Bicyclists call for Beacon Hill bike lane, but not everyone is on board
BOSTON – More than 150 bicyclists lined Charles Street in Boston on Tuesday, showing the route where they'd like the state to install a two-way bike lane.
"When I bike on Cambridge Street and Charles Street, I don't feel safe," said Alex Shames of Brighton.
Shames relies on a bicycle to get around and told WBZ-TV that he's constantly worried a car will either get too close or run him off the road.
He's among the hundreds of people petitioning for a two-way bike lane stretching from Charles Circle to the Boston Public Garden – essentially narrowing traffic on this busy street.
"Something that adds more physical separation between you and a two-ton vehicle that can really hurt someone," said Boston Cyclists Union executive director Becca Wolfson.
"These road changes are going to benefit everyone," Shames added.
But not everyone agrees.
"I think it will be a big problem, absolutely," said Chris Pedersen, who has owned Charles Street Liquor for nearly two decades, along with a UPS branch next door.
Pedersen is worried that reducing traffic down to one or two lanes in an already congested neighborhood could cost him his customers and business.
"I think it would severely impact my business. People won't be able to stop and drive here," he said.
It's up to state officials to decide whether installing bike lanes will be a good idea for this neighborhood. Some say it all boils down to safety.
"If it's dangerous for people to bike, it's dangerous for pedestrians too and for drivers," Wolfson said.