Cambridge Council Votes 7-2 to Set November 2026 Bike Lane Deadline

CAMBRIDGE -- October 21, 2024, Cambridge City Council votes to accelerate bike lane deadline from 2027 to November 2026. The council voted 7-2 Monday to amend the Cycling Safety Ordinance, setting a November 30, 2026 deadline for separated bike lanes on Cambridge Street, Broadway, and Main Street, one year sooner than the extension the council had approved in April. Vice Mayor Marc McGovern and co-sponsors Councillors Sumbul Siddiqui, Burhan Azeem, and Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler argued the original concerns driving the delay had been resolved, noting Traffic Commissioner Owen McKenna confirmed the city could complete the work under either a 2026 or 2027 deadline. "If the deadline is 2027, it's going to take to 2027," McGovern said. "If the deadline is 2026, they'll get it done by 2026." Councillors Paul Toner and Mayor E. Denise Simmons voted no, with Simmons raising concerns about outreach to houses of worship that she said were unaware of planned parking losses. The council also voted 9-0 to refer companion shared-parking zoning and PTDM ordinance amendments to the Ordinance Committee, measures that would open an estimated 3,400 off-street spaces in the affected corridors as roughly 800 to 900 on-street spots are removed. Public comment drew 124 registered speakers and included the friend of cyclist Minty Nguyen, killed June 21, who said, "I can't celebrate her birthday this year because she was killed on June 21st, exactly four months ago today."