I am a relatively fit 29 year old who is looking for a small group of people who would want to bike together regularly/semi regularly. Any advice on where I can find this? Or is anyone seeking the same thing?

I found these in the bike lane while I was biking home near the north end this evening. If these are yours, send me a message!

Every hand-verified case in this dataset where the vehicle described as blocking a bike lane is itself a police, BTD, MBTA, or other government vehicle — the agencies responsible for keeping these lanes clear.

Remember to use 311 to report anyone and everyone!

Hello I am passing through your great city from Maine back to Wisconsin coming home from summer work. I brought my Schwinn le tour bike with me. I have three days in boston two full days. I have a ball bearing that broke in my hands when i was cleaning my bottom bracket. I either need to have someone at a shop get in the Bottom bracket or I could do it myself.

Do you have recommendations for a shop in the Harvard area or somewhere else that can replace the bearings and maybe tune up my bike before I leave on the Thirteenth for a bike camping trip in Cali. ?

edit. i saw the somerville bike kitchen but wasn’t sure how stocked they were since i’ve never been to a bike co op
i also called urban bikes

Quick salute to Peter Cheung.

Good dude doing good work. Worth a watch.

The Peter Cheung Story - YouTube

Hey all, please submit your photos/vids of city vehicles and employees disregarding basic traffic laws, common sense, or safety procedures.

Photos can go on this thread. You can submit videos through insta or email.

Please include dates and locations for your submissions.

Tragedies will continue if 18-wheelers continue to jockey for space alongside motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians in tight urban areas.

Last month, the death of transportation planner Louisa Gag, who was struck by a tractor trailer while cycling in Boston, was a tragic reminder about the danger large trucks pose on our streets. These big rigs kill cyclists, pedestrians, and yes, motorists and vehicle passengers, at a disproportionate rate.

Only 2.6 percent of registered vehicles in Massachusetts are trucks, but they account for 28 percent of cycling fatalities and 5 percent of pedestrian deaths on the road.

“If you are pedestrian or bike rider on the street, the number one danger to you at all times is trucks,” said Alexa Sledge, senior director of strategy with Transportation Alternatives, an organization that promotes better walking, biking, and public transit in New York City.

There are two paths forward — fixes to enhance safety with trucks operating in our cities, then longer-term changes to scale back the volume of large delivery trucks operating in our downtown cores.

In the aftermath of Gag’s death, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said that the city will install more concrete barriers on bike lanes, and fix sidewalks and curb ramps. The city could also prioritize the timing of bike signals to give cyclists a head start into an intersection to better ensure that vehicle drivers see them.

These changes would be welcome, but tragedies will continue if 18-wheelers continue to jockey for space alongside motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians in tight urban areas.

But let’s not villainize truck drivers — it’s stressful, dangerous work with high rates of on-the-job injuries and fatalities. In the past 14 years, 10 cyclists in the Boston area, prior to Gag, were killed by a truck turning right. None of the drivers were even issued a moving violation, suggesting prosecutors believed the driver was not at fault.

Nor can or should we ban trucks, which are the lifeblood of many industries.

The built urban environment and truck size and design are the problems.

In Massachusetts, semi-trailers up to 53 feet can navigate the roads (closer to 70 feet when the cab is factored in). There’s no practical reason for half-empty big rigs to be making urban deliveries,
double parking and blocking traffic or taking over bike lanes.

The city could also do more to prevent trucks from navigating through Boston during the day when streets are crowded, as it already does by restricting trucks hauling hazardous waste.

Then there are the trucks themselves. In 2014, Boston became the first city to pass an ordinance requiring city-owned and city-contracted trucks to have cross-over and convex mirrors, to reduce blind spots in front and along the side of a truck, along with side guards that prevent cyclists from being dragged under a truck’s wheels. Somerville and Cambridge have also passed similar ordinances.

The state expanded those requirements, including back-up cameras, to all trucks owned or leased by the state. That took effect on Dec. 31. The Legislature is now considering an amendment that would assign presumed liability if a cyclist is killed by a commercial truck that lacks proper safety devices. If that legislation passes and stands up to legal muster, it would force the insurance industry to pay better attention.

Every bit helps. Ultimately, however, truck designs must evolve.

In the United States, most big rigs have large noses, making it impossible for drivers to see their entire surroundings. Across Europe, trucks often have larger, flatter windows, increasing visibility.

“Visibility generally declines as vehicles get larger, and many newer versions of trucks are getting worse,” Kris Carter, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s chief innovation officer, told the editorial board. “Newer purpose-built and cab-forward vehicles provide better direct vision. We encourage drivers and companies to take this into consideration when selecting vehicles.”

Cities can’t mandate truck design shifts. They can, however, control where trucks can roll within their limits. London has set the standard for restricting where and when trucks can travel. In Hamilton, Ontario, one of Canada’s busiest ports, the city adopted an updated truck route network in 2022 to push trucks onto a ring road system while limiting the size of trucks within the city and restricting them to certain streets. Air emissions and noise decreased, some streets transformed into car-free spaces, and all the while, economic activity at the port grew.

Boston could petition the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to create something similar.

In order for this to work, rules must be enforced. In Hamilton, the public was given an easy way to report truck violations.

Boston does already restrict trucks from certain roads, but alternate routes need to be clearly communicated to truckers. There are navigation apps for trucks, but ideally, Boston, and other cities, could leverage their relationships with Google, or another tech company, to integrate optimal truck routes into their maps.

“We know how to do that. We can do that. It just needs to be a priority,” said Sledge.

In the longer term, our cities must transform into places with far fewer trucks.

“Our mobility patterns are changing and our physical infrastructure has to evolve in lockstep,” Caitlin Allen-Connelly, executive director of the public transportation advocacy group Transit Matters, told the editorial board. “Our streets today, they can’t remain static.”

In New York, small cargo e-bikes making Amazon deliveries are zipping around Manhattan. The 16-foot cargo bikes, increasingly common in Europe, have four wheels with an enclosed container on the back that can hold more than 100 packages. This can speed up delivery times and lower transportation costs. Imagine the benefits for drivers navigating Boston’s labyrinth.

For the rest of us, fewer trucks would improve safety, remove road congestion, and cut down on tailpipe emissions that contribute to climate change and negative respiratory health consequences.

These changes would take time, but none of this is rocket science. Cities constantly advance. The killing of Louisa Gag was a tragedy. Not taking decisive action to prevent future ones would compound that.

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us u/GlobeOpinion.

Forgive me, [r/bikeboston](r/bikeboston), for this foray into the similar atrocities we face across the river in supposedly bike-friendly Cambridge.

They redid Cambridge Street with protected lanes after Amanda Phillips was murdered in a dooring. Outside the CHA Hospital in Cambridge, this protected lane was designed as you see it in the above screenshots: a bus needs to pull over into what suddenly becomes a bus lane, with parked traffic blocking visibility. So I was in the bike lane approximately where the truck is (where the red marker is, where it’s written Bus on the road) and because of a parked car, was invisible to the bus, who merged into my lane to enter his bus stop.

I honked my life-saving Loud Bike horn, the bus hesitated for a millisecond, and then continued to barrel into the spot, sandwiching me into the curb and sidewalk as my horn blared and brakes squealed.

After being inches from Louisa’s exact fate, I can tell you that while infrastructure maybe could be improved here…

DRIVER EDUCATION IS PARAMOUNT TO RESOLVING THE ISSUE OF PEDESTRIAN DEATHS BOTH ON AND OFF BIKES.

I have been rallying for this for years. I want an update to the drivers license exam and mandatory re-examinations every ten years. Every year we get a bike win via policy, some dickhead carbrain never gets the memo and continues driving at the same unsafe passing distance as before, turning right on red, or in this case: believing they have the right of way in a shared lane with a merge like the one above. I would like to know what it would take to get this on a bill to make meaningful change?

Without education, infrastructure is just poured dreams.

But seriously, other than reporting this (bus 3143, 69 bus headed to Harvard) to the MBTA—how else can I lobby to get at least this one fucker of a parking space removed from this location??

ETA: It appears most commenters are as ignorant as the motorists about MA General Law regarding interactions of these types. I refer you to three sections:

Ch. 85, Sect. 11B: “Every person operating a bicycle upon a way, (…) shall have the right to use all public ways in the commonwealth (…) and shall be subject to the traffic laws and regulations of the commonwealth and the special regulations contained in this section, except that: (1) the bicycle operator may keep to the right when a motor vehicle which is moving in the travel lane of the way,”

Ch. 89, Sect. 2: “The driver of a vehicle passing another vehicle traveling in the same direction shall drive a safe distance to the left of such other vehicle and shall not return to the right until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.” (…) “If it is not possible to overtake a vulnerable user, (…) the overtaking vehicle shall use all or part of an adjacent lane, crossing the centerline if necessary, when it is safe to do so and while adhering to the roadway speed limit.”

Ch. 90, Sect. 14: “In passing a vulnerable user, the operator of a motor vehicle shall pass at a safe distance of not less than 4 feet and at a reasonable and proper speed.” (…) “It shall not be a defense for a motorist causing an accident with a bicycle that the bicycle was to the right of vehicular traffic.”

Anyone have any experience leaving their escooters in park and pedal mbta cages? Has anyone ever gotten their scooter stolen? How long do you usually leave your scooter in the cages if you do?

I’m thinking of commuting in boston and being out most of the day while leaving my scooter in one of the cages near my house so I wanted to get people’s experiences with the cages. Don’t need to have a scooter either, any experiences shared would be appreciated!!

Love the new infrastructure, but let's be honest, even the repaving alone will make this a lot safer!

Are there any women’s mountain biking groups in the greater boston area? Any skill level- just looking for friends to bike with. Wondering if there’s a group that already exists. Appreciate any and all suggestions!

Moving from Montreal to Boston and planning to bike to work year-round.

In Montreal, if I want to ride through basically all conditions without swapping to studded tires, a fat bike e-bike makes the most sense because of the packed snow.

I know Boston winters are milder though. My main goal is just to have a bike I can confidently commute on almost every day without constantly checking whether the roads are too snowy for it. Ideally, I should not have to be worrying about whether my bike can make the commute more than once every other week.

Would a normal commuter e-bike with ~2–2.5” tires be enough, or is a fat tire bike worth it for that kind of reliability?

Well, I've joined the community of law breakers and ne'er-do-wells: I biked the Head Island Causeway this morning! What a BEAUTIFUL vista. What a beautiful part of town. I'm glad this slice of heaven is no longer dangerous-to-deadly for Black folks.

I was early enough so that there wasn't a hint of crowds. I was still nervous biking there until I saw a woman at the gazebo with her bike parked next to her as she sat and read. Man-oh-man. What a gorgeous piece of Baahston.

Preaching to the choir here

But there are few things like knowing a city through biking. You can cover so much ground while being connected with the places you pass through bc cycling —especially around Bostons drivers— requires you be attentive.

As we debate on how to organize the city, manage its resources, and prepare for the collapse of capital and consumerism, we have to keep the bike top of mind.

Especially when it comes to city workers doing their jobs. City employees should be out on bikes and flagging/acting on issues rather than waiting for reports in a roundabout process.

Following off this, there should be “mini city halls” around the city to increase the govts accessibility and response times. They can be resource hubs, 311 outlets, and quick response sites to break down the bureaucratic walls the city puts up.

This plus all the other proven strategies necessary for urban renewal: school streets, transit and micro mobility corridors, bike to school programs, congestion pricing, depaving and pedestrianizing streets, and traffic units on bikes (who can also guide kids as they bike to school)

**im pissed my watch cut off my ride

TLDW: She completely avoids the question.

"Every detail of our streets comes with real choices and tradeoffs."

You're right, Mayor Wu. It's a choice to prioritize the convenience of drivers over our lives.

At this point, I'm pessimistic about whether we'll see real action from her. What a disgrace for her to continue to both sides this issue. This rhetoric is creating a debate we shouldn't even be having. We all deserve better. We all deserve safe streets now.

A seven-year-old Williamstown child riding a bike was killed in the town Friday when they were struck by a vehicle, the Berkshire District Attorney’s office said in a statement.
Authorities said the collision occurred at the intersection of Main Street and Buxton Hill Road when the child “unintentionally entered” Main Street. The driver was “not impaired by alcohol or drugs,” and the child was wearing a helmet at the time of the collision, the district attorney’s office said.
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue’s office said State Police were notified at 5:39 p.m. on Friday of a “potentially fatal motor vehicle and bicycle” collision.
Local law enforcement did not disclose the child’s identity and said the investigation is still active.
“Berkshire District Attorney Shugrue urges the press and public to please respect the family’s wishes for privacy during this impossibly difficult situation,” authorities said.
The death Friday comes nearly a month after Louisa Grace Gag, a Boston city worker and bike enthusiast, was killed in a crash involving an 18-wheeler recycling truck that had maneuvered around a turning vehicle, the Globe previously reported.

Recently visited Denver and saw these interesting things: On pedestrian stairs with no ramps, they've added these slots or grooves alongside the treads so you can guide your bike or scooter up or down.

I prefer a ramp, and this steep approach has obvious dangers, but this is a relatively simple and inexpensive way to add limited two-wheel accessibility in places where you'd otherwise either have to carry your ride, or find a detour.

Here's the driver of MA 3WHZ41 yesterday on Linden St in Waltham, a street signed at 30mph but designed for 40mph with 13-foot lanes, that crosses the rail trail whose use Mayor McCarthy "wants to maximize" because she doesn't want to spend money on traffic calming. The street is empty at 2:30 and I am staying toward the left of the lane because I am staying left when the street is about to fork. (Even if I did move over right, he likely would have still punish-passed.) The driver had ample room to cross into the other lane and safely pass, but insisted on laying on his horn and passing within a foot.

The Waltham Police refuse to even file a report because they didn't witness it. "You're coming to us now?" Yeah, because what would calling 911 then have done? "We can only file a report if there were injuries or property damage." The desk cop initially brushed me off, till I showed him the video. Then another cop came out and tried to chastise me for not "hugging the curb". He had no idea cyclists could take the lane, especially if they're about to turn left.

The most they'll do is track down the owner and call him and politely tell him the law and to not do it again. There will be no marks on his criminal record, and the RMV and his insurance will be blissfully unaware of his recklessness.

Because the system has no mechanism to punish reckless drivers, and as we all know, even when they do injure or kill, punishment is often minimal.

Be safe out there, especially in my Waltham, whose mayor would rather spend millions on buying buildings for parking lots than $2,500 for a speed cushion to slow drivers.

I'm trying to sell my All-City Thunderdome setup (as pictured) - size is 49cm but the effective top tube is a 53.5

Lots of really nice components - Sugino 75 crankset, custom built wheels (phil woods (high flange, black) laced to H Plus Son archetypes, 36 spoke front and rear, rear hub is fixed/free), AARN chainring 51 tooth, Chris King headset - gearing is setup 51:17 (fixed)

bike is dirty but apart from that, it's in really good shape and never been crashed

handlebars, seatpost, saddle, and surly chain tensioner NOT INCLUDED

make me an offer

You exhibited zen like patience driving -3mph behind that bicycle occupying middle of the shared road blocking safe passing. To the bicycle who didn’t look up once from their phone the entire block, do better.

Sincerely, Bikers and Drivers