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The Cambridge City Council voted to continue with its plan to install separated bike lanes along Broadway Street despite traffic concerns on Monday, rejecting a proposed policy order that would temporarily suspend the project.
The planned bike lanes to be installed between Quincy Street and Portland Street are a continuation of Cambridge’s Cycling Safety ordinance, which requires the city to install 25 miles of separated bike lanes by Nov. 1, 2026.
The project, unveiled earlier this year, was quickly met with backlash from residents over the reduction in parking spaces to make room for the separated lanes.
Monday’s order said that Cambridge has not solidified plans for alternative parking solutions, and would delay the project to confer with the Traffic Department “to develop and install traffic calming strategies.” The planned bike lanes will reduce on street parking by 60 percent, according to the policy order.
But more than 200 residents — many sporting colorful helmets and reflective gear — voiced concerns about the proposed suspension during Monday’s meeting. Dozens shared personal stories about bike accidents and close calls with drivers, pushing for the project’s continuation.
Mayor E. Denise Simmons, who voted for the motion, said the emphasis was on “thoughtful” planning.
“For me, it’s about being thoughtful at the beginning, so we don’t have to go at the city’s expense to correct it,” Simmons said.
“I want us to be thoughtful. It doesn’t say no bike lanes,” she added.
Councilor Catherine “Cathie” Zusy, who also voted for the policy order, said the directive would allow the city to address traffic issues surrounding the planned bike lanes.
“The goal of this policy order was to challenge the city to come up with creative solutions to a real problem,” Zusy said.
But several councilors were quick to note that the reduction in parking on Broadway does not go into effect until 2026, leaving more time for public discussion on alternative options.
“We’re talking about potentially delaying something that we haven’t even started the process of having the real conversations yet,” Vice Mayor Marc C. McGovern said.
“I think that we have time,” he added.
Several councilors said there’s not a simple solution to the city’s conundrum.
“It is a trade-off, there’s no easy way to make an extra 150 parking spots come up,” Councilor Burhan Azeem said. Nevertheless, city officials who voted against the directive said that the expansion of bike routes will encourage residents to engage in alternative modes of transportation, reducing the demand for car parking.
“Our best option, unless we want to spend millions and millions of dollars on new parking garages, is hoping that a lot of those folks don’t bring cars to Cambridge, or that they only bring one car for their household,” Councilor Jivan G. Sobrinho-Wheeler said.
“And the way to do that is to provide alternatives,” he added.
— Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at shawn.boehmer@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.
—Staff writer Caroline G. Hennigan can be reached at caroline.hennigan@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cghennigan.
