Last night, after hours of public input from hundreds of residents who mostly opposed the change, a slim majority of Cambridge City Councilors backed a policy order that will push back bike and pedestrian safety upgrades on several busy roads.
The order points to “loss of significant parking” as the reason for putting off these street safety projects required by Cambridge’s Cycling Safety Ordinance.
While this policy order doesn’t immediately change the Ordinance, it asks the city manager to prepare a formal amendment to that law, which would come back before the same Council for an official vote later this year.
The order tells the city manager “to draft proposed amendments to the Cycling Safety Ordinance to extend the deadline associated with the completion of those sections of the ordinance that are required to be completed by May 1, 2026 to a new deadline of November 1, 2027 for the City Council’s consideration, with any such amendments requiring City Council approval and passage by December 31, 2024.”
Since street safety projects need to happen during warmer months when construction is easier, the city originally planned to finish its work under the Cycling Safety Ordinance by late 2025 in order to meet that spring 2026 deadline.
This year’s Main Street project now delayed
Even though this policy order doesn’t have immediate legal effect, passing it has already led the city to postpone a planned safety upgrade scheduled for this year on Main Street between Mass. Ave. and Portland Street (between Central and Kendall Squares).
The order lists three busy east-west streets – western Main Street, Broadway between Harvard Yard and Hampshire Street near Kendall Square, and Cambridge Street from Inman Square over to Second Street near Lechmere – where if these legal changes pass later on, new safety features won’t be allowed until July 2025.
“The policy order directs us to draft that amendment language, and we expect to submit that pretty quickly,” Elise Harmon-Freeman, Communications Manager for Cambridge’s Traffic, Parking, and Transportation Department told Streetsblog MASS Tuesday.
Harmon-Freeman also confirmed that they’ll hold off on starting work on Main Street until 2025.
Residents plead with Council: Choose safety over parking
During almost five hours of public testimony Monday night, hundreds asked their elected officials not to prioritize parking spots over people’s safety.
Even though it was a school night, lots of parents brought their kids along who stayed late in Council chambers waiting their turn.
“I’m 9 years old and in third grade at Cambridgeport School,” Zyler Sharpe told councilors early in the evening. “Me and my twin ride our bikes to school every day on Hampshire Street, and I feel much safer this year this year when the bike lanes are protected.”
Laura Borrelli teaches at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. She shared how worried she is about her students’ safety; many bike along Broadway and Cambridge Street every day.
“The longer we wait on safe infrastructure, the greater the chances of deadly crashes. I really don’t want to attend a high school student’s funeral,” said Borrelli.
Councilor Nolan’s unexpected deciding vote
The policy was first put forward by Councillor Paul F. Toner together with newer councilors Joan Pickett (who had been part of an unsuccessful lawsuit against some street safety projects) and Ayesha M. Wilson.
In a close final tally two other councilors – Mayor E. Denise Simmons plus Patricia M. Nolan – sided with them so it passed narrowly at 5-4.
City Councilor Patricia Nolan. Courtesy of the City of Cambridge.
Mayor Simmons has long opposed some street safety changes but Nolan’s support came as more surprise.
Nolan had voted for the Cycling Safety Ordinance back in 2020 and even got backing from Cambridge Bicycle Safety group during her election in 2019.
Still late Monday night Nolan made it clear she’d back delaying things now.
Reading from a lengthy statement Nolan admitted “the Cycling Safety Ordinance does make our city a safer and more environmentally friendly place to live and work” adding “I’ve been doored, I’ve had many close calls, I’ve experienced firsthand the many problems of not having separated bike lanes.”
But she argued delaying “will mean less disruption on our roads and make for better planning,” saying those reasons outweighed increased risks caused by holding off improvements during that time frame for her constituents.
