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Parking vs. pedals: Broadway bike lane plan divides Cambridge residents
The project is dividing residents over preserving scarce parking spaces versus creating protected bike lanes to make the roadway safer.
A proposal to install separated bike lanes along Broadway in Cambridge is drawing mixed reactions from community members.
Supporters of the plan argue that protected lanes are necessary to make the busy corridor safer for cyclists and pedestrians. Opponents are concerned about the potential loss of the area’s already limited on-street parking, making life more difficult for disabled residents, businesses, and visitors who rely on car access.
At the end of April, the contention came to a head when the resident-led group Broadway Parking Coalition held an unsanctioned public meeting imploring city councilors to hear their concerns over the effects of losing parking.
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Speakers at the April 23 meeting at the Cambridge Elks Club discussed ways to preserve the area’s remaining street parking. Many noted that elderly and disabled people rely on those spots, especially for their caretakers. Others voiced how difficult it is to find parking at night after coming home from a long day at work.
“I know so many people who are distraught about this,” said John Pitkin, a longtime resident.
Pitkin said that removing parking for some residents can lead to social isolation, a lack of essential services, and daily inconveniences.
The meeting came after numerous public meetings the city hosted. Pitkin of the Broadway Parking Coalition says the group hosted the separate meeting because city officials weren’t listening to their concerns.
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However, City Council members Ayesha Wilson, Patty Nolan, Paul Toner, Marc McGovern and Cathie Zusy attended.
“What we are facing now is a major shortage of parking spaces in the city of Cambridge,” Larry Ward, a Cambridge resident, said at the meeting. “This is the last major throughway of parking that is being threatened to be taken away, and that is concerning to many, many, many people.”
He added that losing 60% of parking is “absolutely devastating.”
In response to residents’ concerns, Jackie McLaughlin, Cambridge’s communications director, said that for the project to comply with the safety ordinance, the city must remove the parking on one side to allow for protected bike lanes.
She added that extensive public outreach began in early 2025, including mailings to over 7,000 households, a virtual info session, multiple open houses, and a citywide design survey.
Bike proponents say the meeting was a last-minute attempt to halt the project, which is already underway.
In a city with a growing number of bike riders, the proponents from Cambridge Bicycle Safety say having separated bike lanes is a must.
“There are always going to be people who will be against this,” said Christopher Cassa, a member of Cambridge Bicycle Safety. But, he said, separated bike lanes are necessary for safety, and will drive more people off the roads and onto bikes.
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Because when a crash does happen, Emma Batson, another member of Cambridge Bicycle Safety, said, it’s like “your life flashes before your eyes. (Crashes) can be very life changing.”
The project
The Broadway Safety Improvement Project involves installing separated bike lanes, using parking, flex posts, and physical barriers, along Broadway between Quincy Street and Portland Street.
The project will remove about 60% of the existing on-street parking. Dedicated accessible and disability parking spaces will drop the bike lane separation to allow easy curb access.
The city said preliminary work for Section A began this week, including roadway paving and side-street parking changes. The installation of the separated bike lanes in this section is scheduled for June to July.
The city will install Sections B and C from Columbia Street to Quincy Street in 2026.
However, the debate goes back to when the City Council passed the Cambridge Cycling Safety Ordinance in 2019. The amendments required the city to install about 25 miles of separated bike lanes to bring the city closer to realizing the Cambridge Bicycle Network Vision in 2020. In 2024, the City Council extended the deadline to Nov. 1, 2026.
Safety over parking
According to the city, as Cambridge implemented more bike lanes, the crash rate—the number of crashes per million bicycle miles traveled—has steadily decreased since 2003, with the lowest rate in 2022.
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Of the crashes that occur, more than 50% are non-injury, up from 18.3%, and incapacitating injuries have declined from 5.2% to 0.8%, a decrease of 84%.
Amanda Leifer nearly lost her life when someone opened a car door into the painted bike lane on Broadway, sending her flying into the road outside Lamplighter.
“It was really, really scary,” Leifer said.
She walked away with minor injuries but went to the hospital as a precaution. Her bike suffered over $1,000 in damage.
Leifer, who relies on biking as her main transportation, said, “Safe cycling routes are a matter of life or death for me. My crash could have been prevented.”
While she supports protected bike lanes, Leifer acknowledges the need for parking, especially for people with mobility challenges.
“It’s sad that it’s become bikers versus parkers,” she added.
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