Bicyclists are not required to use bicycle lanes. They may use motorist travel lanes if they wish. In this case, because the bike lane on Somerville Ave does not have vertical protection, people on bikes in some cases feel safer by taking the vehicle travel lane so they are visible to traffic.

Ryan’s comment is accurate! I feel less safe using the bike lane arrangement as you must cross traffic which may or may not let you pass.

More natural flow for cyclists s is WItH traffic-this assumes proper driving behavior (obey laws and signs for motorists!!)

Do we really want to see another bicyclist killed at this intersection? As a rider, I use the designated bike lane and wait for the crossing light. So what if it takes longer. Better safe than dead.

My vote to "Fix" is aligned with the comments of Ryan Frazer and Daniel Schutzburg above: they're explaining that safety is their concern too, and that that bicycle lane, unprotected on Somerville Ave and forcing riders on Mass Ave to cross often oblivious traffic, isn't in fact safer. The INTERSECTION must be fixed. As RDowner points out (and riders and drivers can see from the ghost bike there), it can be and recently has been fatal. Riders are doing Cambridge and the planet a big favor. They shouldn't have to risk death, broken bones or (in my case) severe concussion to help us all this way!

Drivers, cyclists and pedestrians all must obey laws and signs. We must all work together to come up with the safest possible traffic pattern. Right now, that intersection is very dangerous because of missing traffic flow arrow on the middle lane of southbound Mass Ave (Issue Id 5603928). The intention is only the left lane is to turn left from Mass Ave to Somerville Ave where there is only one receiving lane on, which immediately opens up to two, one to turn into the Porter Square shopping center and the other to continue onto Somerville Ave. Many people are not aware of this change and are continuing to turn left from the middle lane causing a serious conflict with people turning left from the left lane and then wanting to move to the right lane. If a bicyclist is turning left from the left lane, this will further create dangerous conflict of potentially 2 cars and a bicycle.
I request the Traffic Dept to paint the missing arrow on the middle lane of southbound Mass Ave ASAP. And I request that the Traffic Dept look into installing bike safety measures where Somerville Ave is receiving turning traffic (auto as well as bikes) from Mass Ave.

To follow up on my previous post, please continue the bike lane striping from Mass Ave all the way to White Street/Somerville split.

Also, please install permanent safety bollards where there is now one traffic cone

City Hall – DR assigned this issue to Traffic - KC (Permits)

The final striping and signage for the Porter Square project will be completed within the next two weeks. This will reinforce the change to the center lane usage and reduce the turns from the center-lane, which are now not permitted and at times result in incursions into the bike lane.

Thank you for your report.

Please keep this open until the striping and signage for the Porter Square project are completed. This is to be able to monitor timely completion of the project as well as effectiveness of the work. Effectiveness of SeeClickFix can't be measured accurately if the issues are closed with unscheduled future work.
Thank you.

Thank you for reporting your concern to City of Cambridge via Commonwealth Connect. We have reviewed the information you provided our staff and will be investigating this issue further.

Thank you for reporting this issue to us. We are pleased to report back to you that this issue is now resolved.

Please provide details on how this issue was resolved. Has striping and signage for the Porter Square project been completed? As I have requested before, please do not close an issue without providing resolution to the issue.
Thank you.

The striping and signage is complete. Thanks.

I saw that the traffic flow arrow had been painted on the middle southbound Mass Ave. Thank you.
However, the issue is Bicyclist Safety Enforcement. With now only one left turn lane that immediately splits into two lanes upon entering Somerville Ave, it is more dangerous for the bicyclists to turn left from the left turn lane together with automobile traffic. It becomes more critical that bicyclists use the bicycle turn lane. I plead my original requests to please set up a traffic safety officer at this very complex intersection to educate bicyclists to use properly marked bike lanes and to please extend the bike lane marking further north to where the automobile traffic arrows start to clearly delineate bike lane from auto lanes.
Finally, please install permanent safety bollards on Somerviile Ave.
I haven't had a chance to verify if the bike lane striping was continued from Mass Ave all the way to White Street/Somerville split.
Thank you for your reconsideration

This issue was recategorized from Other to Traffic Enforcement - Police (Internal).

Traffic - PB (Engineering) assigned this issue to Police - JW (Communications)

There are no posts planned for Somerville Avenue. We have referred this to Cambridge Police for enforcement.

Thank you.

As Ryan commented above, and as others have concurred, the bike lane on Somerville Ave does not have vertical protection, people on bikes in some cases feel safer by taking the vehicle travel lane so they are visible to traffic. So, please investigate the need for bicyclist safety measures in this very dangerous intersection as recent fatality proved.

The Porter Square intersection improvement project was recently completed with the final markings installed at the end of April. The combination of the traffic signal improvements and changes to the lane arrangements allows for bicyclists and drivers to make the left turn during the same phase of the signal operation, eliminating the additional delay that people on bikes previously experienced if they used the protected left turn jughandle. As with any change to traffic control in a complex urban environment, we do expect that it will take some time for all users of the intersection to fully adapt to the changes. The Traffic Dept is working with Cambridge Police to arrange for additional enforcement in the square, especially pertaining to vehicles that may be continuing to turn left from the center lane on Massachusetts Avenue southbound.