Boston’s bike coordinator transition moves forward

Boston's new interim bike coordinator, Kristopher Carter.

As the city makes its way through the first month without Nicole Freedman leading Boston Bikes, there is good news about the prospects for her replacement and the long-term institutionalization of the bike behemoth she created.

At a meeting between key bike advocates, Mayor Thomas Menino, interim bike coordinator Kris Carter, Chief of Policy Michael Kineavy and Freedman late last month, Menino said he would move Nicole’s former bike coordinator position at the Boston Redevelopment Authority to the Mayor’s office, fund her Youth Cycling and Roll it Forward programs, and move forward on her dream of installing the city’s first true cycletracks this year.

The bike coordinator position will be posted soon, and advertised to a list of online and print publications targeted to professionals in the biking field. The Boston Cyclists Union, Livable Streets Alliance and the Boston Bikes Advisory Group, upon which a number of Bike Union and LivableStreets members sit, will also have a chance to review the top candidates.

It was clear during this discussion that the Mayor clearly understands that winning safer streets is as much a construction effort to improve the city’s infrastructure for biking as it is a cultural effort to make looking out for cyclist safety the norm among motorists. Menino also agreed that primary prevention of bike crashes in addition to encouraging helmet use was a good idea.

Toward those ends, the Boston Cyclists Union and interim bike coordinator Kris Carter have embarked on a project to create a number of video PSA’s for social media and the city’s three public access TV channels. (If you have talent for this sort of thing, send us examples of your work! We’re always looking for new additions to the team.)

Carter has proven extremely capable with his handling of the South Boston Innovation District and other tasks for the mayor, and the advocates who know him feel he’s up to the new job. But as of yet he is still handling the district while trying to fill Freedman’s shoes. It would certainly be easier for him with a few of these other tasks taken off his plate. Nevertheless, all signs are promising and Menino and his administration deserve big thanks for the continued support of better biking.

1 Comment

  1. carol rankin on September 20, 2012 at 10:34 am

    I live in Boston and there is a VERY serious problem with cyclists who do not observe traffic signals.
    This should be enforced by the police, but it is not. It is a real safety issue for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Is your organization addressing this?
    Thank you!

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