Somerville government has shown up and made quick-build changes on the Community Path. Now, it’s on us to be better neighbors and users.
I want to applaud the city for installing calming measures, better signs and road treatments along the path, especially near School Street. As a triweekly runner, I appreciate it. More importantly, as a four-times-a-week Bluebike user, I acknowledge the importance.
For folks who are on the path a lot, we did not need a well-organized statistical analysis to tell us what we see: There are bicycle and e-bike users who just go way too fast and create danger for more vulnerable users. I’m talking about walkers and pedestrians. I’m also talking about commuters and students.
When we speed by on wheels, we should use empathy and try to understand the impact of riding so fast within 2 feet of someone who’s moving more slowly. We should understand that our legs, which do burn or get tired from the ups and downs of the path, are not as important as the safety of those around us. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing like riding a bike and feeling 15 mph air flowing by. That being said, is my commute or my workout, at speed, more important than my neighbors?
The city didn’t take full ownership and responsibility of the path until a year or two after the MBTA green line extension opened in 2023. By then, some of the intersections, including School Street, we’re already designed by state architects and designers that didn’t understand the local focus. So it’s taken time to get to this point.
Now that the city is in charge and community members and city councilors are on the case, improvements can be made conscious of a largely unspoken truth: There are no police on the path – and I’m certainly not advocating for their presence; What I am advocating is holding each other accountable. And being nice to one another.
Mayor Jake Wilson declared this the year of the neighbor. I couldn’t think of a more apt application than as a starting point to share the Community Path in a better way. I know I can improve when I’m on a bike, and my fellow riders can too.
