Friday, December 7, 2012
A Boston University grad student was the fifth Boston cyclist to die in a crash this year. What must change to improve cycling safety?
Boston University Graduate School of Communication student Christopher Weigl was killed yesterday after he was hit by a tractor trailer on Commonwealth Avenue. The tragedy marks the fifth time a cyclist has been killed on a Boston roadway in 2011. According to boston.com, there was a 5 percent increase in cycling-related injuries from 2011 to 2012. While that seems like an increase, you have to consider there was an estimated 31 percent increase in overall cycling in the city for the same period. Is anyone to blame for the fatalities and increased cycling accidents? Drivers and cyclists have spent years blaming each other for run-ins, with drivers complaining the the cyclists run red lights and are erratic on the roadway, and cyclists …
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Gov. Deval Patrick plans to ask lawmakers to raises taxes to make up for the shortfall in Massachusetts' transportation system. What options should they consider and what's off the table?
Would you be willing to pay more at the pump, have a tracking system on your car that taxes you by the mile, or see tolls on state highways? Those are just some of the possibilities looming as Massachusetts looks to erase the state's transportation system's deficit. The Boston Globe reported that Gov. Deval Patrick will ask lawmakers to raise taxes in order to pay for a transportation system—from the MBTA to roads and bridges—that continues to operate in the red. The administration will present a specific proposal by Jan. 7. One option is raising the gas tax, a route Patrick sought in 2009 only to be rebuffed by the legislature. Patrick sought a 19 cent increase while business groups endorsed a 25 cent increase. Ultimately, the state …
Friday, October 19, 2012
Are the ads, featuring battered and bloodied cyclists, an effective way to communicate the need for helmets, or do they turn people off to commuting by bike?
Boston's new ad campaign promoting bike helmet use has been the talk of the web this week. The ads, featuring graphic images like a young man with a bloodied face, are designed to show people the consequences of riding without a helmet. Not everyone thinks that's the best way to get the message across. Bostonrider.org, the Hub's go-to blog for cyclists and anyone interested in city transportation issues, thinks the ads would scare would-be cyclists from even trying. Universal Hub weighed in as well, saying the ads hot you like a two-by-four to the face. And nationally, Atlantic Cities picks up on the controversy as well, asking whether such shaming campaigns are ever effective. What do you think? Does a little fear act as a motivator? Or …
Friday, August 17, 2012
What streets do you avoid on your bike?
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Friday, August 17, 2012
Drivers definitely have their opinions when it comes to road conditions. Most seasoned Bostonians know which roads have rim-bending potholes, teeth-rattling cobblestones and other petty nuisances. But what may bug a driver could injure a cyclist, and bike riders have different sets of issues, like loose sand and debris, poorly marked lanes, dooring danger and more. Which Boston streets are the worst for bike riders? Is it the road's condition that makes it so bad, or are you more concerned about the speed, the drivers, or the unpredictable pedestrians? Share your opinion and your bike-riding tales in the comments section below. Happy riding! [Editor's note: This question is posted on all Boston Patch sites.]
karen harris
1:06 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012
Great views! Training for cyclists and motorist sounds like a good starting point. Any one on the roadways needs to respect the rules of the road, even cyclists. Another idea may be to require licenses and insurance for cyclist to cover themselves and other. more ›