On April 29th, after a 7-hour meeting consisting of heated debate, the Cambridge City Council finally voted on a proposed plan to delay the construction of separated bike lanes on Main Street, Cambridge Street, and Broadway. The vote came down to Councilor Patty Nolan, who voted in favor of the plan; this put the final numbers at 5 for and 4 against, officially delaying the construction.
For the many CRLS students who commute to school via Cambridge Street, Main Street, or Broadway, the bike lanes would significantly increase the safety of biking to school. However, these changes will be put on halt until November 2027, when the separated bike lanes will now be installed.
The proposal stirred unrest for Cambridge residents. 252 people spoke against it during the meeting, while another 10 spoke for it. Aside from those who attended the meeting in person, the Council also received 1,000 emails from members of the public expressing their opposition to the proposal.
In the original timeline, the construction would have finished in May 2026; the 15-month delay to November 2027 has many residents worried that avoidable injuries, and even deaths could occur in that extra time. On Cambridge Street alone, there have been 65 crashes between bicycles and cars since 2021, according to Cambridge resident Austin Ledzian.
Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, who voted against the decision, told The Harvard Crimson, “I know [the delay is] going to lead to more stories like mine and the folks in public comment: more lost teeth, more broken bones, more ambulance rides, more potential fatalities.”
One of the groups most heavily involved in bike safety advocacy, Cambridge Bike Safety, outlines the benefits of creating separated bike lanes. For one, the organization estimates that separated bike lanes prevent 40% of crashes from occurring. Furthermore, creating safer bike lanes will encourage people for whom safety is an issue to bike more.
Cambridge already stands as the city with the second highest rate of bike commuting on the East Coast, behind only Somerville. Nevertheless, for organizations such as Cambridge Bike Safety, there are only benefits to raising that number.
Many individuals also have their reasons for opposing the delay. Austin Ledzina, a Cambridge resident, told The Harvard Crimson, “If the bike lanes are delayed, there’s a nonzero chance that one of us is going to be hit by a car and killed.” He highlighted the significance of the Council’s decision, adding, “It will not be the biker’s fault or the driver’s fault, but it will be the fault of inadequate infrastructure.”
Despite the many opposers of the proposal, Councillor Nolan held strong with her opinion, delivering a long statement to back up her vote. Speaking to The Cambridge Day, she highlighted that, “We should take the time to do it better for the East side,” referring to the subpar separated bike lane installations in West Cambridge. She further commented that it was not an easy vote, but one she feels is in the best interest of Cambridge’s future.
