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Three images. The left image shows people installing a quick-build separated bike lane on Webster Ave. The middle image shows a sign indicating space for parking and space for biking to the left and right of a buffer area. The right image show a person biking in a quick-build separated bike lane on Ames St.

Projects

In the coming years, we are going to add significantly to the city’s network of separated bike lanes. We will use this page to provide updates on our progress on an ongoing basis.

There are four categories of projects: MassAve4, The Rest of Mass Ave, Special4, and Other Locations.

  • MassAve4 - Mass Ave from Dudley St to Beech St; Roseland St to Waterhouse St; Garden St to Church St, in the northbound direction (this segment is Peabody St); and Dunster St to Plympton St.
  • The Rest of Mass Ave - All segments of Mass Ave, from Memorial Drive to Alewife Brook Parkway, that are not included in the MassAve4.
  • Special4 - Broadway from Quincy St to Hampshire St; Cambridge St from Oak Street to Second St; Hampshire St from Amory Street to Broadway; and Garden St, eastbound from Huron Ave to Berkeley St, and westbound from Mason St to Huron Ave.
  • Other Locations - Locations that are not included in the three previous categories, but have been designated for greater separation in the Bicycle Network Vision.

Typically, we must complete a separated bike lane before we can count it toward the requirements of the ordinance. Construction projects in The Rest of Mass Ave and Other Locations categories are exceptions; they count when construction begins.

Completed projects are grouped by “separated bike lane year." Years are tied to requirements in the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

 

More Information

The Separated Bike Lane Year

Many of the deadlines in the Ordinance are either “by May 1” or “by no later than May 1” of a certain year. To make it easier to understand how all the pieces fit together, we’re consistently referring to all these dates as April 30, including in cases where the formal deadline is May 1. This means that you can think of the “Separated Bike Lane Year” as beginning in May and ending in April, which will hopefully make the timeline simpler to follow.

Annual Reports

Each year, at the end of May, we must provide a report to the Cambridge City Council detailing the progress we’ve made during the previous year and what we plan to do in the current year. We’re also required to maintain information online about the location and length of the facilities that we’ve installed.

Quick-Build vs Construction

The Ordinance distinguishes between quick-build methods and construction. Quick-build methods include pavement markings, flex-posts, signage, and signal changes. Construction involves more extensive changes, including potentially moving curbs and/or removing medians. Work becomes more complex anytime we dig into the ground, and construction projects may include work on the infrastructure (e.g., water, drainage and sewer pipes, traffic signal wires) that we have underground.

As a reminder, under the original Ordinance passed in 2019, we must construct separated bike lanes when streets in the “Greater Separation” category of the Bicycle Network Vision are reconstructed as a part of the City’s Five-Year Plan for Streets and Sidewalks.


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Current Projects

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Designing

We are currently designing and looking for public input on several Cycling Safety Ordinance related projects. Please see the individual project pages for details. 

Project Name

Street

From/To

Category 

Project Type

Mileage*

Timeline (estimate)

Harvard Square Bus Stops Massachusetts Avenue Plympton Street to Garden Street  MassAve4 Construction 0.17 miles

Design: 2022 to 2023

Construction: Begins 2024 

Main Street Safety Improvement Project Main Street Massachusetts Avenue to Portland Street Other Locations Quick-build 0.60 miles

Design/Engagement: Began Spring 2023

Installation: Expected 2025

Massachusetts Avenue Partial Construction Project Massachusetts Avenue Waterhouse Street to Alewife Brook Parkway MassAve4 Partial construction/ Partial quick-build 1.10 miles

Design/Engagement: 2023

Construction: 2024 to 2026

Safety Improvement Project on Cambridge Street
Cambridge Street Oak Street to Second Street Special 4 Quick-build 2.11 miles

Design/Engagement Began November 2023

Installation: Expected 2025

*New separated bike lane mileage

Under Construction

Project Name

Street

From/To

Category

Project Type

Mileage*

Timeline (estimate)

Huron Avenue and Cushing Plaza Improvements Project Huron Avenue Glacken Field to Fresh Pond Parkway Other Locations Construction 1.06 miles

Design complete

Construction: Complete in 2024

River Street Reconstruction Project River Street Memorial Drive to Massachusetts Avenue Other Locations Construction 0.68 miles

Design complete

Construction: 2022 to 2025

*New separated bike lane mileage

Future Projects

Projects listed in this table are planned, but we haven't started the community engagement/design process. 

Project Name

Street

From/To

Category

Project Type

Mileage*

Timeline (estimate)

Future Unnamed Projects

Other Locations Outlined in the Cycling Safety Ordinance:
  • All of Massachusetts Avenue
  • Broadway from Quincy Street to Hampshire Street
  • Other unidentified locations from the Bicycle Network Vision
        Learn more on the Requirements and Timelines page.

*New separated bike lane mileage

 

Past Projects

Year 4 Projects: 4.25 miles

We completed projects listed in this table on or between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 3024. See "Current Projects" above for more information on projects that have not been completed.

Fourth Annual Cycling Safety Ordinance Progress Report Coming Soon.

Category Street From/To Direction(s) Mileage   Status
Other Locations Brattle Street Sparks Street to Mt. Auburn Street (Phase 2) Both  1.65 miles Brattle Street Safety Improvement Project Phase 2 Complete
Other Locations Cambridge Park Drive Mid-150 Cambridge Park Dr to 50 Cambridge Park Dr   eastbound  .11 miles Constructed as part of a private development project 
Other Locations Mt Auburn Street  Aberdeen Ave to Homer Ave  Both .23 miles  The Mt. Auburn Street at Aberdeen Avenue Intersection Safety Improvement Project included a short section of separated bike lanes. 
Other Locations North First Street Jacobs Street to Cambridge Street Both  .30 miles Divco West, the developer of Cambridge Crossing, is reconstructing part of O'Brien Highway and some nearby streets. This includes separated bike lanes on North First Street.
Other Locations Third Street Broad Canal Way to Broadway southbound .05 miles Northbound lane installed in 2018. southbound quick-build lane added in Year 4.
Special 4 Broadway Portland Street to Hampshire Street Both .11 miles This segment was part of the Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project, completed in fall 2023.
Special 4 Hampshire Street 208 Hampshire Street to Broadway Both 1.45 miles Hampshire Street Safety Improvement Project completed in fall 2023

Year 3 Projects: 3.67 miles

We completed projects listed in this table on or between May 1, 2022, and April 30, 2023. See "Current Projects" above for more information on projects that have not been completed.

Click here for the Third Annual Cycling Safety Ordinance Progress Report.

Category Street From/To Direction(s) Mileage Status
Rest of Mass Ave Massachusetts Ave Roseland Street to Beech Street both 0.53 miles Porter Square Safety Improvement Project Complete
Massachusetts Ave Memorial Drive to 77 Mass Ave (South Mass Ave) northbound 0.12 miles

South Massachusetts Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements Project Complete

Massachusetts Ave 33 Mass Ave to Memorial Drive (South Mass Ave) northbound 0.03 miles

South Massachusetts Avenue Corridor Safety Improvements Project Complete

Special 4 Cambridge Street Oak Street to Prospect Street eastbound 0.08 miles

Inman Square Intersection Improvements Project Complete

Garden Street Mason Street to Huron Avenue both 1.17 miles

Garden Street Safety Improvement Project Complete

Other Locations Brattle Street Mason Street to Sparks Street (Phase 1) both 0.65 miles

Brattle Street Safety Improvement Project Phase 1 Complete

Other Locations Huron Avenue Glacken Field to Fresh Pond Parkway both 1.09 miles Huron Avenue and Cushing Plaza Improvements Project construction started

Year 2 Projects: 2.15 miles

We completed or began construction on projects listed in this table on or between May 1, 2021, and April 30, 2022. The information in the “Status” column reflects the current status of the project.

Click here to read Second Annual Cycling Safety Ordinance Progress Report.

Category Street From/To Direction(s) Mileage Status
Rest of Mass Ave Massachusetts Ave Church St to JFK St southbound 0.08 miles Capital project. Construction has begun on the Harvard Square Kiosk and Plaza Project.
Massachusetts Ave Dudley St to Alewife Brooke Parkway both 0.91 miles

Mass Ave - Dudley Street to Alewife Brook Parkway Project Complete

Massachusetts Ave Cambridge St to Waterhouse St northbound 0.06 miles Complete
Massachusetts Ave Plympton St to Bow St northbound 0.06 miles Complete
Massachusetts Ave Trowbridge St to Pleasant St both 0.92 miles

Mid-Mass Ave Safey Improvement Project Complete

Other Locations Somerville Ave White St to City Line both 0.12 miles

Somerville Ave Separated Bike Lane Installation Complete

Year 1 Projects: 4.19 miles

We completed or began construction on projects listed in this table on or between May 1, 2020, and April 30, 2021. The information in the “Status” column reflects the current status of the project.

Click here to read the First Annual Cycling Safety Ordinance Progress Report

Category Street From/To Direction(s) Mileage Status
Rest of Mass Ave Massachusetts Ave Garden St to Peabody St southbound 0.08 miles Complete
Massachusetts Ave Peabody St to JFK St northbound 0.05 miles Complete
Massachusetts Ave and Peabody St Church St to Dunster St northbound 0.08 miles Complete
Other Locations Ames St Main St to Memorial Dr both 0.49 miles Complete
Binney St Grand Junction Railroad to Galilei Way both 0.15 miles Under construction
Cambridge St Fayette St to Oak St both 0.25 miles Complete, Inman Square Project
DeWolfe St Mill St to Memorial Dr both 0.13 miles Complete
Galilei Way and Binney St Broadway to Sixth St both 0.49 miles Complete
Hampshire St City Line to 208 Hampshire St both 0.28 miles Complete, Inman Square Project
Monsignor O'Brien Hwy Third St to Land Blvd both 0.79 miles Complete
Mt Auburn St Eliot St to Holyoke St eastbound 0.16 miles Complete
Mt Auburn St 52 Mt Auburn St to Plympton St eastbound 0.02 miles Complete
Mt Auburn St 45 Mt Auburn St to Banks St eastbound 0.11 miles Complete
Quincy St Cambridge St to Broadway both 0.10 miles

Quincy Street/DeWolfe Street Bike Path Complete

Quincy St, Bow St, and DeWolfe St Broadway to Mill St northbound 0.41 miles

Quincy Street/DeWolfe Street Bike Path Complete

Vassar St Main St to 15 Vassar St both 0.12 miles Complete
Webster Ave City Line to Cambridge St both 0.20 miles

Webster Ave Separated Bike Lane Installation Complete

Completed Before the Ordinance Took Effect

This table only provides details about street segments that are specifically called out in the Ordinance, this is not a comprehensive list of separated bike facilities in Cambridge.

Category Street From/To Direction(s)
MassAve4 Massachusetts Ave Everett St to Waterhouse St northbound
Rest of Mass Ave Massachusetts Ave Waterhouse St to Cambridge St southbound
Massachusetts Ave Cambridge St to Garden St southbound
Massachusetts Ave Bow St to Trowbridge St northbound
Massachusetts Ave Douglass St to Sidney St northbound
Massachusetts Ave Sidney St to 125 Massachusetts Ave both
Massachusetts Ave 125 Massachusetts Ave to Amherst St southbound
Massachusetts Ave Amherst St to 33 Massachusetts Ave both
Massachusetts Ave 33 Massachusetts Ave to Memorial Dr southbound
Page was posted on 5/28/2021 3:00 PM
Page was last modified on 8/8/2024 11:34 AM
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