We wanted to take a moment to highlight the newest local bike group in the Boston area: The West Roxbury Bicycle Committee. Founded by Bike Union member and West Roxbury resident, Ben Wetherill, this group is intended to provide a local presence in West Roxbury and to advance projects for road safety and better bikeways in the neighborhood.

Around 25 people attended the committee’s their first meeting on February 13, including City Councilor Matt O’Malley, who pledged to work tirelessly to improve Centre St. for walking and biking. Since then, members of the bike committee have conducted outreach to businesses and residents along Centre St. to garner support for a road diet that would eliminate one vehicle travel lane while adding protected bike lanes and shorter, safer, pedestrian crossings. (The City of Boston will come back to the public with potential designs for Centre St. at a second community meeting this June.) The group also held a free bike repair clinic with Adi’s Bike Shop in March, and are planning rides to demonstrate routes from West Roxbury to other parts of town.

The West Roxbury Bicycle Committee meets the second Wednesday of each month (6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Roche Community Center, 1716 Centre St in West Roxbury) to discuss issues in West Roxbury, and coordinates local and city-wide strategy at the Bike Union’s monthly Activist Group meetings. . If you live or work in West Roxbury, this is a great time to get involved to shape the future of Centre St. and to make the entire neighborhood safer and more accessible for biking for people all ages and abilities.

---

Our goal is to incubate and support local bike groups in all of Boston’s neighborhoods. If you are interested in starting one in your neighborhood, contact Eliza for tips on how to get started.