Residents of a Cambridge apartment complex say they are furious over construction happening outside of their building and the plans that follow.
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SURPRISE TO THESE RESIDENTS. YEAH, DOUG, IT CAME AS A SURPRISE AND HONESTLY THEY SEEM PRETTY UPSET ABOUT IT. TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE ONE FIRST CONDOS HERE BEHIND ME SAY THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT ALL OF THIS WOULD BE POPPING UP RIGHT OUTSIDE THEIR BUILDING. THERE ARE PARKING SPOTS AND A
LOADING ZONE THAT’S BEEN WIPED OUT TO ADD ROOM FOR PROTECTED BIKE LANES. RESIDENTS SAY THE BUILDING HOUSES SENIORS, ELDERLY FOLKS AND PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS WHO RELY ON A QUICK AND EASY WALK THROUGH THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING TO THE ELEVATORS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION BEGAN. THEY SAY THERE WERE BIKE LANES
AND ROOM FOR PARKING, BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA THIS CONSTRUCTION WAS HAPPENING. CAMBRIDGE IS NOW OFFERING TO MAKE LOADING ZONES EITHER AROUND THE BUILDING OR ACROSS THE STREET. BUT THAT DOESN’T WORK FOR MANY PEOPLE HERE. HE COULD BARELY WALK FROM THE SIDEWALK INTO THE BUILDING. THERE’S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE
WALKED FROM THE CORNER. I AM A CYCLIST, SO IT’S NOT AGAINST THE CYCLISTS. IT’S JUST IT SEEMS LIKE THE PLAN WAS LOCKED AND LOADED AND THERE’S NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE NOW. CAMBRIDGE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE WORKING TO BALANCE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLUTIONS THAT WILL MITIGATE IMPACTS
RESULTING FROM SUCH CHANGES. SO RIGHT NOW, IT’S UNCLEAR IF ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROJECT WILL CHANGE TO HELP THE RESIDENTS AT THIS MASSIVE COMOM
6 Comments
If one of these bikes hits my car and causes damage how can I seek to claim said damages? It my understanding that they dont need to be insured to be on the road with the cars nor do they need to take any classes or pay excise tax on the bike to help pay for the roads which they are now taking over. How are these bike lanes even legal?
Cry more. Bikes >>> cars
🚲🚲🚲
The thing that makes zero sense and is not shown in the video is that the protected bike lane is for ONE block, between Second and First Streets. This new sidewalk construction is part of the DivCo West Cambridge Crossing/new Lechmere Station project. The rest of this part of Cambridge Street has no protected bike lanes, and I wonder if cyclists will even use this short separated section. Also, from what I understand, no one at One First was ever shown these plans. We had no input, or notice about the impending construction whatsoever. Our front entrance is completely blocked from the street- not even emergency personnel could enter unless they removed the barricade or walked to the end of the block to get behind it. This isn't about cyclists, it's about notification, consultation, and access.
I need to move to the suburbs
There are always MANY meetings and comment periods about bike lanes before ANY of them get built. If you are surprised about them, it's because YOU didn't do your homework.
Don't endanger cyclists and pedestrians just because you are ignorant qbout city proceedings.
Short term pains for long term gains. Theres a reason the best cities in the world are bikeable….it allows for more economic opportunity and healthier environment. Suck it up and get used to it