Dot Bike

Over the past year DotBike has taken up a number of advocacy efforts with the intent of making Dorchester a better neighborhood for us all to cycle in.   We’ve reported in the past about some of the more visible efforts that have born fruit – like the new city bike racks that have been springing up all over town and our participation in several community events.   However, we’ve continued to work on several other projects and kept our eyes out for ways to influence and guide policies that will make Dorchester a better and safer place to cycle.  The progress on most of these efforts has been much slower but is still moving along.

We have met with project managers at the MBTA about improving bicycle parking facilities at T stations in Dorchester.   I just received a report that a new rack was installed at the Fields Corner Station in a visible and convenient location, so this is good.

But as Ashmont Station is nearing completion we need to make sure that adequate facilities are included and certainly there can be improvements at other Dot stations.

The Dot Ave. intersection redesign project is reaching the final stages.  There was a recent meeting where designs were presented and it was clear that while some bike accommodations had been included they were given short shrift.  In response, we asked for input from DotBikers and wrote up extensive comments and suggestions as to how bike boxes, lanes and minor curb reconfigurations would not only make these intersections safer for cyclists but could also be thought of in the context of a continuous bike lane along much of Dorchester Ave.  We’ll have to wait and see if these suggestions get incorporated into the final designs.

There has also been a group of us working with BNAN to close the gap between the Neponset Greenway and the Harbor Walk with an off road bike path.  We’ve had several positive interactions with many interested parties and we have recently heard that National Grid who had previously refused to even consider allowing a path to pass by the gas tanks is now having discussions with DCR on possible options.

These are just a few of the things we are keeping tabs on.

Small steps forward.