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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
By Jim Clark
While conducting traffic control, a Somerville police officer reportedly observed a man on a bicycle run through a red light at the corner of Beacon St. and Somerville Ave. last week.
The officer followed the cyclist and signaled for him to stop. Instead, the man accelerated and continued up Somerville Ave. in an apparent attempt to get away from the officer.
According to reports, the officer observed the cyclist run an additional four red lights as he followed him along Somerville Ave. in his police cruiser.
The officer was finally able to stop the man at the corner of Somerville Ave. and Loring St.
When asked for identification, the man reportedly told the officer that he didn’t have a driver’s license or any other form of identification on his person, but he offered the officer a name and address verbally.
The officer reportedly felt that the man was being deceptive and, apparently sensing the officer’s skepticism, reached into a pocket and pulled out a wallet containing a driver’s license. The man was subsequently identified as Edward Nicolau. After allowing Nicolau to lock his bicycle and helmet to a pole, the officer placed him under arrest, charged with bicycle violation and bicycle violator refusal to identify self.
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Great job by the officer. I think both the good drivers and bicyclists would agree with me. The few bad drivers and bicyclists ruin it for the rest. Our legislators should pass legislation that all bicycles are registered and display license plates like motor vehicles for identity purposes.
Now how about apprehending the bloody sidewalk cyclists?
Two of them nearly ran me down today in Union Square….
That’s nice. Now that the Somerville police have discovered how to do traffic details they can try pulling over the thousands of red light running cars on McGrath who not only endanger their own lives but those of other people too. Then if they want to get really fancy they can camp out near crosswalks & ticket folks who don’t yield to pedestrians. This is a whole new world they’ve opened up.
Great work indeed by the Somerville Police Dept. Nice to see the reckless cyclists being held accountable for their actions, such as blowing red lights…. blowing thru stop signs and crosswalks, weaving in and out of cars, riding on the sidewalks and riding against oncoming traffic.
When I drive, I much prefer that bicyclists clear the intersection when no one is going. That way, I don’t have to worry about running into them (especially at any sticky intersection, like the one mentioned above), and traffic generally runs more efficiently. It really doesn’t make sense to have to take the left from Beacon onto Somerville at the same time as cyclists, who will often go in front for their own safety (this is understandable, but does slow cars down). Let’s do what works best for everyone, instead of trying to pretend cars and bikes are the same and should abide by the same exact rules.
I’m still waiting for traffic cameras to tag all the people innocently speeding on residential streets.
I am a pedestrian and i have many issues with cyclists… but Somerville Police are dead wrong to ticket cyclists at this intersection.
On more than one occasion I have seen cyclist forced off the road because the bike lane is between two car lanes, and cars turning right don’t give way for them. Thank God there were no cars on the inside lane when I have seen this happen. Bikes should (cautiously) use the pedestrian lights at this intersection and get a jump on the traffic. It is better for everyone.
“Now how about apprehending the bloody sidewalk cyclists?”
Biking on the sidewalk is allowed unless specifically marked. It is marked in the center of Union Sq but I’m a little sympathetic. Biking (slowly) on the sidewalk seems better than navigating the one-way triangle and its intersections, or biking the wrong way in the bike lane (illegal).
The number of moving violation committed by drivers far exceeds those of cyclists and with a much more dangerous public threat. I can’t ride half a mile without a car either parking in the bike pane or cutting me off in it when the car turns left into a marked, fully painted lane.
Did anyone read the article. This bozo ran a number of lights and then gave the police a false name. That’s is why he was arrested, agree or not you can’t refuse to obey a lawful police order or makeup a name even if you think the original citation is bs. This jerk clearly thinks he is above the law.
@ jeff – Biking on the sidewalk is prohibited in the business districts for good reasons. The sidewalks especially in Union Square have many blind corners, and there is a large senior center just off the Square.
Yet I constantly see cyclists barreling down these sidewalks, totally oblivious to senior, sight- and motor-impaired pedestrians.
If that hazardous environment isn’t a recipe for injuries, I don’t know what is.
But you have your bias, and there you are.