Cyclists Are Dying in Cambridge. Copenhagen Might Have The Answer.

I recently arrived in Cambridge from Copenhagen, Denmark, shocked to find cyclists zigzagging around me on the sidewalk. I found this apparent disregard for the safety of pedestrians confusing, until I hopped on a Bluebike myself.

Car drivers routinely open doors in our faces, cut us off as they turn without looking, and block the bicycle lane to drop people off. It is extremely dangerous. No reasonable city should accept this level of risk for its citizens.

Then, I read that John H. Corcoran ’84, a father of two, was struck by a car on Memorial Drive — the third cyclist since June to be killed in Cambridge. Just this morning in neighboring Allston, yet another crash occurred outside of Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex.

How many more stories must we read until our streets become safer?

With its slow-footed response, Cambridge is gambling with its citizens’ lives. The City of Cambridge must act now — using tried-and-tested approaches from cities like Copenhagen — to prevent more cyclist deaths.

I was initially very happy to see Cambridge’s bike lanes. Getting more people on bicycles reduces congestion and air pollution, promotes public health and saves money. I prefer bike travel because it is fast, efficient, and oftentimes fun.

Cambridge’s problem? The city averages over 100 crashes involving bicycles annually.

In cities like my hometown of Copenhagen nearly half of commuters ride a bicycle to school or work, while in Cambridge, it’s about one in 11. Still, research demonstrates that the number of accidents for every million bicycle miles traveled is several times higher in Cambridge than in Copenhagen.

It need not be this way.

Solving the epidemic of cyclist deaths starts with education. Almost all children in Denmark go through a school-based bicycle training program where they learn to signal turns and stops with their arms. That’s why people riding on the sidewalk are jeered in Copenhagen: even children know not to do that.

Similarly, when you obtain your driver’s license, instructors drill into you that you must check for bikes across your shoulders on every single turn. Forget it once during your exam and you fail. Such “shoulder checks” are, of course, taught in the U.S. Yet my many near-misses indicate that this is not an ingrained habit and that violations are not punished.

Next, build interconnected bike infrastructure. A stray lane here and there does not help. Nobody driving a car would accept a road that was only safe for portions of their commute. Cyclists must also be protected during the entirety of their journeys. Indeed, Corcoran was killed on a small portion of Memorial Drive where there are inconsistent bicycle lanes.

To keep cyclists safe, Copenhagen has built bicycle superhighways: long cyclist-only paths that span the most popular commuting routes. Massachusetts’ own “Minuteman Bikeway” applies the same principle, and it should be emulated in Cambridge.

Finally, Cambridge should support cyclists with more fun, usable, and attractive bike infrastructure.

Copenhagen puts footrests for bicyclists at intersections and places trash cans at an angle to allow for easy access. Bicycle-only bridges have won awards for their elegant designs.

Imagine gliding across the Charles on a stylish bridge while safely enjoying the view. You would likely show up much happier at your destination and perhaps make biking your go-to mode of transport.

Investing in safe, convenient, and fun bicycle infrastructure kicks off a virtuous cycle. When more people bike, it becomes easier for the city to justify further infrastructure investments. Dedicated bicycle lanes also free up sidewalks for pedestrians and allow cars to more easily spot their fellow roadmates.

Cambridge need not go full Copenhagen right away. But the city must take action on its vision of reaching zero fatalities. Commendably, after John Corcoran’s death, Cambridge has moved to expedite the construction of separated bicycle lanes from 2027 to 2026.

Cambridge shouldn’t wait another two years to improve safety.

It should start with the simple things, like putting up signs that alert drivers and cyclists around the city’s most dangerous spots or setting up reporting mechanisms to learn about daily near-misses.

Policymakers have known of the dangers of the Memorial Drive stretch for years — they must not drag their feet any longer on the remaining trouble areas.

Today, volunteers construct “ghost bikes” in Cambridge to commemorate cyclists killed in traffic. Let John Corcoran’s be the last.

Mathias A. Esmann is a Mid-Career Master of Public Administration student at the Harvard Kennedy School.