Make Storrow part of the cycle

Thank you for your article on bicycling ("For cyclists, respect = safety," Oct. 1, City Weekly). On Sunday, several thousand bicyclists were able to enjoy a car-free Storrow Drive. The event was part of the Hub on Wheels citywide ride. This was a wonderful "first" and the owner of Storrow Drive, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, deserves praise for this historic breakthrough.

For more than 25 years, the DCR has closed Memorial Drive from the Eliot Bridge to the Western Avenue Bridge on Sunday afternoons, allowing bikers and in-line skaters to enjoy the parklands. But the stretches between bridges and crossroads are short, and do not allow uninterrupted exercise as Storrow Drive would.

Closing Storrow Drive on Sunday mornings would complement the already successful Memorial Drive closing, allowing bicyclists and in-line skaters to have several miles of continuing riding. Thanks to the underpasses, Storrow Drive allows uninterrupted riding from the Museum of Science to the Eliot Bridge. Such an experience would allow for a safe and athletic activity and might encourage more people to choose this beautiful shoreline for regular commuting and exercise.

Renata von Tscharner
President
Charles River Conservancy

Published in City Weekly, Boston Sunday Globe, Oct 8, 2006.