To the cyclist who biked down Hollis Street this morning on the right side of the road, causing traffic to swerve dangerously to avoid him: Please use your designated bike lane on the left side. I know the Hollis Street bike lane is nicknamed “The Road Kill” because it shares the narrow road with 18 wheelers, but use it or lose it.
—Not the “Road Killer”
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2018.
I cycle the Hollis St bike lane often and do so in the designated lane where possible. However, some cyclists are cycling in the right side of the road because of the number of trucks and delivery vehicles that are parked in the bicycle lane forcing riders into the lane of traffic. Keeping to the right riders are not forced to weave suddenly into the traffic lane but rather are a constant fixture in the right side. I am considering cycling on the right side going siren Hollis st as the current arrangement is unsafe.
To be sure, the Hollis St bike lane is great if you want to ride down to the South End. For many cyclists taking that route, the intention is to go uphill, for instance on Prince Street, to get up to Barrington on up. So they take the right lane, as is only reasonable, and within their rights as road users. Bike lanes are not meant to be mandatory. Really the problem with the Hollis St bike lane, is that it is on a one way street to begin with, while cyclists, like motorists, need to make a turn off on either side sooner or later.