Hello! The City of Cambridge is updating the Bicycle Plan, and wants you to know more about what is in the works.
In this video, we're talking about the bicycle network vision and the kinds of bicycle facilities that are being planned in Cambridge.
The Cambridge Bicycle Plan includes an ambitious bicycle network vision containing over 100 miles of existing, in progress, and proposed bikeways
The network vision focuses on safety, comfort, connectivity, and convenience for people of all ages and abilities. It includes a selection of streets and paths in the city, which should be prioritized for high quality bicycle infrastructure improvements.
Foundational to the development of the network vision is understanding the diversity of people who bike in Cambridge.
People of all ages, abilities, identities, backgrounds, and experience should be given the opportunity to travel by bike for a variety of purposes.
Research has categorize people based on their perspective on bicycling. The largest group, at 60% of the population, are categorized as interested in biking but concerned about their safety.
This group represents the largest portion of the population that is likely to try bicycling, if safe and comfortable opportunities are provided.
The research further shows that this group strongly prefers bicycle facilities that provide physical separation from motor vehicle traffic.
In fact, a survey performed in Cambridge in 2015
Found that most people prefer and feel comfortable on separated bicycle facilities on busy streets.
Therefore, in order to make biking possible and enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities, we need to increase safety, comfort, and separation.
The bicycle network vision achieves this with three types of bikeways: Off street paths, which are primarily through parks and open space and along linear corridors, such as rail lines and rivers.
Separated bicycle facilities, which are primarily along major through streets with higher traffic volumes and speeds.
These focus on providing access to shopping, jobs, neighboring communities, and the regional trail network.
And lower traffic volume lower speed streets.These are primarily in residential areas and along less busy through streets. They focus on providing access within and between neighborhoods and to local parks and schools.
This is the bicycle network vision from 2015.
The vision creates an aspirational concept for a complete system, enabling people of all ages and abilities to travel more safely and comfortably throughout the city.
It is intended to be used as a guide and reference for long-, medium- and short-term infrastructure projects undertaken in the city, including projects that are part of the City's Five Year Plan for Sidewalk and Street Reconstruction.
As part of the 2020 Cambridge Bicycle Plan update, the community was invited to identify priorities for updating the bicycle network vision. This included map based comments on an online map and at in person events.
A series of quantitative analyses were also performed to guide this update. One step was to analyze the comfort, and therefore bike friendliness,
Of streets in Cambridge, based on motor vehicle traffic, speeds, presence of on street parking, bus routes and heavy vehicle traffic, and amount of space available.
Another step was to identify necessary connections, key destinations, and areas where people want to go on their bikes.
In addition, considering how we can provide equal access to bicycling for all people was an important factor in the updating of the bicycle network vision.
Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas, which are designated by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, were used to identify priority areas in the city.
The result of this input and analysis is the proposed bicycle network vision for the 2020 Cambridge Bicycle Plan update. As mentioned, this vision contains over 100 miles of existing, in progress, and proposed bike ways
These will be implemented over time through the City's Five Year Plan for Sidewalk and Street Reconstruction,
As part of ongoing land development and redevelopment,
And through a quick build approach. A separate video has been developed to explain the quick build implementation approach. It can be found on the bike plan website.
There is a variety of bicycle facilities and treatments in the toolbox for implementing the bicycle network vision.
First, let's talk about off-street paths.
You're likely familiar with off-street paths in Cambridge, such as the Alewife Linear Park path or the new Discovery Park path.
There are many ways to implement and enhance off-street paths, such as building rail trails on former railroads, providing separation between people biking and walking, incorporating wayfinding, building trails along waterways, and enhancing street crossings through features such as signals.
Where the bicycle network vision identifies greater separation, that generally refers to separated bike lanes, which provide physical separation between bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic on busier streets.
Separated bike lanes are not intended to be used by people walking and they generally include some type of physical or visual separation from sidewalks.
There are several ways to implement separated bike lanes, such as at sidewalk level or street level. A variety of methods can be used to provide separation from motor vehicles, including plastic flex posts, concrete buffers, and landscaping.
The impacts of motor vehicle traffic include volume (that is, the amount of traffic) and speed.
Streets with lower traffic volumes and speeds are often suitable for biking with little modification. In some cases, however, treatments to manage speeds are important. They can include a variety of elements like raised intersections that calm traffic and encourage lower vehicle speeds.
Other treatments that may be considered in the future include mini traffic circles, which calm traffic where enough space exists. And traffic diverters, which can manage car traffic on a street while allowing bicyclists to proceed through.
Some lower volume / lower speed streets may include delineated bicycle facilities, such as standard bike lanes, advisory bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, and contraflow bike lanes on one way streets. Crossing treatments are also an important tool in the toolbox.
We are at a key milestone in the process of updating the 2020 Cambridge Bicycle Plan and we want your input.
Visit the project website at CambridgeMA.gov/bike or email bikeplan@CambridgeMA.gov to learn more and tell us your thoughts. Your input is valuable for helping us continue to plan our streets for people...like you!