Cambridge announces new ‘quick-build separated bike lane’ following fatal crash

After a bicyclist was struck and killed last week in Harvard Square by a tractor-trailer, Cambridge officials are implementing changes in the busy area.

Cambridge Vice Mayor Alanna Mallon announced Tuesday that within the next two weeks, Massachusetts Avenue vehicle travel lanes between the kiosk in the square and Harvard Yard will be narrowed, and a new “quick-build separated bike lane” will be added in. The new bike lane will run from Dunster Street toward Church Street.

“I’m hopeful that these projects will better protect Cambridge’s cyclists & restore a feeling of safety, but City action can’t stop at these quick-build improvements, or at the borders of Harvard Square,” Mallon said on Twitter. “I look forward to implementing the cycling safety ordinance in Sept.”

The fatal crash involving the bicyclist, a man in his 50s, and the tractor-trailer happened last Tuesday morning near the Harvard Square T station. The truck was proceeding westbound on Massachusetts Avenue, away from the square, when the crash occurred.

I was horrified & heart broken to hear of the fatal cyclist accident in #HarvardSquare last week. As progressive as #CambMA is, we have a long way to go to meet Vision Zero goals.

In response, the City has announced quick-build improvements in the next 2 weeks 1/3 pic.twitter.com/A7UyKiRBR9

— Alanna Mallon (@Ammallon) August 25, 2020

I’m hopeful that these projects will better protect Cambridge’s cyclists & restore a feeling of safety, but City action can’t stop at these quick-build improvements, or at the borders of Harvard Square. I look forward to implementing the cycling safety ordinance in Sept. 3/3

— Alanna Mallon (@Ammallon) August 25, 2020