Group envisions a Greenway on ice

MARK WILSON/GLOBE STAFFA BoltBus backs out of the gate. The firm runs from Boston to other Northeast cities. Fares are as low as $1 one-way. (MARK WILSON/GLOBE STAFF)

Ice skating on top of the Big Dig seems like such a subversive act - gliding blissfully and gracefully over a $15 billion engineering saga full of blunt bolts, noisy vents, and smoggy cars.

You can't do that right now, but it is very likely to happen next year.

Nancy Brennan, executive director of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, told Globe editors last week that she is looking seriously at adding a temporary ice rink to the strip of overhead parks.

It's high on a list of several ideas under consideration to lure more people to the Greenway.

"It will not be a successful park unless it is a happening place," Brennan said.

During the Greenway's first full summer in operation, it appeared that the waterfalls and shady areas were the most popular. But much of the Greenway was too passive and hot to attract many people.

Brennan is now exploring the use of installing temporary tarps to shade some areas during the hotter months.

The conservancy will officially take over operations of the Greenway Dec. 1. Members are hoping an Oct. 4 inaugural celebration will persuade people to see the park's potential as a community gathering spot.

But as time goes by, Brennan realizes she needs more attractions to draw people in.

She said Greenway members will spend the next few months looking at possible locations for a temporary skating rink that could open next fall.

"The technology of these has gotten much more sophisticated and reliable," she said.

Once they get a skating rink going, I envision one of those Disney on Ice-style programs where little kids come to watch skaters dressed as giant bulldozers and dirt-moving trucks in a grand reenactment of Big Dig construction.

New bike cages at Alewife
The growing legion of cyclists who bike to MBTA stations as part of their commute often have to lock their bikes around any pole, sign, lamppost, or bench they can find.

Last week, the T unveiled a pair of giant $70,000 bike cages at Alewife Station, each with four closed-circuit cameras inside meant to deter theft. Combined, the cages will provide another 300 bicycle spaces in addition to the 200 existing bike racks at Alewife, one of the most popular stations for cyclists.

Cyclists who want to use them need special Charlie Cards to open them. But the cards won't be registered and anyone can get one for free.

MBTA General Manager Daniel A. Grabauskas said the program remains a pilot and "we want to have it as open as possible." Riders should still chain their bikes once they park them in the cages.

"It's certainly much more secure than chaining your bike somewhere off in the corner to a lamppost," Grabauskas said.

If cyclists like the new cages, Grabauskas said, the T will put them in more stations.

Larry Slotnick, cofounder of Livable Streets Alliance, is hoping the added security will bring more people - including the most serious riders with pricey bikes - into the station to use the T. He said it's part of an overall strategy to persuade people to use a combination of travel methods - walking, buses, subways, bicycles - to reduce dependency on automobiles.

Hair-rising ride
BoltBus advertises itself as a cheaper high-tech option in the fierce battle to bus customers between Boston and other Northeast cities. (Ticket prices start at $1 and go up to about $20 from Boston to New York.)

Reader Frank Laske Jr. - who took the BoltBus last weekend to New York - wonders if the company's compulsion to arrive on time is prompting drivers to tailgate, alternately pump the gas and brakes, and otherwise drive like maniacs.

"The ride down was one of the scariest I've ever had on a bus," he wrote in an e-mail that included details of the trip.

What's more, the Bolt website had no phone number to call, just an e-mail address for a webmaster.

Spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh called back about an hour after I e-mailed the company. She said she would look into the complaint and promised that Bolt, a division of Greyhound, takes safety seriously.

"We want to be on time for our customers, but never at the expense of safety," she said.

What about the lack of a phone number? She said it saves money, keeping fares down, and that the company is targeting web-savvy consumers with its free onboard Internet access. But even web-savvy people like to use a phone.

Wambaugh said the company responds to most e-mails within a couple of hours, but is looking at adding an 800 number.

For privacy reasons, she said, she could not reveal whether the driver would be disciplined.

Please send complaints, comments, or story ideas to starts@globe.com The column and a listing of major road closures and other transportation advisories can be found at boston.com/starts. Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com.