Just in time for spring, Bike Newton has released what it’s calling the first-ever Newton Bike Map created to help bicyclists navigate in the city by outlining routes appropriate for various levels of bicycling skill.
The map shows off-road paths (some near, but not in, Newton), as well as thecity’s two bike lanes. It rates suitability of each route with green (easy), blue (intermediate) and red (advanced) lines. It indicates both dangerous and safe intersections, rail and T stops, and other popular destinations like the library, grocery stores and farmers markets (Bike Newton volunteers provide free valet parking at the Tuesday Cold Spring market). The map also lists all the bike shops in Newton, bicycle advocacy groups, and tips for safe cycling in traffic.
You can see a PDF of the map here.
The Bike Map is available directly from Bike Newton: [email protected] and at bicycle stores across the city. It will given away at upcoming city events during May.
My only critique, and it is a significant criticism, is that the map implies that contraflow bike travel is permitted on the Carriage Lane. It is not. As a one-way, westbound only route bike travel is only legal heading westbound. I’ve recently experienced two very scary close encounters with bikes heading the wrong way, once as a pedestrian and the other as a driver. I am a big believer in sharing the roads but I also believe that bicyclists must take responsibility for obeying the rules of the road as well.