On Tuesday Dec. 18, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will hold a public hearing to present two options for restriping the Craigie Bridge (also known as O’Brien Highway) which was the site of last month’s fatal crash that killed Boston University student Meng Jin. Neither plan includes protected bike lanes.

We need your voices to convince our state agencies that anything short of protected bike lanes is inadequate and ineffective on this dangerous roadway.

Craigie Bridge Redesign Meeting
Tuesday, December 18
6:00-8:30pm
MIT Stratton Student Center
84 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor room 307

This meeting comes as MassDOT prepares to remove the only protected bike lane across the Charles River, on the Longfellow Bridge, for the winter. (UPDATE: MassDOT has postponed that plan while seeking a better alternative. This is the result of our collective action, and a case in point for our ability to effect change through our strength in numbers!)

O’Brien Highway is a key bike route between Cambridge and Boston. It’s also eight lanes wide in parts, with a high volume of truck traffic and speeding vehicles. Protected bike lanes are absolutely necessary to minimize conflicts on this road.

Guidelines developed by the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) recommend protected bike lanes on roads just like Craigie Bridge. Even MassDOT’s own planning guide agrees on this point. It’s unacceptable to ignore those standards, and MassDOT knows this area is unsafe. The agency promised bike lanes here upon completion of the Longfellow Bridge project, yet postponed implementation due to concerns about traffic delays.

We are frustrated that it takes tragedy to spur action on our streets. And we are frustrated that following this recent tragedy, MassDOT has opted only for half-measures. Please join us Tuesday as we demand that MassDOT and DCR deliver a safer, potentially life-saving plan.

If you can’t make Tuesday’s meeting, you can still help by emailing MassDOT, DCR and your elected officials and asking them to come up with a design that includes protected bike lanes:

• Governor Baker: cis@sec.state.ma.us
• Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack: stephanie.pollack@dot.state.ma.us
• Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver: jonathan.gulliver@dot.state.ma.us
• Department of Conservation and Recreation Commissioner Leo Roy: Leo.Roy@state.ma.us
• Your state representatives: Find contact info here
• Your city councilor: Boston, Cambridge (even though they don’t have direct oversight, they can still weigh in)