Boston-Cambridge-Somerville biking question
Hello, local and ex-local bikers.
This route takes about half a mile off my commute home. But it also goes through Harvard Square, and a significant chunk of it is on Mass Ave. Is that terrible?
About what’s terrible: I’ve been having a better time than I’d expected on large roads, thanks at least in part to the relatively new bike lanes along many of the busier stretches. I’m fine with car traffic, as long as they’re not being jerks—and, again, I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far. Still, these are pretty busy areas, so perhaps someone has sage advice?
(For the curious, this is my current route home. I like it just fine, but the route I’m considering has a long stretch of biking along the river, plus it’s possible that Mass Ave is actually flatter than Elm St between Somerville Ave and Porter Square.)
The stretch of mass ave north of Harvard Sq. is fine, but getting to it can be tricky with the weird underpass-like bit just outside the square. There’s no bike lane, no shoulder, and you’re thrown into the gullet of traffic there for a bit.
I’d suggest taking a right instead of a left on Mass ave, going through Harvard campus to cut up to Oxford St., which avoids the messy traffic bit at hvd. sq. Then you can cut back to Mass ave. via a side street off Oxford before you get up to Porter.
^_^
Ry suggests pretty much what I was going to. I hate biking through Harvard Sq. on Mass Ave because of the one terrifying bit with no bike lanes and horrible intersections. Cutting through to Oxford St. is much better. Oxford is a lot bumpier than Beacon/Hampshire, but still rideable.