Mill Street Bike-Friendly Street and Parking Redesign - Worcester Massachusetts

Bob and I are both avid bicycle riders. Bob worked at Trek Stop in Grafton for many years, so he is well aware of the countless issues plaguing bicycle riders. The Mill Street redesign was supposed to make this Worcester roadway safer for both drivers and for those riding bicycles.

The layout puts parked cars IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO the travel lane for cars. Then there's an 'empty zone' so that passengers don't open their car doors into a bicyclist. And then to the far right, immediately by the curb, you have the bike lane.

A challenge is that debris tends to collect at the curb - broken glass, rocks, etc. So now you have bicyclers jammed into that debris zone where they can damage their tires or crash.

Another challenge is that cars still seem to be parking in the bike lane, so bikes have to swerve around them anyway.

Also, car drivers aren't used to having parked cars right 'in front of them' practically in a place which looks to be a travel lane.

Mill Street now presents an unusual layout which confuses and spooks drivers. At least one motorcyclist has plowed into the back of a parked car, apparently thinking that car was a moving car in the 'right hand lane'.

What do you think? Brilliant design that we just have to get used to? Or would another layout be better?

#Worcester #bike #bicycle