In the wake of Louisa Gag’s tragic death, Boston City Council has moved to reaffirm their commitment to safer streets. 

Four pieces of legislation have been introduced in the past month.

Vision Zero Resolution

The first is a resolution “Recommitting the City of Boston to Vision Zero 2030.” It was originally introduced by Council President Breadon and Councilors Pepén and Louijeune. With less than three and a half years left until 2030, Boston doesn’t have much time until its network of streets is safe for everybody. City Council acknowledges this urgency: “the City of Boston must accelerate its plans to achieve the goal of Vision Zero.”

Boston City Council unanimously passed this resolution. We commend them for that. 

Hearing Orders

The second and third are a set of hearing orders. 

One hearing, ordered by Council President Breadon and Councilors Pepén and Weber, will provide an opportunity for residents to speak up on the status of the citywide bike network plan. It’s not clear which bike network plan this hearing order is referring to. In 2023, Mayor Wu released her 3-year plan titled “Everybody Deserves Safe Streets,” with an ambitious goal to build 10 miles of safe bike infrastructure in that time. Under Menino, the city had also released a comprehensive Boston Bike Network Plan in 2013. 

In either case, it’s clear that progress on completing either plan has stalled and even reversed. In the case of Mayor Wu’s 2023 plan, protected bike lanes on Western Ave were built, but damaged protection following winter storms in January and February was never replaced (possibly intentionally). 

The second hearing was called by Councilor Durkan, who would like to provide a space for residents to discuss traffic enforcement (or lack thereof) of blocked bike lanes and crosswalks. Mayor Wu stated in her letter on Friday, July 24th, that “the City is ramping up targeted enforcement efforts at high-risk locations.” 

Although regular enforcement of traffic laws should occur to discourage dangerous driver behavior, we also believe that providing safe and protected infrastructure for vulnerable road users should be the city’s priority. 

Neither hearing has been scheduled yet. We applaud the opportunity for the public to speak on these issues and urge that these hearings are scheduled as soon as possible. 

Annual Report Ordinance

Fourth and finally, Councilor Pepén, Council President Breadon and Councilor Weber proposed an ordinance mandating annual reporting of streets projects.

To us, this proposed ordinance is a meaningful first step. Since the 30 Day Review, it has become abundantly clear that there is no requirement for the city to be transparent about its streets projects. Advocates and residents have been left in the dark about the status of many projects. Funding for several projects has been lost and timelines have been pushed back. 

We support this ordinance. It will create a legal mandate for increased transparency, no matter who controls City Hall. This kind of structural accountability is precisely what advocates have been calling for.

What Comes Next

At the same time, we encourage City Council to consider more. We do not just need a mandate for increased transparency. We also need a legal requirement for the timely construction of a safe and connected street network.

Mayors come and go. Politics has its ebbs and flows. But one thing remains true no matter who is in City Hall: we need safe streets. Traffic violence is a crisis and it’s only getting worse for pedestrians and micromobility users.

In 2024, Somerville passed their Safe Streets Ordinance. In 2019, Cambridge passed their Cycling Safety Ordinance. It’s time for Boston to catch up. Safe Streets Can’t Wait.