On Tuesday, May 24, 2022, we held our first community meeting via Zoom to introduce the project. You can view a PDF of the presentation ; or watch, listen to, or read a recording of the meeting. The video recording is captioned in English.
Mt Auburn St at Holyoke St - Before and After
The images below show Mt Auburn St at Holyoke St before and after separated bike lanes were installed as a part of the Inner Mount Auburn Safety Improvement Project .
Key Components of Separated Bike Lanes
Bike lanes create dedicated space for people who are biking.
Buffers (painted lines on the street) create space between people biking and people driving. They help prevent unintentional collisions that could cause serious harm to the people involved. Depending on the location, there may be a parking lane next to the buffer area. In these instances, drivers can use the buffer area to safely get in and out of the car and to load and unload items.
Flex posts are placed in the buffer area and serve as a vertical barrier in the buffer area.
Travel lanes allow space for people to drive down the street, but can be used by anyone.
Green markings help alert people turning from the travel lane that they should look out for people on bikes. These are generally installed at intersections and across driveways.
Parking creates space for people to store their vehicles while they are in the area. This part of the street may also be designated as loading zones, which help make it easier for delivery people to do their jobs.
Daylighting is when the parking lane is pulled back 20 feet to make it easier for people driving down the street and people waiting to cross the street to see each other. These areas are generally marked with lines on the ground. There may also be flex posts.
Why Install Separated Bike Lanes
Separated bike lanes provide more space and vertical separation between people on bikes and people in cars. More people are comfortable biking in separated bike lanes than in traditional bike lanes or in traffic with cars, buses, and trucks. Separated bike lanes also increase safety for people walking by reducing crossing distances. As we install separated bike lanes, we also look for opportunities to increase visibility at intersections, refresh crosswalk markings, and install appropriate pedestrian crossing signs.