Bike lanes along Rose Kennedy Greenway (Atlantic Ave., Purchase Street), versus riding in Greenway

By: Adriana Santiago

The Rose Kennedy Greenway is a series of parks and trails that was created once the Central Artery going above Boston went underground during the Big Dig. This space is used by many for recreation and also by street vendors and food trucks. Here is a map of the Greenway:

Here is also a google maps link to where the Greenway is located: Rose Kennedy Greenway

Bike lanes on Atlantic Ave., Purchase Street:

Along Atlantic Avenue and Purchase Street, there are shared use lanes that cyclists use to get from one end of the Greenway to the other. I saw a lot of people bicycling in the street, so it’s not very dangerous. Cars there are used to sharing the street with bicyclists that ride to and from work every day.  

Riding in the Greenway:

I seldom saw people ride through the greenway weekday mornings when I used to walk from the North End to South Boston during the summer. Bicycling is not allowed on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. I would see people ride their bike along the wide paths at the beginning of the Greenway (near North Station) but bicyclists get discouraged at the end (Near South Station) because the trail narrows down and there are a lot of pedestrians. Here is a video of someone riding through the Greenway.

As you can see the fact that bicycles are not allowed doesn’t completely discourage people from biking through it. However, in the weekday mornings when people are biking to work, they would prefer to take the less winding shared lane on the street.