Archive for January 2019
Tremont Street Needs Protected Bike Lanes
Plans to redesign Tremont St frame the project as “pedestrian improvements” intended to prioritize “the safety and comfort of people walking along and across Tremont St.” They do not mention prioritizing cyclist safety. If you missed the November 28 public meeting on this project and want to learn more, the Boston Transportation Department is holding…
Read MoreBoston Bike Story: Felix
“For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a bike. There was a long time when I was biking by myself, but then I started going to group rides like Boston Bike Party and really getting to know what biking was all about. I became addicted. Feeling the fresh air, being active, it’s…
Read MoreBoston Bike Story: Emmanuell De Barros
What’s your bike story?After advocating for public transit to be more efficient and affordable, I saw that biking was also getting better — getting safer, clearer, connected routes — and I saw the advantage of biking as a faster way to get around. Then when I was at Dorchester Bay working with the Healthy Community…
Read MoreDay of Action for Road Safety: Next Steps
On Wednesday, we brought the message of Vision Zero to the State House when more than 150 people from across Massachusetts gathered for a Day of Action for Road Safety. There, we met with Governor Baker and legislators and asked them to support bills filed last week that would make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists…
Read MoreBoston Bike Story: Tea Su
I’ve been biking my whole life. I used to bike to school when I was in middle school and college. Where I grew up in China, people would bike together and take the street because there were no bike lanes. When I came to America, I took my folding bike on the plane because I…
Read MoreShape MassDOT’s Plan to Give Biking Equal Priority to Driving
MassDOT is seeking input through the end of the month on their newly released Draft Bicycle Transportation Plan, a comprehensive guide to future development that aims to “reverse the decades-long practice of prioritizing automobile travel over all other modes by granting people biking the same level of importance as drivers in planning, design and maintenance…
Read MoreCraigie Bridge Bike Lanes: Deadline to Demand Physical Separation
Last month, we convinced MassDOT to rethink old ideas for redesigning the Craigie Bridge. Will you help us now hold MassDOT accountable for developing a safer plan? Though MassDOT has so far presented only two restriping options — neither of which includes protected bike lanes —the agency has requested public feedback and said it will…
Read More“Bike-lane Fever” Isn’t Breaking, Despite Globe Columnist’s Claims
Jeff Jacoby’s message in this week’s Globe editorial, “Is the bike-lane fever breaking?” is not only inaccurate, it’s pro-congestion. Never mind the cherry-picked “facts” Jacoby uses to paint a misleading picture of declining bike ridership. He completely ignores that we are in the midst of a congestion crisis — and it’s getting worse. Car commuters…
Read MoreIntroducing: The Boston Bike Story Project
Too often, we see bicyclists portrayed as a singular, homogenous entity. Whether it’s the media bemoaning an “all-powerful bike lobby,” or elected officials shrugging off bike issues as serving only an entitled few, this mischaracterization is unfortunately entrenched in the public consciousness. Yet while the demographics of who rides doesn’t mirror the population at large,…
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