Boston area - Arlington to Cambridge?

Is anyone familiar enough with Arlington and Cambridge (MA) to suggest a
bike route from Arlington Heights to Harvard Square? The Minuteman
Trail looks like a good start, but it ends at the Alewife subway
station. Are there any good routes from Alewife to Harvard Square?

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************

Chuck Anderson wrote in news:POGdnWjiFOsN06
:

Is anyone familiar enough with Arlington and Cambridge (MA) to suggest a
bike route from Arlington Heights to Harvard Square? The Minuteman
Trail looks like a good start, but it ends at the Alewife subway
station. Are there any good routes from Alewife to Harvard Square?


The Path goes into Cambridge ontop of the Red Line.

Bill

--
---
William O'Hara
www.N1ey.com - Amateur Radio and Railfan Blog
www.yahoogroups.com/group/illinoiscentral - premier discussion list
ICRR

William O'Hara wrote:
Chuck Anderson wrote in news:POGdnWjiFOsN06
:


Is anyone familiar enough with Arlington and Cambridge (MA) to suggest a
bike route from Arlington Heights to Harvard Square? The Minuteman
Trail looks like a good start, but it ends at the Alewife subway
station. Are there any good routes from Alewife to Harvard Square?



The Path goes into Cambridge ontop of the Red Line.

Bill



Thanks for the reply.

Does the path change names there (wondering if there are signs or
something)? Is it easy to locate?

(I should mention that I am in Colorado and am seeking this information
for my daughter.)

Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can find
is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
Everyone's journey should be different,
so that we all are enriched
in new and endless ways
*****************************

Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).


It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information about
trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good information
about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other things.

The best site with the listing of most of the current projects is
massbike.org. It does not list things such as the project in my town.

The extension takes you into Cambridge. If you GOOGLE MaP it then you can
see the actual bike path. It is a bit hard to get to. It is not really
designed for the a typical beginner to simply stroll out of the station on
their bike. It would take you to Davis Sq. It also crosses Mass Ave.

My friend bikes to Bedford from Boston, but he goes Mass Ave.

Many Bicyclists do not like the BIKE PATH as it is a Multi use path. I
have heard stories about crazy kids on little bikes, roller bladers, and
pedestrians.


--
---
William O'Hara
www.N1ey.com - Amateur Radio and Railfan Blog
www.yahoogroups.com/group/illinoiscentral - premier discussion list
ICRR

William O'Hara wrote:
Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).





In summary: an excellent information update, thank you very much.

It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information about
trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good information
about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other things.




The best site with the listing of most of the current projects is
massbike.org. It does not list things such as the project in my town.


I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that finds it hard to get online
information about Boston metro bike paths. Most searches take me to a
site selling books and pocket guides. The Minuteman site does not even
have it's own map (I finally did find the PDF).

The extension takes you into Cambridge. If you GOOGLE MaP it then you can
see the actual bike path.

I think I see it there. It looks like it wraps around the north end of
the soccer field at Russell Field Park, goes up and then east - then
across Mass Ave to Davis Square.

It is a bit hard to get to. It is not really
designed for the a typical beginner to simply stroll out of the station on
their bike. It would take you to Davis Sq. It also crosses Mass Ave.


It ends at Davis Square, right? From there it looks like it's back on
the road. I wish I could just go out there and explore on my bike to
find a good route for her. Streets are fine, but ...... (Mass Ave?)

My friend bikes to Bedford from Boston, but he goes Mass Ave.


I've seen "intrepid travelers" pedaling along on Mass Ave.

Many Bicyclists do not like the BIKE PATH as it is a Multi use path. I
have heard stories about crazy kids on little bikes, roller bladers, and
pedestrians.


I know all about that. Boulder Colorado is home to many off road bike
paths. Many of them are good, fast bicycle byways, but one in particular
- along Boulder Creek, is more like a park. It is VERY multi-use and
some times difficult to navigate at any worthwhile speed (bladers, skate
boards flying through the air, unpredictable dogs and kids darting about
randomly, baby strollers, groups using the entire width of the path as
they walk, cell phone "oblivi-ons" Ò¿Ó ....).

Mass Ave, on the other hand, looks like a great place to get doored, or
even worse flattened (I've been to visit a few times and taken the T and
driven on Mass Ave from Arlington Hts. to Cambridge). I'm not a faint
hearted rider by any means, but Mass Ave looks like a challenge even to
me. I'm sure I could handle it, but I'd be worried about my daughter
riding on it every day (she probably wouldn't do it). Maybe I'm reading
it wrong, but when I've seen people riding on Mass Ave - it looks rather
stressful.

Anyway, .... thanks again for this good information. It looks like it
could be a good way to get to Davis Square. It's too bad that I am not
going back there again until late August, or I could do some exploring
and figure out the best way for her to continue to Harvard. She is
"thinking" about commuting to her summer job (at Harvard) by bicycle and
I would love to encourage this somehow.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************

Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).


It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information about
trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good information
about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other things.

The Minuteman Trail apparently ends at Alewife station, but the pathway
resumes on the opposite side of the station, goes under Alewife parkway
(Routes 2 & 3) and continues above the T tunnels, crossing Mass Ave in
Cambridge somewhere around Rindge and going on to davis Square. There's
some agitation afoot to continue it to the harbor.

My friend bikes to Bedford from Boston, but he goes Mass Ave.

Many Bicyclists do not like the BIKE PATH as it is a Multi use path. I
have heard stories about crazy kids on little bikes, roller bladers, and
pedestrians.

When weather and physical condition permit, I bike in to Fresh Pond,
picking up the Minuteman in Lexington and leaving it at Alewife. When the
weather is nice it can be full of roller-bladers, dog-walkers, kids, and
mothers pushing strollers. Relax and go with the flow and you can all
enjoy it. Try to avoid the racers doing time-trials.

I don't ride into Cambridge on Mass ave, but as the traffic gets denser,
so does the number of bicyclists. While Boston earned a reputation as a
bad city for bicycles, Cambridge is bike-friendly and has a thriving bike
culture (check out SCUL.org). Just watch out for the monster potholes in
Spring.

--
mac the naïf

On Apr 29, 5:06 pm, Alex Colvin wrote:
Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).

It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information about
trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good information
about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other things.

The Minuteman Trail apparently ends at Alewife station, but the pathway
resumes on the opposite side of the station, goes under Alewife parkway
(Routes 2 & 3) and continues above the T tunnels, crossing Mass Ave in
Cambridge somewhere around Rindge and going on to davis Square. There's
some agitation afoot to continue it to the harbor.

My friend bikes to Bedford from Boston, but he goes Mass Ave.
Many Bicyclists do not like the BIKE PATH as it is a Multi use path. I
have heard stories about crazy kids on little bikes, roller bladers, and
pedestrians.

When weather and physical condition permit, I bike in to Fresh Pond,
picking up the Minuteman in Lexington and leaving it at Alewife. When the
weather is nice it can be full of roller-bladers, dog-walkers, kids, and
mothers pushing strollers. Relax and go with the flow and you can all
enjoy it. Try to avoid the racers doing time-trials.

I don't ride into Cambridge on Mass ave, but as the traffic gets denser,
so does the number of bicyclists. While Boston earned a reputation as a
bad city for bicycles, Cambridge is bike-friendly and has a thriving bike
culture (check out SCUL.org). Just watch out for the monster potholes in
Spring.

--
mac the naïf

My experience riding in the area goes back to the 1960s, so take it
for what it's worth, which is a least a little bit since things don't
change very fast in that area. Anyway I rode Mass. Ave. regularly in
that era, and found it generally safe, as much as any place in an area
not blessed with generally good bike riding conditions (a fact re-
experienced in brief rides through in 1994 and 2004.) The biggest
problem with Mass. Ave. and other arterials was the "nose job"; i.e
drivers entering from side streets who nosed practically up to the
right traffic lane of Mass. Ave. before more or less stopping,
frequently invading the bike riders space, along the right edge of the
traffic lanes.

Chuck Anderson wrote in
:

William O'Hara wrote:
Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).





In summary: an excellent information update, thank you very much.

It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information
about trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good
information about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other
things.




The best site with the listing of most of the current projects is
massbike.org. It does not list things such as the project in my
town.


I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that finds it hard to get online
information about Boston metro bike paths. Most searches take me to a
site selling books and pocket guides. The Minuteman site does not even
have it's own map (I finally did find the PDF).

The extension takes you into Cambridge. If you GOOGLE MaP it then
you can see the actual bike path.

I think I see it there. It looks like it wraps around the north end of
the soccer field at Russell Field Park, goes up and then east - then
across Mass Ave to Davis Square.

It is a bit hard to get to. It is not really
designed for the a typical beginner to simply stroll out of the
station on their bike. It would take you to Davis Sq. It also
crosses Mass Ave.


It ends at Davis Square, right? From there it looks like it's back on
the road. I wish I could just go out there and explore on my bike to
find a good route for her. Streets are fine, but ...... (Mass Ave?)

Yes. You are right. Mass Ave looks horrible, but I think it is better than
you realize. My buddy rides to work by either going the trail or Mass Ave
all the way(route 2a or whatever). He gets on the trail at Mass Ave. So he
rides all of mass Ave through Boston and Cambridge.

My town is on the Claire Saltsonstall Bikeway. 99% of my town and all
of the selectmen are completely unaware of the Bikeway as far I know. No
one knows nothing about the bike path proposal in the adjacent town to
convert the old railroad branch into a bikeway.


--
---
William O'Hara
www.N1ey.com - Amateur Radio and Railfan Blog
www.yahoogroups.com/group/illinoiscentral - premier discussion list ICRR

"Chuck Anderson" wrote in message
. ..
Is anyone familiar enough with Arlington and Cambridge (MA) to suggest a
bike route from Arlington Heights to Harvard Square? The Minuteman Trail
looks like a good start, but it ends at the Alewife subway station. Are
there any good routes from Alewife to Harvard Square?

I take it you don't like Mass. Ave. Here are some alternative routes, all
from Russell Field on the Cambridge side of Alewife.

(Another poster has described how to get to the Cambridge-Somerville Linear
Park that runs from Alewife to Davis Square. The big playing field that you
go clockwise around to get there is Russell Field.)

#1 From Davis Square, continue on Elm St. past the Porter Square Shopping
Center to Mossland. Go right on Mossland and then in quick sucsession left
(Somerville Ave.), Right over a RR bridge (Beacon St.) and then straight
(onto Oxford, Beacon turns left). These are busy intersections but are
controlled by traffic lights. Oxford Street takes you down by the Science
Center.

Note that the Linear Park does not cross Mass Ave. in an easy way, so
proceed with extra caution until you are familiar with it.

#2 Cut across Russell Field to Dudley Street and go straight to Clay St.,
right on Clay, left on Rindge, and right onto Sherman St. Sherman
eventiually becomes Garden St., which comes into Harvard Square from the
north.

That is probably how I would go most of the time.

#3 Follow #2 above as far as the intersection where Sherman becomes Garden
St. and turn left onto Huron Ave. Cross Concord Ave. and head down a short
hill; at the bottom where Huron elows right turn left down Sparks St. Follow
Sparks across Brattle Street to Mt. Auburn Street and go left on Mt. Auburn,
which will take you to Harvard Square from the west. (I used to go this way
when I commuted down town.)

Note that for #1 and #3 one-way streets will mean finding slightly different
ways back. #1 is particularly tricky--you might prefer going back on #2.

A final note: The City of Cambridge has drawn "bike lanes" on some streets.
On Mass. Ave and other main streets these are directly in the door zone. A
woman died a few years back when a door knocked her under the wheels of a
truck. Ride with caution in that city.

Alex Colvin wrote:
Do you happen to know of any online map that shows this? All I Can
find is a map showing that the Minuteman Trail ends at Alewife).




It is called the Extension or something. Most of the information about
trails in Massachusetts is very limited. You can't get good information
about the actual TRAIL surface or connections with other things.


The Minuteman Trail apparently ends at Alewife station, but the pathway
resumes on the opposite side of the station, goes under Alewife parkway
(Routes 2 & 3) and continues above the T tunnels, crossing Mass Ave in
Cambridge somewhere around Rindge and going on to davis Square. There's
some agitation afoot to continue it to the harbor.


Thanks, ....... yes, this seems to be the route, but rather taking a
route south of the Linear Park and riding other streets (Garden
Sherman?) to Harvard Square.

Cambridge is bike-friendly and has a thriving bike culture (check out SCUL.org).

Uhhhhh .... have you checked out scul.org? :-) I'm not sure *what* that is.

--
*****************************
Chuck Anderson • Boulder, CO
http://www.CycleTourist.com
*****************************