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How to walk on Vassar Street sidewalks?
Advice for pedestrians

MIT and the City of Cambridge have decided that bicyclists should share the sidewalks of Vassar Street with pedestrians.

That's bad news for you. On a sidewalk, you should be able to relax, get lost in conversation, walk a dog on a long leash, etc. etc. -- not have to pay attention to  fast-moving wheeled vehicles that could knock you down, the way you do when crossing a street.

Though the sidepaths are designated for one-way bicycle travel, they will be used for two-way travel, just as you use the sidewalks. To go only in the direction marked by arrows, bicyclists would have to travel away from their destination to get to the sidepath on the opposite side of the street. So don't blame them for this situation.

Yes, there are lines to indicate where the bicyclists should go -- but bicyclists can't be expected to stay within those lines. Slower bicyclists will tend to keep toward the street side of the sidepaths, so faster ones will pass on the sidewalk side. And when a wrong-way bicyclist also passes, there's no telling who will go where. It's still legal, and would be better, if the bicyclists rode in the street. After all, a bicyclist who runs into you is just as likely to get hurt as you are.

Be very cautious. Stay close to the buildings, don't make any sudden changes of direction, look in all directions before crossing anywhere a bicyclist might enter or leave, and be especially careful when walking with a child. You could conceal the child from a bicyclist, and the child might dart out into the bicyclist's path.


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