Brookline and Brighton by Bike

A lot of us are taking to the road on two wheels these days. With rising gas prices and crowded trains on the Green Line, whisking off to work by bike not only saves money, but a lot of time. Plus you get your exercise in for the day without having to go to a gym.

The increase in bike traffic has been especially notable in Brookline and Brighton, since we’re just a quick peddle away from downtown. Fortunately, in Brookline, a new bike path down Beacon Street was put in last year. The lanes aren’t perfect — they appear and disappear, and are a bit too close to deadly car doors — but they’re better than the alternative, that is, fighting with cars for road space. Now that the city is also thinking of starting a bike rental system, similar to Zipcar, we’re likely to see even more bikes in this neck of the woods.

Now here’s my proposal. It’s radical, so sit down: Let’s put all branches of the Green Line — B, C and D — underneath the ground and turn the resulting street-level space on Commonwealth Avenue, Beacon Street and inner Brookline into a network of bike paths, safely protected from cars. It would cost a whole lot of money, but it would immeasurably improve the quality of life for citizens on this side of the city. Housing values would go way up, as travel by the T would become faster and safer, making this part of the city even more desirable. And more of us would be encouraged to use bikes, knowing that we’re not risking our necks to pick up a quart of milk. If you ask me, makes more sense than the Big Dig ever did.

And here for your consideration are three properties that would benefit from a suppressed Green Line train and a new network of Green Line bike paths:

300 Allston Street, #402
Brighton
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1266
$485,000

110-112 Cypress Street, PH#1
Brookline
BEDS:2/BATHS:2
SQ.FT:1262
#675,000

39 Kent Street, #5
Brookline
BEDS:3/BATHS:1
SQ.FT:1,180
$459,000

In and Around Brookline’s Pill Hill
Sweet Digs Boston Home