Cambridge business owners say bike lanes are keeping customers away

CAMBRIDGE – The town of Cambridge is staying sued to prevent the set up of extra bike lanes. Harold Gilmer owns Elite Barber Store on Mass. Ave and has been chopping hair in the neighborhood for 21 years. “It can be afflicted everybody all-around below, the business is not the exact,” Gilmer said.

He suggests the city’s latest biking safety ordinance, which phone calls for bike lanes all together Mass. Ave, is hurting nearby organization house owners.

“We’ve been acquiring parking up and down Mass. Ave for this full time and to pay your payments you want to have individuals be ready to pull more than and check out the shops,” Gilmer claimed.

Other proprietors agree, the new deficiency of parking implies much less clients via their doors.

“We could not correctly make a customer base, folks were not going for walks in so we experienced to regulate to survive we had to do additional takeout and supply,” reported Som Pogosov of Phoenix Kitchen area.  

Proponents of the bike lanes stage out the metropolis will be eliminating the median between Roseland and Beech Avenue by the close of July to produce a lot more parking spots in the Porter Sq. region.

Chris Cassa, a volunteer with Cambridge Bicycle Basic safety, adds practically two-thirds of the Cambridge community rides bikes and security remains the most significant worry.

“We treatment deeply about creating absolutely sure that there is certainly adequate parking but also want to make certain that individuals figure out that safer streets that assistance folks transfer more competently through the streets are heading to support support compact companies,” Cassa mentioned.

“Especially on Mass. Ave from 2015 to 2021 6 men and women have died on our streets who are biking and 250 people who ended up biking have been concerned in a crash that was with a motor car that resulted in an damage or extra than $1,000 injury.”  

“If we go out of organization we are going to have a ton of good bicycle lanes, but it will be a shallow region,” Sam Pogosov mentioned.