I have found that police do not take well to a few calm words one on one about this topic or any police car parking issues.

Following...I see this all over the city.

If cars and other vehicles owned by the City of Cambridge were better parked and always observed the speed limit, 25 MPH or 20 MPH in some locations, that would be a visible reminder to all who drive in our City to drive and park safely.

They are happy to ticket cyclists for running red lights, but won’t protect us. Where is that ticketing money going? Why should bikes obey rules designed for an infrastructure that doesn’t fit their mode of transport? At least keep the lanes clear and the paint fresh, and then maybe we can talk about cyclists stopping at every light (which, by the way has been proven to not always be the safest course of action.)

Brendon,
Agreed.

CPW is ticketing cyclists yielding through pedestrian walk signals at the same time as parking in bike lanes? Not a good look.

CPD officers repeatedly make it clear they don’t believe cyclists should use the road or pedestrians cross the street. They constantly walk or drive by vehicles left blocking crosswalks and bike lanes without lifting a finger, why should we expect they’d behave any differently with their personal vehicles.

We are raising this with our Professional Standards Unit and will be reporting back.

Thank you

Totally unprofessional. Sadly, this is a common problem with CPD - not paying much attention to cars blocking the bike lanes, and sometimes themselves doing the same. I once asked a police officer, parked in bike lane in front of McDonalds, if it was necessary for him to block the bike lane. The answer was - "there was no other place to park"! Geez - why didn't I think of this brilliant excuse the last time I got a parking ticket?

The Officer involved in this complaint has been identified and the issue has been addressed with them. Our Officers are instructed to utilize their blue lights in the event that they are responding to a call for service. In those circumstances, they are to make every effort to avoid obstructions, if possible. To file a complaint against a police employee, residents can call 617-349-3384. They may also submit a complaint via e-mail, mail or in-person: https://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/policeunits/officeofthecommissioner/professionalstandardsunit.