Lately I’ve noticed an increasing number of bicyclists riding on the Jamaicaway. This is very dangerous for the bicyclists.
Over the past several decades, the City of Boston has worked tirelessly and spent millions of dollars to become a more bike friendly city. The new bike lanes up and down Centre and South streets allow both autos and bicyclists to share the same roadway.
In the past 20 or so years, the city and state have improved bike paths and extended the Emerald Necklace so that bicyclists can ride on their own 8-foot dedicated bike path. This path was laid down to allow a bicyclist to travel from one end of JP to the other without having to worry about being hit by automobiles.
There have been many calls from bicyclists and their supporters over the past few years demanding that vehicles and their operators “co-exist” with the bicyclists.
I think that many attitudes have changed and that this co-existence can last, but not at the expense of safety for the vehicle operators or the bicyclists on the Jamaicaway. Bicyclists that ride on that roadway infuriate drivers, cause unsafe traffic conditions and jeopardize everyone’s safety. A helmet offers little protection for a speeding bike rider traveling 35-40 miles per hour. If bicyclists want to peacefully co-exist with autos on the roadways, the bicyclists must: adhere to the rules of the road, travel in the correct direction and keep to the bike paths and travel-ways meant for their use.
Nick McCummings
Jamaica Plain