CAMBRIDGE, MA - Almost a month after protected bike lanes were installed on Cambridge Street and Brattle Street in Harvard Square, Cambridge officials said they will now begin to collect new data along the roadway, including crash data. In late August, the City finished the long process of planning for and installing the separated bike lanes. But, even after its installation, the new lanes are sparking debate and this week, Director of Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Joseph Barr said his departments would be collecting negative feedback as well.

"We will be collecting a range of data, including counts of motor vehicles, pedestrians, and bikes, as well as motor vehicle speeds and bus ridership. We will also keep an eye on crash data, but it can be difficult to see trends in crashes until we have multiple years of data. We are also tracking the positive and negative comments we receive, along with other feedback," he said. "We are also continuing to make tweaks to the design, including looking for additional opportunities to install metered parking on side streets to support the local businesses." (Subscribe to Cambridge Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.)



The term "separated bike lane" is used to refer to bicycle facilities that follow street alignments with a physical separation between the bicycle travel area and the motor vehicle travel area, often through barriers or grade separation. In Cambridge the final street design includes two travel lanes, one parking lane, and two separated bicycle lanes. Since the completion of the new bike lanes, several stakeholders including residents, business owners and councilors have voiced concerns and complaints, many focusing on a lack of commmunity input and loss of parking. At Monday's Cambridge City Council meeting, both Mayor E. Denise Simmons and City Manager Louis A. DePasquale apologized for the quick rollout of a new mile and a half of bike lane in under a year.

"But we will continue to work with them and we will get this done better. We will get it right," DePasquale said. Barr said this week implementation of these types of projects does require a period of adjustment as all users adjust to the new configuration and the operating environment of the street.

"As a result, we hope that all street users will be patient through this adjustment period, as these types of facilities have generally worked well in other locations," he said. "We are committed to working with the local communities (particularly local businesses) to make adjustments to the layouts on the street to try to address their concerns and issues.

Looking at the feedback the Transportation Dept. has received, he said, there is a clear majority who are supportive of the project, as compared to those who are concerned or opposed.

Among those vocally supporting the project is Cambridge Bike Safety organization founder Nathanel Filmore. "I think people quickly forget that we had two people die last year while biking in Cambridge," he said. "This year, we've had a pedestrian killed. All of these new pushes for bike safety come from a push not long ago from residents who wanted safer streets."