Suspend the Proposed Separated Bicycle Lanes along Outer Huron Avenue, A Community Petition

We are requesting that the City of Cambridge Transportation Department immediately cease all work on the proposed separated bicycle lanes for outer Huron Avenue and  find another suitable one-half mile  as a replacement within the Cycling Safety Ordinance.

Bike lanes already exist along outer Huron Avenue and cycling along this stretch is minimal. The 2020 Bicycle Network Vision document, Chapter 5, p. 3 states: "Figure 5.1 (p.4) shows which places were most frequently identified as "improvements needed"; this input was used during the development of the Bicycle Network Vision to identify locations deemed important by the public." The map indicates no "comment frequency" for this area, i.e. no comments were made indicating needed improvements.

This project proposes to eliminate virtually all parking on outer Huron Avenue from the Fresh Pond Golf Course and the Russell Youth Center to Grove Street in Belmont. 

We are deeply concerned that, as such, there will be unacceptable detrimental impacts on too many City amenities, local groups, and residents: the Russell Youth Center, the VFW, individuals with disabilities using these facilities, users of the Fresh Pond Golf Course, Parkside Place Apartment residents, and Strawberry Hill residents.

The Russell Youth Center relies on accessible parking for the many children and families it serves, and this includes visitors and residents with disabilities who need convenient access to amenities. The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) patrons, who have served our country faithfully, deserve easy access to their meetings and events without having to face the challenge of finding distant parking spots. 

Fresh Pond Golf Course, which hosted approximately 54,000 rounds of golf in 2025, will also suffer as players of all ages and abilities depend heavily on accessible nearby parking options in addition to the modest parking lot. Already, league players turn away when they cannot find parking spots in the golf course parking lot. These are paying patrons of a city facility which makes money for the City. 

Moreover, the residents of Strawberry Hill and Parkside Place, many of whom are elderly or have mobility challenges, will find it even more difficult to go about their daily lives if convenient parking is no longer available.

We invite residents, Cambridge facility users, and concerned citizens to add their names in support of keeping all parking along outer Huron Avenue.