The
fatal accident between a bicycle and a tractor-trailer in Boston last weeks brings to mind
that I think it is important to check out your commutes before choosing a
neighborhood. Yes, job locations change. However, you should start in a new house
with a decent commute to work and other common destinations that work for you.
Ruling
a neighborhood in or ruling a neighborhood out is best done before beginning to
see inside of houses. It is too easy to get hooked on a great house in the
wrong spot, if you house-hunt house first and location-hunt second.
Boston also boasts of being the fourth
most bikeable city according to Boston Magazine's on line BostonDaily.
Somerville comes in number nine in at TheStreet.com.The attention to making cities more bike friendly has increased the number of
people choosing to forsake car ownership or everyday car commuting.
The
question came up about whether a bicycle is the fastest way to commute at rush
hour. On May 14th, 2012 Livable Streets
did a test of just that. They conducted a race from Davis Square to Kendall
Square: one car, one bicycle and the Red Line MBTA. The race started at 8:30
AM. Who
won? The bicycle, by nine minutes over the MBTA Red Line rider. The driver
was last, coming in three minutes after the subway rider. It was closer than I
expected.
If
I wanted to start an argument here, I would pit the car drivers against the
bicyclists and vice-versa. I regularly hear from bicyclists about the crazy
drivers. I hear, even more frequently, from drivers who wish bicyclists learned
how to drive.
I
tell all my clients to check their commutes before buying, the bicyclists
especially. I suggest that they do a commute from their intended purchase areas
to work. If they also use a bicycle for food shopping or to go to friends, they
should check out those routes as well. Planning a route with a map is not
enough. Bicyclists need to test out the topography. It is hard to know, whether
the not-so steep, but very long rise will be too much of a barrier on a daily
basis. I also suggest that bicycle commuters find an alternative transportation
to work, for the days of very bad weather.
Here
are some resources:
