Are You a Boston Biker? What’s your take on this?

“Vehicular Cycling” was once a term embraced by the city bicyclist. It was a practical approach to biking in cities – “drive” your bike as if it were a vehicle, claim your space, signal your turns, ride with traffic.

Those who have ever attempted to commute via bicycle in Boston, “claiming your space” can be a near death experience. Bicycling Magazine continuously rates Boston as one of the worst cities for cyclists. Pothole infested streets, merging traffic at every turn and limited bike lanes has caused Boston bikers to perpetually consider themselves second-class citizens. I commuted by bike for three years living in Boston and I fear the day of ever having to return without a car.

Luckily though, gone are the days when bicyclists have to form mobs in order to gain respect as city commuters. Studies prove bike lanes boost bicycle use, decrease car-bike collisions and reduce vehicle traffic and speeding. Anyone who’s ever biked on Boylston Street can vouch that bike lanes would immensely decrease numerous near misses between two wheelers and giant vehicles.

In the past, bikes were transportation for messengers, car haters, cash-poor students and eco-activists. Yet the transformation of more bicyclists trying to save cash or save the planet is catching fire.

Before 2008, only a few bike lanes existed in Metro Boston. However Mayor Thomas Menino announced his initiative in ‘08 to improve the infrastructure of Boston, promoting his program “to make Boston a world-class bicycling city.”

“If we put more people on bikes, we’ll have less congestion,” Menino said.

His announcement of Boston’s third and fourth bike lanes are part of the Comm Ave. rebuild project. As the major stretch connecting Boston University and downtown Boston, Comm Ave’s bike lanes are more than just a small improvement. The biker subculture of Boston has been waiting years for city officials to take action and times are finally a’changin.

Across the country, advocacy success stories are emerging. Groups are initiating change in city development to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists more and more. “Complete Streets,” advocacy in cities such as Portland, New York, San Francisco and Chicago are clearly demonstrating the rewards of infrastructural improvements. These city’s bike groups have pushed officials to enhance the urban environment for a friendlier system of bike travel.

MassBike, Boston’s non-profit advocacy organization recently helped pass the city’s new bicycle law which ensures safer signaling, fines for car owners who open doors into bike traffic, and motorists who are now liable for hitting bicyclists riding to the right, jus to name a few. With the shear size of Massbike and its overwhelming number of outdoor, eco-friendly enthusiast members, the organization is using its collective power to induce change.

Massbike still has a laundry list of grievances with city planners as their fight continues. When the city removed almost 160 parking meters on Newbury Street, replacing them with 23 boxy, computerized meters, cyclists were left without locking posts. Though it’s illegal to lock bikes on anything but bike racks in Boston, meters bent the rule. Complaints are everywhere about the lack of alternative parking sources. And though the city claims to have installed 350 bike racks across Boston, “across Boston” is not Newbury street, one of Boston’s busiest through-ways for bikes.

“They don’t involve transportation planners that think beyond the car,” said Andrew Fischer, a member of the MassBike advisory board.

The city’s Transportation Department continues to deal with bicyclist complaints and Massbike it not easing up. If the growing popularity of biking increases, it will become a battle of numbers and the city will be lacking in theirs.

Related posts:

1. MassBike Changes Law – Have You Helped Change One?
2. Boston Bike-Share Program 2010 Eliminates 750 Tons of Greenhouse Gas
3. Biking P.R.
4. Boston Streets Shaded Green by Stimulus Package
5. Boston University Students Build Bike Share Program