Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby cites statistics showing a drop in bike commuting in his latest column.
Considering the billions of dollars that federal, state, and local governments have poured into bicycle infrastructure over the past decade, the steady drop in cycling amounts to a sharp vote of no confidence in bicycles as the much-touted wave of transportation’s future. So maybe it’s time for public officials and policy makers to turn their backs on the militant, self-righteous bike lobby and its fantasy of a world in which drivers defer to cyclists as the rightful kings of the road. Bicycles — nimble, healthful, nonpolluting, cheap — have many advantages. But they don’t belong in crowded urban traffic.
At Tuesday night’s Newtonville Area Council public meeting at Druker Hall many people spoke about the bicycle issue.
One young woman stressed the need for safe bike routes within
Newton, especially for non drivers like students.
I believe we need safe bike modes of transportation.
However, I think travel to the downtown area should be encouraged along the Charles.
Ugh. I never thought I’d be agreeing with him!
But agree I must.
According to Jeff Jacoby, a “steady drop” is cherry picking short term changes in a handful of cities. From his own source, he would probably prefer that everyone ignores:
*43% growth Nationwide, 2000-2017
*31% growth in Massachusetts, 2000-2017
*145.4%, 76.7%, 24% growth in Boston, 1990, 2006, 2011-2017
* 9% of commuters bike in Somerville in 2017
* 8.2% of commutters bike in Cambridge in 2017
This is the proof that bike infastructure works, not the opposite.
Implication may be that holding empty bike lanes or plans for new and safer ones is unjustified. But, we need to get many more adults onto push bikes and ebikes and not only because USA has by far highest per person average carbon dioxide pollution. Nope. Medicare spent (Kaiser Family Foundation source) over 702 billion in 2017, up from 425 billion in 2007. Go pop your eyes out to see Medicaid spending! Twelve % of population is 65 or over now and will double by 2030 when quarter of population is expected to be 65 or over…And it’s not only seniors require more spending. No! The back of Health care system is breaking now under loads of the sick from all age groups.
Physical inactivity is destroying our ability to protect our own health ourselves and to care for each other. The ebikes were sent to save civilization – if we save room on the roadways. I for one would gladly volunteer to show how easily ebikes or any push bikes can be used as comfortable to use as walking.
If you check the referenced Bike League reference, you can see that Cambridge and Somerville are both in the top 10 cities for percentage of commuters riding bikes (9% and 8.2%, respectively).
Both cities increased more than two percentage points from 2016 to 2017, and have seen huge increases in the last decade.
And both cities have been far more aggressive than Boston in building both bicycle facilities and traffic calmed streets.
And what would Mr. Jacoby say about traffic calming and complete streets projects that benefit pedestrians? Boston has 13% pedestrian commuter share. Cambridge has 26%. Or what about transit? Boston has 34% transit commuter share. Does the investment in transit reflect that share?
Or what about non-commuter bicycling? Does that matter? Or hot summers, that might make riding in 2017 less appealing somewhere? Or a construction project that makes a particular route less appealing?
Seems like an “all of the above” approach of things that work to get more people safely to where they need to go is still the best policy, with bonus points for reducing the impact on the environment.
Picture worth a look. See figure 2.
https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/the-facts-on-medicare-spending-and-financing/
Over trillion USD in 2017 federal spending on Medicare Medicaid CHIP health costs! Add to that spending by everyone else on rising health related costs! We are not keeping civilization many more years if we’re not keeping physical activity! Happy to work with anyone on fixing this by walking movement on foot, standing, or in a seat (requires torso muscle control). Biking again is where that can take us.
“…billions of dollars that federal, state, and local governments have poured into bicycle infrastructure over the past decade…”
Now I see why all the dangerous bike lanes recently have been painted, relocated, repainted all over Newton (i.e., between same direction auto lanes, supplanting auto right turning lanes leaving utter confusion as to their use by cars, along Comm Ave instead of bikers using the Carriage Lane, etc. etc.): federal and state grants (funds gratuitously received by Newton — spent or forfeited).
Reminds me of the grant received by Newton for the wasteful, unused Nexus Bus Service a number of years back — terminated after several years when its folly was foisted back to Newton for payment.
Cherry-picking indeed. Jacoby is hardly objective on this issue. He has had a stated bias against cyclists for quite a while. And no, I can’t think of any federal or state grants spent by Newton to build bicycle infrastructure on Newton roads recently, but I’d love to hear of some. And for anyone who is utterly confused: cars aren’t allowed in bike lanes. It’s pretty simple, and it’s all in the driving manual, for anyone who needs a refresher.
@Adam: I’m not agreeing with Jacoby but I can say that a lot of the road improvements around here depend on state/federal taxes that derive from the gas tax. In particular the Needham Street/Highland Ave. project, which as you know will include protected bike lanes (something I’m personally looking forward to using) and is set to begin this year is a state project with federal highway dollars.
Adam, first of all, I specifically asked Newton traffic dept. about the confusion entailed, for instance, for northbound to eastbound right turn at the intersection of Walnut St. and Comm Ave., where there is a bike lane and no right turn marked auto lane. I’ve seen many times autos going in to the right side bike lane waiting or for turning right. (There used to be a right turn car lane, replaced by the bike lane.) The said cars often go into the right side bike lane leading to the right turn, and Newton told me that is not enforced because it is confusing. By the same token I see where cars making right turns (for instance at southbound Walnut St. making right turn to Duncklee St.) from the auto lane (keeping out of the southbound bike lane) of course until needing to cross the bike lane to make right turns — and unseen to the right are bikes and even motorized bikes continuing south in the bike lane not seeing that the car intends to turn right (across the bike lane) . On several occasions I’ve seen near-miss what would have been tragic accidents — all because of the painted bike lane. So, it would have been far safer for the car to get into/over the bike lane before making the right turn rather than simply crossing the bike lane from the driving lane.
Frankly, it was better and safer BEFORE the bike lanes were painted, where bike riders used common sense to be defensive of cars and avoid accidents — rather than bike riders simply deferring to and relying on the painted bike lanes, while at the same time leaving confusing situations for car drives, and of course, restricting/funneling cars into narrower or less lanes — making more congested and slower traffic.
Regarding the grants, Newton would not have painted the bike lanes without special funding (or grants) from state (sometimes receiving funding (or grants) from feds).
If biking was down in New England in 2018 one reason is because of the absolutely atrocious weather from July through about November. We had mushrooms coming out of our ears, and plants moldering in the garden from the relentless rain-humid-rain-humid-rain patterns. Maybe Jeff Jacoby should read his own newspaper… they covered it…
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/11/29/yes-this-year-weather-has-been-particularly-awful-new-england/EQHE63XdOGFlUcllA460sN/story.html
Many parts of Europe have it figured out: separate the bike paths from the roads.
At any rate, now that we have done more to welcome bikes to our roads, I wish that all cyclists would follow the law. I see many cyclists running red lights or riding three abreast. Where there is no bike lane I sometimes see a bike squeeze between lanes of stopped traffic. I see cyclists who don’t signal their turns. All of this is dangerous for the cyclist. If, God forbid, a cyclist causes a collision, I would feel equally bad for the driver of the vehicle they collide with. Police should vigorously ticket bicycle violations, just as they do (or should) with motor vehicles. I haven’t seen that in Newton; has anybody else?
I’ve never seen it, Michael. And I agree with you. Just the other day, a cyclist blew through straight through a red light when pedestrians (including myself) were crossing in a crosswalk with the walk light lit up. It was a pretty close call. I think that type of behavior is really why people get hostile towards cyclists and come across as anti-bike. I’m a sometime cyclist (albeit a very nervous and timid one) and I’m sure I come across as anti-bike, but I’m really not.
While I don’t agree with JJ’s column, I’m a bit put off by the recent pressure to bike, and very put off by the reference to Medicare. I’m about to get into my car and walk several miles on a treadmill in an environment that’s safe and one that my doctor encourages.
The city and state should make biking as safe and accessible as possible for those who choose it as a means of transportation and for those who would like to try it.
During the past 18 months or so, I’ve come dangerously close to clobbering three bikers who ran red lights after I had received a green light to go from the other roadway. Fortunately for them, I usually wait a few seconds before moving out at a green light, so I spotted all three just in time.
That said, I believe the overwhelming majority of bikers and motorists in Newton try to do the right thing by each other. I sense much more fear and trepidation than anger when the two come into close contact with each other in large measure because the presence of so many adult bikers on the roads here is a rather recent development. Not many adults rode bikes in Newton when I grew up here in the 40s and 50s, but motorists were almost universally cautious and observant because it was most often their kids who were riding bikes here.
I’m 82 and no longer feel safe riding a bicycle on the streets here, but I’m tickled pink that many others are getting such a kick out of doing it. This summer’s “Tour D’ Newton” very impressive grande finale at City Hall wouldn’t have been possible even a decade ago. I can’t believe we can’t find some common ground to sort through safe options that are amenable to both bikers and motorists.
One option that should be looked at is to identify supplementary cross town routes by connecting a lot of secondary roadways and streets away from the heaviest traveled roadways. Not everyone wants to tackle these major roadways. I know I wouldn’t if I was still riding a bike here. We identified several of these when we were kids and I rode a few of them 10 or so years back. The Mass Pike has cut through several of them, but there are safe ways to still connect them. A far bigger problem is the condition of many of the roadways in Newton. They were in far, far better shape 50 to 70 years ago. That’s just a fact.
This may not belong on this tread but…
Who was the contractor that painted the lines (including the bike lane) on the newly paved Waltham Street. Several weeks later they had to do it over because it was done wrong. The street painting plans were stated months before the line painting was done (here and on other sites). Someone needs to be accountable. It is now a mess!
The City also missed the perfect opportunity take this bike lane all the way to Washington Street. The street is definitely wide enough.
The City needs to get its’ act together regarding bike lanes. They seem to appear/disappear, even on the same roads. There are numerous designated bike lanes that merge into shared auto/bike lane and vice verse. Not very safe. Finally if there is designated bike lane on the street it needs to be kept free of debris.
Lets not designate bike lanes as a feel good measure. Make sure they are well thought out, functional, safe and maintained.
I’m sorry a reference to Medicare related Federal spending would put off anyone. I hope this program will always be funded in full measure needed. What physical activity generally and bicycling in particular has to do with increasing Medical costs is indicated in this nifty graphic.
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/01/30/weekinreview/30marsh.html?re
The sudden and sustained increase shown for obesity from ~1980 onward has contributed to the rapid rise in Medicare related costs over past decade. Why? We now know adult lifestyle and adult weight stability over middle of life are very important to health after 50.
Bikes are far more than just transportation options. Many top tier medical institutions and public health researchers have emphasized bikes are a great option for busy adults to get required daily exercise. Also, Science with near unanimity urgently cautions we lower dramatically our greenhouse gas pollutants now! Bikes are the best zero-emissions solution for busy individuals to avoid fossil fuel transportation.
The contractor on Waltham screwed up the paint, and has messed up the paint in other locations as well. Turns out there are only a couple of companies that do pavement markings, and the other company “doesn’t return Newton’s calls”. The contractor did fix the lines as well as possible.
The only answer is more diligence from the City, almost literally hand-holding the contractor when they are out at 2AM painting the lines. City staff is now attempting to do just that, I’ve been told.
Paving and re-striping from Waltham/Crafts to Watertown will be done in the spring.
Bad situation? Sure. But I also understand the limited leverage Newton has, and appreciate they are adjusting to fix the problem rather than just leaving things half-baked.
This column is pretty laughable, and it’s no surprise coming from the Globe’s resident right wing columnist. Cherry picking is the key phrase here. And lets not forget that not everyone commutes from Cambridge to Somerville and back. How many more bike commuters would we have if we had a truly regional network of protected bike lanes?
But more importantly, biking isn’t just about commuting. I envy people who are able to bike to work every day, but that’s not for everybody. However, biking to do light shopping and to socialize in the village center CAN and should be for a larger portion of the population.
This is important for traffic levels, traffic safety AND for the environment. We can’t get serious about addressing climate change without at least grabbing the low hanging fruit, making it much easier to do your everyday business (for those able to walk and bike) in your local village through a combination of walking and biking.
It won’t work for everyone, but it will work for a lot of people, and people love it when they start doing it.
If the city wants to get serious about biking, they need to put these all over the village centers:
https://goo.gl/images/eciTwN
Lots to unpack here. I don’t usually agree with Jacoby, and I think he is seeing what he wants to see here. Which is his right. But it’s clear that plenty of people do bike to work, and many more will in the future for all of the reasons cited here.
That said, cycling is a challenge here, for many reasons. We have an antiquated transportation system that can’t really handle cars, let alone cars and bikes; lengthening commutes; a climate that realistically limits widespread cycling to a few months of the year; media reports that discuss cycling mostly in the horrible context of those who are killed and injured by collisions; lack of proper infrastructure; aggressive drivers, and increasingly, distracted drivers; and those cyclists themselves who lack courtesy and flout the very traffic laws they are technically required to follow (they do exist). I admire those who ride despite all of these conditions. And things are improving. But it’s unrealistic to expect most people to ride for anything other than recreation.
Riding year round happens in countries like Copenhagen. Check the weather. It is very much like Boston. And in the winter it is dark on the way to and from work. The difference is they have protected bike lanes making it feel nicer and safer. They also have bikes that are more suitable to urban cycling. Easy on, off. Easy to lock. Also people biking have lots of company. This people include young children biking to school, families biking to parks, seniors pedaling to cafes, people in wheelchairs and adaptive bikes.
As for Jeff Jacoby’s article, it is just wrong. Let’s stop obsessing about it and get back to the need to create safe, low stress lanes than enable people of all abilities to be actively mobile.
@Jim, if I’m not mistaken, the bike lane approaching Comm Ave turns into a broken white line which cars are free to cross with care and make the right turn. Because cars move faster than bikes, drivers are expected to know if there’s a bike in the lane. They’re also expected to look before making the turn. So called “right hooks” are a real problem though.
@Greg, I think the override has paid for most of the asphalt and paint that went down this year. I don’t know how much state or federal money goes into city-owned roads, but I don’t think any of that money was earmarked for bicycle infrastructure we have today in Newton (read: paint and one bike signal). There is, however, a mandate for bicycle infrastructure on state roads that may have encouraged the partial bike lanes on Walnut Street — Jim, maybe that’s what you’re referring to? — and now that MassDOT has been reminded, will apply to Needham Street also. I hope the separated Needham Street bike lanes will impress even the skeptics. Plus, a bicycle might be the only way to get around given traffic projections.
I’d love to bike my child to school in a carriage on my bike.
However, as other readers pointed out, there are no protected bike lanes from my Newton Center to a Newton Corner commute. And I count myself as an experienced bike commuter who has ridden from Malden to Cambridge and Allston to Cambridge many times to/from work. I have no qualms whatsoever taking the full lane in traffic so as to not get side swiped by passing vehicles (also obeying all traffic laws).
However it’s too risky risking my life or my child’s on the lanes as they are now.
I don’t agree with the column. Bike share programs like Lime and Blue Bike demonstrate that there is demand and interest in getting around by bike.
Personally, I bike everywhere, including to Boston every day and back for my commute. If I could suggest two improvements to those who design streets, they would be:
Put up a lot more of those plastic post thingys to separate car traffic from the side of the road. Anywhere a bike lane is painted, also place those plastic posts on the painted line. This is an effective way to separate cars from drivers because it prevents a car from traveling any distance in the bike lane. Otherwise, plenty of drivers just drive in the bike lane. Like on Beacon Street. All the time. Why not also put up these posts on painted road shoulder lines too – again so cars can’t actually drive any distance on the side of the road.
Secondly, as Bob said, why not take a bunch of side streets and paint them green to create an alternate network of “main roads” for bikes. When I ride to Newton Corner from Homer Street, I never go on Centre or Walnut Streets. Too dangerous. I go on Cedar to Blake, to East Side Pkwy to Lewis Terris, etc. Back streets – only a little bit longer, way safer.
Thanks for posting a bike news item.
That brings up an interesting question- what is the status of the lime bikes program? I see them around, but only once have I seen someone riding…of course, it is winter right now…is there any data available?
The comments about cyclists breaking the law in how they ride crack me up. During one bike commute last week, in a span of less than a mile, I saw one car crossing the double yellow line to move around a line of traffic and get into a left turn lane, and two more cars go straight on Walnut Street at Comm Ave. when the light only allowed for a left turn. I’ve seen drivers speeding, texting, driving in bike lanes, etc.
Then there was the guy who was doored on Walnut Street earlier this academic year when a student opened her passenger door without looking while her father sat at a traffic light in front of Newton North, knocking the poor guy over. I guess all drivers are horrible then, too.
Do we need more education for cyclists about how to ride safely on the roads? Yes we do. But do we also need more education for drivers? Maybe 5-year written and/ or driving tests to update our skills? Yes. And that will likely save even more lives.
As for Jacoby, it’s worth reading this to understand how badly he cherry picks data: https://bostoncyclistsunion.org/bike-lane-fever-isnt-breaking-despite-globe-columnists-claims
That’s great Chuck, let’s talk about real life events.
Devastating warnings camel this week from top tier Science journal and NASA on the unexpected terrifying accelerating heating of oceans and destabilizing East Antarctica glaciers moored in seawater. We’re sacrificing our families and building a world for automobiles . Driverless ones even. Soulless.
And do Newton residents have family members friends, others who matter that are living in mega- cities around the world? Some of which already are experiencing devastating heat waves and in part are expected under current global warming predictions to be too hot for most inhabitants to live in by mid Century.
Believe in eternity but recognize that every minute spent with those you love is all you got to keep. To get more and allow those we love to, as well, we should get bicycles. Ride bicycles. And stay out of the bikelanes that are going to be built soon. God we pray
Chuck, you don’t get to be this smug when you have admitted to running red lights on your bike.
I have always wanted to bike or run to work, but it’s unrealistic as I get too sweaty and there are no showers at my workplace. Different problem than bike lanes, but a reason why I drive.
Smug? Not at all. I don’t “run red lights.” But there are times when I move ahead of traffic.
Here’s an example of why I do that. Let’s look at the corner of Homer and Walnut, adjacent to the Library. When I’m heading south I lose the bike lane and then move into much narrower spot where they are sharrows that allow me, legally, to take the whole lane. I tend to move to the right until I get the lane back a half-a-block later.
One day I wanted to try an experiment and rode in the middle of the lane, per my right, to see what cars would do. Several of them (at least 4) sped up to get around me. I caught them all at the next traffic light, so nothing gained on their part, but they put me at risk to take that move. I was fully legal and was about to move over into a lane.
So, why do I move ahead? So they can see me, otherwise we are aiming of the same narrow stretch of asphalt and it would put me at risk.
@newtonrunner – maybe there is a cheap healthclub nearby? That is what I do – am a member just to park the bike, shower, and store the stuff for the day.
@chucktanowitz – I do the same thing re moving ahead of traffic through the red light (different than bombing through it) for the exact same reason.
1. Re the professed environmental/global warming concerns, how many (what %) of the bike devotees own large (or larger than smaller cars) SUV’s? (Need I say more?)
2. The above comments seem to confirm, bikes and cars etc. just don’t safely mix. Drivers (and bike riders) are just not gonna change. The road and built environment in the Boston area only makes matters worse. That’s not to say, don’t ride your bike, just do so with awareness of the significant risks.
@shawn fitzgibbons – no health club near my work, cheap or otherwise, I had thought of that as well.
Jim writes
No idea, but cyclists put at least a little less mileage on their vehicles, and they ought to be better drivers.
I would say a more productive way of looking at this and pretty much everything else that goes happens on our roads is that drivers (and bike riders) will act in their own interest. Change the roadway and you alter their behavior.
Adam,
1. I’m aware of course, that cyclists reduce motor vehicular mileage. My point is that if bike riders are TRULY SUFFICIENTLY concerned about environmental/global warming vis a vis transportation, they would not opt regularly to drive SUV’s in their off-bike travel when there are environmentally saving (smaller car) motor vehicle alternatives.
2. Certainly roadways CAN be modified in this area’s hostile-to-bike-riders built environment. The point is, at what cost. A cost-benefit analysis (number of bike riders vs. motor vehicles, massive cost to alter roads coupled with impeding traffic flow, etc.) needs to be made; and I doubt such analysis would ever afford sufficient changes truly to make bike riding substantially safer.
And finally, I didn’t convey, don’t ride your bike, just do so with awareness of the significant risks.