I try not to complain too much about the weather we've been having here in NYC. After all, they've had over two meters (7 feet) of snow in Boston this winter.
When I heard about that, I wondered how bicycle commuters were coping. Some, I'm sure, are taking the "T", as Boston is one of the few American cities with anything resembling a meaningful mass transit network. But others are determined to keep on riding. I would, too, as long as the snow didn't turn to ice.
One Beantown commuter was confronted with a fifteen-foot (4.5 meter) mound of snow in the middle of his riding route. Someone once told me that when you're faced with an obstacle, you can go around or through it. Apparently, that cyclist and some of his fellow riders chose the latter option.
Yes, they tunneled through the mound. Locals have nicknamed it "Big Dig 2", in reference to a recent highway tunnel project.
When I heard about that, I wondered how bicycle commuters were coping. Some, I'm sure, are taking the "T", as Boston is one of the few American cities with anything resembling a meaningful mass transit network. But others are determined to keep on riding. I would, too, as long as the snow didn't turn to ice.
One Beantown commuter was confronted with a fifteen-foot (4.5 meter) mound of snow in the middle of his riding route. Someone once told me that when you're faced with an obstacle, you can go around or through it. Apparently, that cyclist and some of his fellow riders chose the latter option.
Yes, they tunneled through the mound. Locals have nicknamed it "Big Dig 2", in reference to a recent highway tunnel project.
The snow has left us questioning whether we really do have "anything resembling a meaningful mass transit network." The T has been dreadful this month. The first blizzard burnt out the motors on a bunch of the subway cars (too much snow on their above ground segments), and ice on the tracks and third rails have had some segments shut down for many days.
ReplyDeleteThe tunnel was a neat project by some of the local bikers that wanted to continue using a path that was now buried. Sadly, it only lasted two days before the powers that be were able to bring in heavy equipment, not to clear the path, but to collapse the tunnel. Presumably, they considered it a liability risk, and rather than open the path, it was easier to just knock down the roof.
Ailish--I'm sorry to hear about the mass transit woes in Boston. I'm not surprised: The system there is even older than the one here in NYC.
ReplyDeleteCollapsing the tunnel sounds like a CYA move to me.