Marblehead is gearing up to make its streets more bike-friendly, unveiling a plan that could reshape how residents and visitors navigate the town. On Sept. 24, the Select Board heard the Bicycle Facilities Plan, a blueprint developed over the past year to construct bike lanes, improve signage and enhance safety at critical intersections.
At the meeting, town Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey described this project as the final piece of planning for Marblehead’s Complete Streets framework. Previous efforts have focused on sidewalks, pavement management and Rail Trail improvements.
Casey told the board the proposal complements, but does not duplicate, the 2020 Rail Trail Plan. Instead, it focuses on on-street facilities and prioritizes routes near schools, crash clusters and key town destinations.
The goal, he said, is to make bicycling a safe, efficient and practical option for all residents and visitors, while expanding the network in ways that improve safety, reduce traffic, promote public health and weave bicycle planning into broader town policies.
The plan was shaped by extensive public engagement, including pop-up events, a workshop at Abbot Hall and an online survey that drew more than 800 responses. Feedback consistently emphasized safety, especially for children riding to school.
“Many kids and parents don’t necessarily feel safe riding to school on our current network, but many still choose to bike regardless,” he told the board.
Residents also called for more bike parking, safer intersections and better connections to MBTA Commuter Rail stations and neighboring communities like Salem and Swampscott. Others urged the town to add an education component to promote road etiquette among drivers and Cyclists.
Education is key
Marblehead Cycle owner Dan Shuman shared that concern.
“It’s a good start,” he said of the plan, “but they definitely need to do some education, because I get worried about a lot of the people on electric bikes and what the current laws are versus what I think they should be.”
The plan identifies two types of infrastructure: separated facilities such as bike lanes or shared- use paths, and neighborhood greenways that calm traffic on quieter streets. The Historic District with narrow streets, Casey noted, are unlikely to see dedicated lanes.
“It doesn’t really make sense to put protected bike infrastructure in that part of town,” he said. Instead, shared routes and signage could remind drivers to expect cyclists. On wider arterials such as Pleasant Street, Humphrey Street and West Shore Drive, separated lanes could be considered following public input.
Shuman pointed to those same corridors, along with others like Lafayette Street and Atlantic Avenue, as the most urgent areas for bike-friendly improvements — many of which already appear to be prioritized in the draft plan.
He also noted that cycling in Marblehead has surged since the pandemic.
“There’s been a much bigger increase of cyclists and hopefully that continues,” Shuman said, adding that safer infrastructure, safety classes, group rides and youth programs could help sustain the trend.
In a follow-up interview with the Current, Casey said the plan did not calculate an overall implementation cost, noting that expenses will depend on the scope of each project. “That’s really hard to calculate because there are so many variables,” he said, pointing to factors such as road and sidewalk conditions, stormwater infrastructure and whether a simple, quick-build approach — like paint, planters or barriers — or a full redesign is needed. “The plan gives an outline and helps the town… prioritize which roads we should start looking at addressing.”
The town expects to pursue a patchwork of state and federal funding, with Casey pointing to MassDOT’s Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School programs, the federal Transportation Improvement Program and MassWorks grants as likely sources.
He said the plan does not set a fixed timeline for implementation. Progress will depend on project priorities, continued community feedback and funding availability.
“The speed is kind of dictated on how much money we’re getting from state grants and… local support from the town,” Casey said.
While the timeline remains uncertain, Shuman said the improvements themselves are especially necessary given the heavy traffic during school pickup and drop-off. He argued that many trips in Marblehead are short enough to be done on foot or by bike.
“The town’s not very big and I think it would help the environment, but it also helps ease congestion,” he said.
Tourism is another reason to support improvements, he added.
“We have a lot of customers that come in that are looking for a place to ride safely and want to go visit Marblehead,” Shuman said. “But there’s not really great infrastructure. There’s not good bike parking anywhere except for at the schools.”
According to Casey, residents can already see some changes on the ground. These improvements may not be specifically outlined in the Bicycle Facilities Plan but still enhance cycling and pedestrian safety, such as recent Rail Trail upgrades, modifications on residential streets to slow traffic and drainage improvements.
Following overwhelming resident concerns over safety, Casey emphasized that education will be a central part of the plan, including campaigns on responsible biking practices and proper helmet and light use for all riders.
For Shuman, e-bike safety is a particular concern, with more residents buying them thanks to a state rebate. He worries about children riding powerful models without helmets, calling for clearer rules about where e-bikes are allowed and stronger enforcement of speed and helmet laws.
The draft plan is set to undergo Select Board review before final adoption. If approved, officials hope it will guide Marblehead toward safer streets and a more sustainable future.
