MassDOT Taking Center Parking

MassDOT has proposed to remove parking from 626 Mass Ave to Swan Place. That would be  seven parking spots.

They are taking these parking spots because of the Bike Lane. The concern from cyclist is having car doors opening as they pass. (that concern would be at any road where cars are parked) So for this small group, center parking spots are taken out for the Bike Lane.

No where else along Mass Ave have they removed parking for Bike Lanes.

Mike Rademacher, Director of Public Works at the Selectmen meeting September 30th presented the Bike Accommodation Striping Plan ( from Lexington line to Mill St.) and where the road narrows they don't propose to remove any parking so why here on Mass Ave?

Arlington Center Safe Travel Project, held a public hearing 4/23/12 and at that hearing the audience, mostly cyclist, wanted to have those parking spots removed. Now MassDOT and the Selectmen have those spots in their sights!

Bikes and traffic already pass thru that intersection without incident and with lanes painted on the road, safety would be improved. Mass Ave has had no painted lanes and there have been no bikes being doored along this 200 ft of the Ave.

This is a bad idea MassDOT wants to remove parking spots that are one hour parking, those spots are constantly turning over, cars are not always there and because of the time limit, bank customers can bank without entering from the Pleasant St. side.

.If this parking is removed it would cause the customers that use Cambridge Saving Bank. to enter the bank on the Pleasant St. side and that is unsafe.  It stalls traffic because the northbound cars waiting at the light will have to leave a gap so cars can enter the bank lot and if there is no gap the southbound cars waiting to take a left will back the traffic up into the main intersection of Rt 60 and Mass Ave and it will  back up Pleasant St. as well. Because of the new bump outs that will add to more congestion, and not traffic flow!... BAD IDEA!

I have seen Arlington Police hand out pamphlets to cyclists on road safety, and it has been helpful .  I would say 90% of the cyclists follow the rules (before that 60% most didn’t know bike rules or the bylaws) and now that they know what the rules are!  It is education and a police presence at peak times of the day that made the difference. We don’t need to remove those parking spots!  Let”s leave them alone and see how they work with painted lanes on the roadways  and education.

Cycling is seasonal for a large majority. So taking out parking year round is not fair to people that need parking.  The die hards cyclist ride as long as they can, you’ll see them in snow storms, rain storms, ice on roadways, they don’t need Bike Lanes, they make their own lanes!