Last chance for more bike lanes in Boston’s budget
Last month, we delivered a petition in support of the Boston Bike Budget, signed by more than 1,500 Bostonians, to the Boston City Council. Since then, we’ve learned that support for more bike lanes runs even deeper. According to a new poll, 75% of Boston-area residents want more protected bike lanes, even if that means reducing space for cars.
However, as of now Boston is only planning to add 4.5 miles of bike lanes this year, down from 6.5 in 2020, and less than half of what’s needed to stay on track to meet the city’s own goals.
Mayor Janey is about to finalize Boston’s next budget—and there’s one last opportunity for us to get more bike lane funding and a commitment to more projects and miles. We need her to hear that 4.5 miles is not enough.
Follow the link below for an easy-to-use form, and take 2 minutes today to tell Mayor Janey you support our Boston Bike Budget proposal!
What’s in the Bike Budget
We’re calling on Boston to add 10 miles of protected bike lanes in each of the next 2 years, and to make the Healthy Streets pilot projects downtown and on Cummins Highway permanent. That’s the pace of progress Boston needs to hit the city’s own bike lane goals in Go Boston 2030. Given that Boston added 6.5 miles of bike lanes in 2020 despite the pandemic complicating construction, this increased commitment is entirely feasible.
Our Bike Budget includes recommendations for specific projects that would fill gaps in the bike network while linking new neighborhoods to existing infrastructure. In addition, we’re asking Boston to:
- Remove the $100 million Northern Ave Bridge project as proposed
- Reduce the Boston Police Department (BPD) budget and invest in communities
- Pilot using civilians vs. police for traffic details, starting with open streets events and street festivals this summer
- Remove police from Vision Zero
- Support the proposal to pilot free bus fares on busy bus routes
The budget process is about to wrap up. Send your feedback today!