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(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)
By Jack Connolly
Jackconnolly422@gmail.com
You may have missed it: On September 22, 2022, the Somerville Traffic Commission heard testimony from 3-4 dozen people, almost all bicycle advocacy group members, on the recently revised parking removal (nearly 50 spaces) plan on Holland St. to build a barrier-protected bike lane.
In a rare appearance, Mayor Ballantyne advised the Traffic Commission to accept the recommendations of her Transportation and Mobility Director Brad (Bike-Lane Builder) Rawson for Holland St., currently going through repaving and sidewalk and pedestrian island additions.
The Mayor and Director Rawson dramatically advised these parking space removals were necessary due to the tragic death of a Somerville man riding an electric bike up Broadway (a parallel street to Holland St., connecting Teele Sq and Powderhouse Square), when a parked vehicle door opened in to his path; Tragically, and very sadly, the ebike rider died the next day of injuries sustained in the collision with the opened car door.
Pardon me if I’m confused, but this awful tragedy requires a major change in a Holland St. plan, a plan that had been worked up with the participation of City officials, nearby residents, businesses owners and service providers in a series of community meetings for the repaving and reconstruction of sidewalks on Holland St. for almost a year prior?
Now, major changes must occur because of this tragic death on a different street completely?
The Traffic Commission SHOULD (but likely won’t) call a time-out to investigate the merits of this hastily revised plan by Director Rawson, especially since daylight Saving Time disappears in less than a month, and riding home on a bike in the dark is likely the choice of only the most dedicated of year-round cyclists: Isn’t also the time of year where the weather dramatically changes for the worse.
What is the big hurry? Maybe because the city contractor is on site, and making changes immediately, with little public process or interaction rather than next Spring, is likely less costly. Removing an additional nearly 50 spaces on Holland St. NOW, rather than next Spring, with an election coming later in the year, is politically expedient for elected officials, who now can sit on the sidelines, since this is not THEIR decision, it is the Traffic Commission’s call.
What about the residents who can’t ride a bike, or are disabled, or immobile? Did the City of Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities weigh in, or offer comment on this hastily revised plan?
How about the local businesses among others, PJ Ryan’s, Rudy’s Café, Angelina’s, Rene’s Cafe, Tony Alibrandi’s Barber Shop, and the Somerville Municipal Credit Union? Shouldn’t they have a say in public?
The ‘commonsense ’approach should be for the Traffic Commission to take the time to examine all the likely (and potentially unintended) consequences of this newly revised Holland St. parking removal plan, especially in the interests of Public Safety for all; Unfortunately, ‘commonsense’ is not so common.
Jack Connolly is a native Somervillian, a Davis Sq. resident and insurance agent: He is also a former Somerville Ward Six and At Large Alderman (known now as City Councilor).
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The thing is, the status quo is a ridiculous. Bicycles represent a practical and efficient mode of transportation, that would save people time and money, while also emitting no pollution, and taking up far less space. Yet, we have made this mode of transportation too dangerous for most to use. Our foolish over-emphasis on cars in our transportation system is a ludicrous waste of every ones time and money.
So, we should move away from it as fast as is expedient, and when presented with reasonable plans such as this, we should absolutely move forward, instead of trying to kill it with delay after delay. Somerville needs a complete network of safe cycling facilities, and we should not be afraid to remove parking to achieve that goal.
Troy C above worded a great response.
In my opinion – it’s some sloppy writing to justify this argument with claims about bicycles regarding accessibility. Please note that bikes are recognized mobility aides, the ADA acknowledges the wide range of options of bicycles and how disabled people have been emphasizing for years that this “disabled people can’t ride bikes” is an incorrect and harmful trope.
Here’s a helpful video on this topic:
Disabled People Ride Bikes (and Trikes, and Tandems and Recumbents)!
The hazard of dooring is not limited to Broadway. It’s just as bad on Holland, which is a major thoroughfare. I myself have been doored while on JFK in Harvard Square, and the only reason I wasn’t killed is that there happened to be no car behind me when I fell into the traffic lane.
It makes no sense to wait on this change and pay for striping the street twice. We have to put in protected bike lanes on all major streets sooner or later, and the longer we wait, the more people will be injured. Plenty of people bike home after dark when the sun sets early. If you’ve ever been on Beacon Street after the Fourth of July fireworks, you’ll see hundreds if not thousands of bikes, including families.
People just have to get used to the idea that they might have to park a block or two away instead of on the street directly in front of their destination – not that this hasn’t always been the case! Anyone who had any ideas to tweak the current plan has already had a public meeting and comment period where they had the chance to do that, and the commission is adding more accessible parking spaces in response.
Excerpts from Jack’s future book “What is the big hurry (in reducing death on our streets)?”:
“Well, sometimes people on bicycle just die because a car hits them: That’s not my problem. If you’re preparing for less killing, I need to be given extra notification. It is not convenient to me to reduce the dying that surrounds me.”
“The bicyclist died on Broadway. When a bicyclist dies at the hands of an automobile operator, we should only reduce dying at the exact location of prior death. Not on, for example, a parallel street that goes to the same place and has the same issues.”
“Somerville does not need safe bicycle infrastructure in the fall and winter because it gets darker earlier. Anyone riding in the dark deserves the death they experience. I mean, it will get dark at like 5:00pm soon! Why would anyone be outside on a bike at 5pm? Whoever they may be, I know that they do not deserve safe infrastructure and should probably just die.”