting scheduled by the city of Cambridge on Wed June 23, at 5:00 may be found at: https://guitarstop.com/cambridge-parking

A chart showing which parking spaces (Curb Use) will be removed is at this link on the City of Cambridge's Website: https://www.cambridgema.gov/streetsandtransportation/policiesordinancesandplans/cyclingsafetyordinance/massave4impactsanalysis#locationspecific .

Cambridge has a good system of off-road bike paths, that already connect Harvard Square with Alewife and Davis Square Somerville. There are quieter streets than Mass Ave that could be deemed as mixed use or made more bike friendly. Alternatives should also be considered like a barrier system to separate bikes and cars that still allows for parking or reconfiguring the median strip to allow for a protected bike path that does not interfere with curb use. The Cycling Safety Ordinance does allow for the fact that not all segments of Mass Ave are equally conducive to a permanent bike barrier. If Businesses are to survive in Cambridge another solution needs to be found.