In the proposed design, cyclists heading west on Cambridge Street (towards Harvard Ave) would see their bike lane end and merge into a "shared use path" for pedestrians and cyclists.
It isn't clear why this is a good idea.
Many cyclists will continue straight on Cambridge Street or turn left onto Harvard Ave. Bringing them up onto a sidewalk (even if it is 13' wide and called a "shared use path") would seem to create a crowded mess.
This is particularly problematic because this stretch of sidewalk will have:
- people walking east (up the slope of the overpass)
- people walking west towards Harvard Ave
- bikes going east from Harvard Ave to the Franklin Street bridge
- bikes going west (downhill) because the bike lane ended
It is hard to imagine how all these activities can co-exist safely in a 13' wide zone. Perhaps a few feet of the grass strip next to the sidewalk (between the parking lot retaining wall and sidewalk) could be used for the new sidewalk which would make more space for bikes and fewer conflicts.
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