Riding into Boston may not hold much appeal for back country cyclists, but for city dwellers there’s nothing like cruising around town. And now there’s some hope that in the future, urban cyclists may face a lower risk of life and limb when pedaling the streets of the Hub.
The city’s Boston Bikes program has announced plans to add 5-foot-wide bike lanes on Commonwealth Avenue between Kenmore Square and the BU Bridge. The bike lanes are being added this summer as part of a planned reconstruction of Commonwealth through the Boston University campus.
It’s not a long stretch but it’s a start, and it’s an area notoriously dangerous to navigate for cyclists, many of whom roll out from the surrounding universities.
Jim Gillooly, deputy commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department, told the Boston Herald the Commonwealth Avenue project provides an opportunity for a first step. “It will be an evolution,’’ he said. “We certainly want to take the bike accommodations and build upon them.”
Once completed the Commonwealth Avenue lanes alone won’t eliminate the troubles faced by city cyclists. But like the crocuses we hope to soon see poking out in gardens around New England, bike lanes on Commonwealth Avenue could be a harbinger of better days to come.
Join us