Tell Mayor Wu not to delay the Downtown Bike Network!
For years, we have been asking the City of Boston to close the critical, dangerous gaps in the Downtown Bike Network. Without separated bike lanes in both directions on Charles Street and Cambridge Street, the network is incomplete and until the gaps are filled, many people still won’t choose to bike and those who do face challenging circumstances.
Despite previous announcements that Cambridge Street bike lanes would be built this year, and a petition that over 1,500 people have signed in support of two-way separated bike lanes on Charles Street, the City does not have plans to complete the downtown bike network this year. Mayor Michelle Wu has promised us bold, transformational change to make our city a leader in sustainability and safe, people-first streets that are accessible for everyone. Click here to email Mayor Wu and the Boston Transportation Department telling them they must complete the Downtown Bike Network this summer!
Right now, residents who live in around downtown are scared to bike to/from their homes, MGH workers who have been saving lives throughout the entire pandemic have to risk their lives biking to and from work, daily bike commuters have no safe route in and out of downtown Boston, and local businesses are losing out on the potential revenue that people on bikes would bring to their stores. Just in the first 6 months of 2022, there have been 3 pedestrian crashes, 2 bike crashes and 4 car crashes on Cambridge St, including a pedestrian who was killed crossing the street on May 29, 2022, and Cambridge St remains one of the highest crash corridors for people biking in the city. Charles St has FIVE lanes for cars and no lanes for people on bikes and is both a critical route to/from the Longfellow bridge, as well as the main way into the Beacon Hill neighborhood for residents and people visiting stores and destinations.