Please keep the left turn onto Inman Street as it is. Many of us make that turn frequently and there's nothing unsafe about it. One exception does not make a rule.

I agree with comment by Robert Winters. Not a good idea.

Besides Mr. Winters' point: a detour from Hampshire through the center of Inman Sq and up Springfield - at rush hour! - is a terrible idea. That scenario would be much worse for cyclists AND traffic criss-crossing through Inman via Hampshire as well as the equally busy Cambridge St (we just got rid of a major problem created by cars waiting to make across-traffic left turns from Hampshire onto westbound Cambridge St by prohibiting same). Not to mention the traffic that would back up on westbound Hampshire due to cars waiting - at rush hour! - to make a right across the center of Inman and traverse up Springfield and back. Think of the poor residents on Springfield and the noise/danger of honking rush hour traffic attempting to make a loop - at rush hour! - through their (quiet) neighborhood.

Agree with Winters and Richards - the no left turns already in place makes it impossible to get from East Cambridge or Kendall Square to Antrim Street, taking away the turn from Hampshire to Inman Street as well is nuts, even for short term. The roads were designed for cars and buses, putting up signs and painting the road is a confusing "band aid" solution at best.

So if you do not restrict the left turn, how do we keep cyclists safe? Vehicles trying to turn left here really should be treating this as a two lane road, the same as Massachusetts Ave, just because one lane of traffic is stopped, for whatever reason, does not mean the other lane of traffic has stopped.

This is why I specifically proposed a morning Rush Hour only restriction, as that's the time with the most traffic and potential conflict. A little inconvenience traded for a huge increase in safety seems like a reasonable compromise, particularly if the City actually plans to start rebuilding Inman Square "soon".

Cyclists going straight here have right of way, vehicles turning left always must give way, particularly if they cannot see all oncoming traffic. If a police officer makes a mistake and almost accidentally runs over a cyclist here that tells me that the intersection design needs some help!

If you guys have better ideas to improve safety at this intersection please do propose it. Just complaining about how hard it'll make driving though, that's unfortunate to hear that you value your time over other people's safety, especially since it'd only be for a short time, assuming the City ever starts the reconstruction here.

Let me repeat: "One exception does not make a rule."

I have never viewed this left turn as a danger to cyclists, and one instance to the contrary doesn't change this.

Short term - not clear that a no left during rush hour sign would make it safer for bikes.
It is clear that it will make car traffic slower because cars would be forced to re-enter the same congested intersection (twice, not once) to traverse from Hampshire to Inman, and it would also produce more traffic on Springfield.
Long term - real design that has been thought through.

I think cyclists can make it safer for cyclists by applying their brakes - something many seem reluctant to do, at all costs - from time to time...

Funny that the OP thinks that making this elaborate detour for cars "during rush hour"! is a good solution...talk about a snarl...

Here's a suggestion - if you see a car coming towards you, squeeze your brakes. Motorists have to do this all the time for other motorists, skittering cyclists, toddlers, strollers, police cars, etc. it's not really that hard.

As part of the intersection safety review conducted in 2016, left turns from Hampshire Street to Cambridge Street and from Cambridge Street to Antrim Street were restricted based on review of crash history and operational observations. The left turn from Hampshire Street to Inman Street was not restricted as part of that effort, as there was no document crash history nor significant operational issues associated with the movement. While it's unfortunate to hear about the near miss crash, there is nothing unique about this turn compared to any of the other left turn movements from Hampshire Street to side streets.

We will share this report with the Cambridge Police Department to remind officers to watch for oncoming bikes at this location.

Thank you for your report.

This issue was recategorized from Traffic Sign Complaint to Traffic Enforcement - Police (Internal).

Traffic - PB (Engineering) assigned this issue to Police - JW (Communications)