Let it roll: Boston may add bike lanes, racks

Students braving Commonwealth Avenue by bicycle stand to gain better parking and relief from cars if the City Council adopts a new bike plan, councilors said yesterday at City Hall.

Calling Boston unfriendly to bicyclists, representatives from the city Bicycling Committee and Massbike discussed the potential effects of the new plan, which would add bike lanes on roads and increase the number of bike racks.

“Boston is one of the three worst cities to ride a bicycle in North America,” said advocate Tim Baldwin.

The plan will be formally introduced in two or three weeks. Councilor Paul Scapicchio (North End, East Boston) and fellow Councilor Mike Ross (Back Bay, Fenway) have voiced their support.

“Councilor Scapicchio and I both ride bicycles as well,” Ross said. “I’m looking forward to the plan when it comes out two weeks from now.”

Bicycling Committee Chairman Erin Gordon, also a member of Massbike, agreed.

“Bicyclers feel the city streets are not bike friendly,” she said.

Gordon divided the plan into three categories called the “three E’s: Engineering, Enforcement and Education.”

The proposed bike racks and bike lanes fall under the engineering category, she said. Gordon credited Scapicchio and Ross for the planned addition of 300 bike racks city wide this spring. However, both men said more bike racks may be necessary.

Ross also said the Council should try to fit a full time bicycle coordinator into the city budget by 2002.

“The city still needs to do more. … We need to get a full-time staff person devoted to bicycling,” he said. If the funds can be appropriated, Ross said the bicycling coordinator’s yearly salary should be roughly $38,000. The coordinator would be charged with developing and enforcing the lane program.

Baldwin claimed at least 34 cities already have full time bicycling coordinators.

“The city has tremendous potential [to be more bicycle friendly],” he said. “Safe streets will encourage more bicyclists and pedestrians.”