Bikes!

[kristinhaze.livejournal.com]

I just bought a bike...and I'm very new to biking in general. You DO forget how to ride a bike. Trust me. It happens. So, I'm planning on taking MassBike classes and everything and I took out my bike yesterday to test it out and I know of the Minuteman Bike Path, originating at Alewife - but can I get there from Davis? I noticed two little paths that seem to just terminate...one at the T station and the other at some residencial area where the air smells very sweet. I'm wary right now about any road riding, so I would walk my bike over crossways, and I have looked online for exact street names/directions to get to the Bike Path from Davis but I'm not having luck. Any tips? Thank you!

Comments

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

This doesn't really help you now, I know, but I've heard rumours that the bike path in Davis Square might eventually be connected to the Minuteman path.

[cosinezero.livejournal.com]

Already is.

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Oh. My bad. :)

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

It may eventually be connected along its southern end to a path that goes down around the Charles River basin.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

The bike path extension is a project to take the path that currently ends at Cedar and continue it through Somerville and Camrbidge all the way to the Charles River parks.

[treacle-well.livejournal.com]

You can pick up the bike path behind the Holland Street T Station--there's an entrance just off Buena Vista (Drive?). That will take you to the intersection of (forgot street name that I used to know well) and Mass Ave. Cross Mass Ave, and continue a very short distance down the small side street there to another street I don't know the name of--it's the one that intersects with Mass Ave a few feet further up. (Sorry). Once there you should fairly easily spot where the bike path picks up again, and goes to Alewife.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

That's Cameron Ave. The oddly-shaped brick building on the corner used to be the signal house for the gated railroad crossing that crossed Mass Ave there. The Somerville/Cambridge bike path between Cedar St. and Alewife used to be a branch of the B&M railroad, and is shown as such on old topo maps of the area. There's more abandoned B&M right-of-way east of Cedar but it hasn't been paved over.

The Watertown Branch has finally been abandoned and is due to be turned into a bike path as well. Newlywed Foods in Watertown used to get flour deliveries by rail for a long time, which accounted for the one train a week that ran on the line. It had already been abandoned past Arlington St. long ago. The line used to run through Watertown Square to the present-day Waltham Center station.

If you want to go poking around old topo maps, I highly recommend http://historical.maptech.com .

historical.maptech.com

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

Oh my goodness. I'm not getting anything else done today. Thanks (I think!)

Re: historical.maptech.com

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

yes, it's quite the time-suck. I should have warned people.

[ron_newman]

Last I'd heard, Guilford had withdrawn their application to abandon the Watertown branch. Maybe things have changed once again.

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

you have *got* to be kidding. *facepalm* What *possible* economic value could Guilford see in that line? AFAIK they've been trying to abandon it for a long time, and only the flour shipments to Newlywed Foods kept it open, at a loss to Guilford.

(BTW, here's the petition for abandonment (http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/0/fd289ebef2293d3f85256fff00173e03?OpenDocument). Oddly, the abandonment only goes as far as Cottage Street, which would appear to leave the short segment abutting Newlywed Foods as an "orphan" segment of track with no connection to any other lines. Weird.)

[ron_newman]

This isn't an actual petition for abandonment, just a set of documents that are required to accompany such a petition. (I didn't understand this either at the time, when I posted about it to various mailing lists.) Guilford never followed it up with a real filing.

Three months later, they filed this System Diagram Map. On page 6, they say that "The Watertown Branch ... is no longer expected to be abandoned within 3 years."

[ron_newman]

Here's a discussion of the Watertown Branch, at railroad.net . Someone there reported watching a freight delivery to Newlywed Foods on June 1st. So the line is still active, and that's probably why Guilford isn't abandoning it.

[ron_newman]

The first street is Cameron Avenue. The second is Cedar Street (in Cambridge! which has nothing to do with Cedar Street in Somerville.)

[srl.livejournal.com]

Get a copy of the Boston Bikemap, available at any local bike shop. It'll show you not only the path locations but also the streets that are safer for bikes.

Congratulations on your new biking habit. :)

[rekling.livejournal.com]

I too just got a bike, and I'm very excited to try riding it.

If you ever want another beginner (I haven't ridden in well over 6 years) to go for easy rides on non-streets, let me know!

-Rek

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

the other at some residencial area where the air smells very sweet.
There's a bakery on Highland Road across from the Lexington Ave park; I suspect that's what you're smelling.

One end of the bike path is at Cedar. Then it continues (crossing Willow Ave) until the back of the Brooks drugstore. Then you cross Davis Square and go behind the T station. Cross the street and you're on the beginning of Camrbidge's Linear park. This path continues until Mass Ave. You then cross Mass Ave and continue one block diagonally to find the rest of Linear park. That will connect you to the Minuteman.

Here's a version of the bike path overlaid on google maps:
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=221975
(The road crossings are how I bike them coming from Cedar, you can just walk the bike across them more directly.)

[ron_newman]

How did you make that?

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

www.gmap-pedometer.com does all of the work. I just start the route at the right spot, zoom all the way in (which only works with satellite; the hybrid setting won't zoom in that far) and play connect the dots.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

Hit "start recording" to begin a route. Double-click on the map to set a point and recenter the map.

[ceo]

The bakery is the Secret Donut Factory. Go in there when the door's open and they'll sell you a fresh donut for 25¢ or a muffin for 50¢

[emblebug.livejournal.com]

I walked past that place every day for two years, smelling the great smells, and never once was the door open! I moved to NYC never having had the secret donuts. I think I will have to come back this summer and stalk them until they open the door.

[yangelina.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed your map, and happy to see that you went through the intersection at Mass Ave, ride on the street and make a left onto the path, instead of riding on the sidewalk. Way to go!
But may I ask - what happens on your ride back? That little section of Cameron between Mass Ave and Cedar is a one way street going south west, and it isn't good biking habit for me to ride on a one-way.
I tried exiting Linear park, left onto Cedar, right onto Mass Ave and left again at the light for Cameron - but the stretch of Mass Ave between Cedar/Cameron frequntly isn't enough for me to get to the left lane to turn onto Cameron when traffic is heavy. I hope this makes sense, that's a lot of street names and turns.
Just curious what other cyclists do. Thanks!

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

On the way back I am usually pretty worn out and I cross the intersection as a pedestrian.

I think once or twice I have turned left onto Cedar & right onto Mass Ave; I haven't found it to be hard to get to the left when I have the green from Cedar.

[turil.livejournal.com]

If you are turning onto MassAve with the traffic on a green light, you will only have one line of cars to worry about. Just get in line and stay left as you are turning. I've done it many times and it works well.

[ron_newman]

I just ride back the same way, up that block of Cameron. I stay to the right. There's never any car traffic on it.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

You've already heard the explanations of the Davis Square part of the path; once you've crossed Mass. Ave. and gotten back on the path (there's a traffic light at that intersection, by the way, so it's not that scary), keep following the bike path, around the playing fields, and when you turn the corner, Alewife will be staring you in the face. This part actually isn't quite as intuitive as it feels once you've done it once or twice.
As you're facing Alewife, turn right; cross the one-lane street, follow the sidewalk back to the left (it's the only way to go), and *then* you get to the start of the Minuteman path, which is much more obvious and has a cute little bridge at the start.
I definitely agree that you should pick up a Rubel bike map or two. They're even useful if you're not on bike.
Congratulations on your new bike, and on your newly refound skills!

[ron_newman]

Yep, except that I usually ride in the road, not on that narrow sidewalk, on that last leg around Alewife. The road is wide, but people are often walking on the sidewalk.

[dancingdeer.livejournal.com]

If you're heading from Alewife to the Minuteman start, that would put you going the wrong way on that one-way road, and whether or not you're comfortable doing that, I won't do it. Plus, cars tend to whip along on that road; I often won't even ride in the street on the way back to Alewife over there.

[ron_newman]

True. I've just been doing it long enough that I feel pretty comfortable there in either direction -- more so than on the sidewalk.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

I view the sidewalk as going in the direction opposite traffic. So toward Arlington I ride on the sidewalk, away from Arlington I ride on the right side of the (very wide) road; this also has me cross the road in a spot with more visibility.

[ron_newman]

Somewhere along the way, you'll pass Deborah Henson-Conant's favorite willow tree 'Belinda'. I think it's at the Thorndike Street crossing

[ron_newman]

I enthusiastically second the recommendation of Rubel BikeMaps. Andy lives just a few blocks from Davis and is a great guy. Get the Boston BikeMap (which overlays a USGS topo map) and the Eastern Mass. map. Also check out their Pocket Rides, some of which start in nearby Arlington.

[larksdream]

I just took the MassBike 101 class-- it was *really* good.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

If all those "connecty" bits people are describing sound confusing, just do it midday on a sunny summer weekend, and there will be a bazillion bikes for you to follow.

[agharta75.livejournal.com]

You can take the bike on the T to Alewife during non-rush hours. The bike trail starts on the northwest side of the parking garage. Just keep the bike out of crowded subway cars.

[ron_newman]

True. Though a trip from Davis to Alewife is not worth $1.25 unless it's raining.

[chenoameg.livejournal.com]

According to http://www.mbta.com/insidethet/press_releases_details.asp?ID=1206

"Bicycles are allowed on the Red, Orange and Blue lines, Commuter Rail, Commuter Boat, and Crosstown (CT) bus routes during certain times. Bikes are not allowed on the Green Line, the Mattapan Trolley, or other buses. There is no extra fee for bringing a bike, but riders must know and follow the rules below to bring their bikes on board. "

I've previously found lists of instructions, but I couldn't find them today.

[ron_newman]

Taking a bike on the commuter rail is very useful. Lots of fun places are within biking distance, but not walking distance, of commuter rail stops. Walden Pond, DeCordova Museum, Wingaersheek(sp?) Beach in Gloucester, Halibut Point in Rockport, Crane's Beach in Ipswich, Plum Island in Newburyport, Salisbury Beach, Slater Park in Pawtucket, McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, ...

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

http://www.pathfriends.org/scp/

[irinarasp.livejournal.com]

Yay, bicycles!!