In like a Lamb?

After a week away (skiing and paying court to the world's cutest 2 1/2 year old)  I was so happy to get back on the bike.   Time change chaos, kitchen rennovations and freezing rain drove me to to the train on Monday,  but I rode yesterday and today, and it was entirely lovely- sunny and 40 degree-ish!

The bike lanes are still clogged with ice floes, but at least you can start to see them and duck in to them from time to time to let traffic pass.  And it felt so warm!  I rode Monday in a skirt, wool tights, a button down shirt, a down vest and gloves, and had to unzip the vest halfway there.   I finally found my winter liner for my bern helmet to use it as a ski helmet,  and honestly it's a bit too warm for use on these early spring days.   It would have been nice to have on some of those 21 degree mornings though.

This morning, I rode in a skirt, lightweight turtleneck and a lightweight trench,  and ended up taking off the trench halfway.  This proved to be a mistake, as the 2nd half of my ride is much windier, and I'm afraid I may have flashed a glimpse of wool tight clad leg at  anyone who happened to be looking out of the train windows on the Longfellow bridge.  Whoops.

The wind continued to rise through the day, and on the way home, I was blown sideways a couple of times- once so badly that I couldn't move forward at all!  Lane control feels really important under those conditions- if someone were passing too close, it could get really interesting if you're blown 3' sideways!
It was also snowing lightly by the time I was leaving the Anderson bridge meeting,  so winter definitely isn't over yet- but again,  it feels like we can finally see that light at the end of the tunnel!

Do you bike the Anderson Bridge?

If so you might be interested in the public meeting on Wednesday March 2nd to discuss the options and what is planned for its reconstruction.  There will be a site walk at 4pm  and then a public information meeting at 6:30 PM at the MLK school at 100 Putnam ave, Cambridge.   The info notice I got said the site walk was at 4pm,  but others are telling me 4:30-  if you plan on going you might want to contact Mass DOT  directly to confirm.   More information on the project here.

The good news is that they're planning on reducing the bridge to three auto lanes to make space for bike lanes each way.  The bad news is that they're considering taking about 1' out of the sidewalks on each side.

Come suggest that the traffic lanes could remain 10' instead of 10'6"  (they're 10" on the JFK street side of the bridge after all)  and preserve the nice sidewalks that are often packed with pedestrians.
Narrower lanes aren't necessarily a bad thing, as they tends to calm traffic.

I hear some rumors about the City of Cambridge possibly creating a three lane/ bike lane corridor all the way into Harvard sq,  which would be incredible.   There's such a nice bike lane along much of North Harvard Street,  which doesn't currently connect to Harvard sq,  and there's such a demand for people coming from brighton and Allston into the square.  Not finalized yet, but cross your fingers for the future.  

Around Harvard Sq

I've seen lots of unusual bikes around Harvard sq in the last week or so- most excitingly a petite Nihola cargo trike.  Looks more suitable for a dense area without dedicated bike parking than others I've seen.  The kid area might be pretty cramped for more than one kid through

This  bike has some DIY hand fairings. Hope they're useful because they don't do much for the looks of the bike!  Don't see a lot of recumbents around here- I would guess that the issues with starting and stopping in traffic and the lower visibility would make them less than ideal in the city unless you really had a hard time riding an upright..

And this "freak bike."  This orange is very eye catching, and it looks like it was wrapped in tape or something before painting.  The fact that it's seatless makes me think it's more art project then transportation.

Low Tide

The snow is receding, and its leaving a band of detritus to mark where it used to be- it feels like the tide has receded, leaving flotsom and jetsom and strange snow caves:

Let's hope it doesn't come back any time soon!

Tons of bikers out in this February thaw. I think there have been lots of cooped up people itching to ride.  It's not spring yet, but it feels like we can see it from here.

King of the Hill!

A very proud fixie outside of Darwin's (a kind of hipster grocery/ sandwich bar).


The snowbank was taller than Gilbert-about 4'6"

Time is running out!

If you know anyone who has been storing their bike on Mass Ave for the winter, they might think about checking on them- the bike cleanup folks have been going up and down tagging derelict looking bikes as they emerge from the snowbanks.

Last minute notice-strike that!

WHOOPS!
Evidently my reading comprehension skills have been aversely affected by PVC solvent fumes from the kitchen.  The Western Ave meeting is MARCH 15.  I showed up and was confused, until Google showed me that the meeting was not  for another month.

If you're interested- you have plenty of time to make plans to be there!


Another public meeting on the design of the Western Ave Cycle Track in Cambridge tonight- March 15th- 7 Pm at the Senior Center on Mass Ave in Central Square.  More info HERE

I didn't go to the open house on Sunday (despite free food- a nice touch to try to get more community participation) because I was getting sick,  but I believe they are supposed to have developed the design another layer to get more information about intersection design, which is going to be critical here.