"Hi George--

With regard to bicycles, Park Street, and the possibility of civility on our roadways (from the perspective of one who has, in previous incarnations, survived on two wheels in places like Cambridge Massachusetts, Washington DC, and San Francisco):

Bicycles and cars CAN and DO coexist in many urban environments, even without dedicated bike lanes. There needs to be a level of competence on the part of all the players, 2- and 4-wheel, along with a modicum of common courtesy and maybe sometimes a little, well, calmness.

Where the speed limit is 25 MPH or less (much of the city including Park Street), a competent cyclist can make about as good time as an automobile (legally). If automobile drivers were willing to obey the speed limit and exercise a little more calmness, they could accommodate law-abiding cyclists as part of the flow of traffic, rather than getting exercised, blowing horns, and creating life-threatening situations in order to make it to the next traffic signal on time.

The recent additions to Park Street aimed at traffic calming; have indeed, as Sue Lewis points out, created situations where the lanes are too narrow to accommodate cars and bicycles side-by-side. However, why not look at this as an opportunity for becalmed; operators of motorized vehicles to actually learn to SHARE the road? I have ridden my bicycle up and down Park Street during the day (not exactly my ride of choice, but sometimes one has to do what needs to be done), and I am pleased to report that I have been treated with civility, and allowed to blend with motorized traffic while passing through the slaloms. I have then treated motorized traffic with civility, and pulled to the right so that those not sufficiently calmed could blast by.

Regards, Nick Evans" (electronic mail, March 8, 2001)