Cambridge bikers urged to light up after dark

With that in mind, the city of Cambridge and its bicycle committee this week will begin a worthy program to remind cyclists to carry a bright front light on their bikes.

Starting tomorrow, bikers without the lights could be fined $20. If you have a light and you're stopped, you could receive a free light to pass on to your biking friends. The Cambridge Bicycling Committee conducted an informal nighttime survey recently on equipment bicyclists were using. Of the 489 cyclists they observed, 52 percent were wearing helmets, 37 percent had a rear light, and 22 percent were using front lights, according to committee member Bryce Nesbitt.

"We found the 22 percent figure particularly disappointing," Nesbitt said. "Only a front light helps when car headlights are not already shined at the bike. Only a front light helps when cars are turning, backing up, or opening doors. Only a front light makes the cyclist visible to pedestrians. It's a matter of courtesy to pedestrians for cyclists to carry a light." The program officially begins at 5:15 p.m. tomorrow and continues throughout the winter.

Nearly half of all cycling deaths nationally involve cyclists riding at night without lights, though just 3 percent of biking occurs after dark, Nesbitt said.

Should you get a citation, count your blessings. Several area bike shops will offer a 10 percent discount on bike lights through the rest of the month to anyone with a citation. For more information, visit www.cambridgema.gov.

Name blame

George Bernard Shaw once said that Britain and America were two countries separated by the same language. And there is no finer proof of that than here in Boston. Picture this: It's a few years from now, and you're British and in Boston. After a day on the Cape, you're headed north in your rental care on this newfangled "motorway" when through your "windscreen" you come upon directions for The Tip. Blimey.

This is of course the nicknamed reference to the Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Tunnel on Interstate 93 north, which isn't officially named as yet.

And while Bostonians think of the late politician from Cambridge, you're thinking of something very different . . .

"I'm amazed that they're going ahead and naming the tunnel after Tip O'Neill, nothing against the man," wrote Stephen of parts unknown. "It's because you KNOW it's going to be called `The Tip' which will be endlessly amusing to anyone with a British/Commonwealth background."

If you don't know, Stephen explained, "a tip" is a garbage dump in England, "not the association you really want unless you're trying to honor the big hole the Big Dig money was thrown into."

Suspension bridge

It's cold outside, or at least it was this past week. Thus we are getting more and more complaints about an increasing number of closures of the Tobin Bridge. Officials say the bridge is closed to allow tanks with liquid natural gas to pass. Paul of Tewksbury complained last week that, for the second time in a week, the Tobin was suddenly shut down around 9 a.m., with traffic forced to exit on to Route 16 west.

"Maybe you can find out why, if the bridge must be closed, it cannot be done at 2 in the morning when there is little traffic on Route 1, rather than during rush hour," he wrote. "Also, if the bridge is to be closed, the state should announce the closure several days in advance via the lighted, portable signs . . . along the highways," wrote Paul.

In a perfect world, maybe.

Since the US Coast Guard began requiring the Tobin Bridge to be closed for the passage of liquid natural gas tankers to an unloading facility in Everett on Oct. 31, 2001, there have been 102 closures, according to Massachusetts Port Authority spokesman Jose Juves, whose employer operates the Tobin.

With the cold months coming on, Juves said more LNG tanker visits are expected "to keep us cozy warm at home."

"During most of the year, there are between one and two Coast Guard closures per week," he wrote in an e-mail. "During the winter months there are at least four LNG-related closures per week."

The tankers are not supposed to pass under the bridge between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. on weekdays, according to an agreement between the Coast Guard and Massport. So it is unclear why the recent rush hour closures were not held off.

Worst of all, "for security reasons," the schedule of the LNG tankers is not made public, Juves said. "But Massport does notify SmartRoutes about a closure approximately 10 minutes before they occur."

Can't get there . . .

I-93 south around South Station will be closed and detoured between 12:01 and 8 this morning and from 12:01 to 5 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Exit 27 (Tobin Bridge) off I-93 north will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

The Atlantic Avenue onramp to I-93 north will be closed from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.

The left turn from Storrow Drive eastbound to the Monsignor O'Brien Highway will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.

The Sumner Tunnel onramp to I-93 north will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.

The Haymarket onramp to I-93 north will be closed from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.

The ramp from the Tobin Bridge and Rutherford Avenue/City Square to I-93 south and Storrow Drive will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.

The Mass. Pike exits to I-93 (exits 24B to I-93 north and 24C to I-93 south) will be closed from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. Exit 24A from the MassPike to South Station will remain open.

The South Boston Waterfront onramp to I-90 east will be closed from 11 p.m. tomorrow to 5 a.m. Tuesday.

The Haymarket onramp to the Callahan Tunnel will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. tomorrow through Friday. The North Street onramp to the Callahan will remain open.

The Broadway Connector between Albany Street and Frontage Road North will be closed from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. tomorrow through Saturday.

East Berkeley Street between Frontage Road North and Albany Street will be closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. tomorrow through Thursday.

Complain to us at starts@globe.com. Don't forget to send us your hometown. Outside of the paper, the column can be found at http://www.boston.com/ news/local/startsandstops/. Our mailing address is Starts & Stops, P.O. Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378.