The new bicycle lanes on Cambridge Street are a big middle-finger salute to those of us who live and work in the vicinity of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Having lived on Irving Terrace for 40 years, and as a driver with a handicap placard, my wife and I have never had a harder time parking than after school started on Sept. 5 with the loss of many parking spots (including handicap spots) from Quincy Street eastward on Cambridge Street.

In addition, the-middle-of-the-street-parking causes anyone getting into a car as a driver to open his/her door into the narrowed vehicular traffic lanes that are left by the new configuration. Consider also the fact that Cambridge Street is also a main route to the Cambridge Hospital and by restricting traffic, you have left no room for vehicles to pull over when an ambulance/police car/fire engine has to get there in a hurry. You have made a bad situation worse and more dangerous.

We are taxpayers (including excise taxes) and we deserve more consideration. As you undoubtedly know, many of the other residents and small business owners in the area are strongly opposed to this new scheme. It would have been nice to have been notified in writing with regards to hearings related to this matter beforehand. Likewise, a notification in writing of evaluation meetings/hearings about this new traffic patterns would be welcomed.

-- Paul M. Bloom, Irving Terrace