5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap

Greg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. 

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Last year, I live-blogged the 2012 Boston Bike Update and ended up with a pretty comprehensive post about it. This past Tuesday, for the 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013, I live-tweeted instead, using #BostonBikeReport. However, here is a recap from blogger Sicloot , a post by WestWood Biker who found the meeting “discouraging,” and below are some tweets from the night, and a link to the full Boston Bikes report.

Full house at @bikeboston #BostonBikeUpdate! @streetsboston twitter.com/thehum/status/…

— Greg Hum (@thehum) May 21, 2013

“Boston is 5th most bikable city in the country; biking up 82%” #BostonBikeUpdate @streetsboston @bikeboston twitter.com/thehum/status/…

— Greg Hum (@thehum) May 21, 2013

The nation’s 1st bike helmet vending machine is coming to #Boston this summer!! #BostonBikeUpdate

— LivableStreets (@StreetsBoston) May 21, 2013

Bike lanes coming to A & D street in #southie!#bostonbikeupdate

— SouthieBikes (@SouthieBikes) May 21, 2013

Thanks to @streetsboston for hosting last night’s #bostonbikeupdate, & all the people who attended. Here’s report: ow.ly/liwxT

— Boston Bikes (@bikeboston) May 22, 2013

It’s going to be yet another exciting year for biking in Boston!

-Greg

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City Releases Crash Statistics: Mayor Proposes Mandatory Helmet Law

As a follow-up to City Councilor Ayanna Pressley’s hearing in December 2012, the City of Boston’s Crash Data Report has finally come out. You can find the report at the following URL: http://www.cityofboston.gov/news/uploads/16776_49_15_27.pdf.

highlights include this lovely opening from the Mayor.

Dear Fellow Bostonians,

During the summer and fall of 2012, our city experienced five fatal bicycle incidents that led to this report. Through detailed analysis of four years of police report data, City officials will have concrete information with which to make the roadways safer for vulnerable users. This document will help us smartly apply our resources to continue improving our streets using the “six E’s of bicycle planning”: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, Evaluation, and Equity.

Since the City of Boston bicycle program launched in 2007, we have gone from being called one of the worst cities for cycling in the country to one of the best. The addition of nearly 60 miles of on-street bicycle facilities, hundreds of new bike racks, and the overwhelmingly successful New Balance Hubway bike share program has brought cycling into the mainstream here in Boston. Boston is well on its way to becoming a world-class cycling city. The bicycle has become a critical part of our transportation system.

Boston streets are full of people commuting to work and school, families enjoying a weekend ride together, and every type of rider in-between. This spirited resurgence of the bicycle has placed our city streets in a time of transit ion, from one dependent upon cars, to one embracing more active transportation options. Transitions can be difficult.

The close-knit community among cyclists continues to impress me. When one member of the community suffers from a terrible incident, the degree of separation to all cyclists is not far. We must work tirelessly and collaboratively to continue improving the safety of our streets. This report will help guide the process of continuing to grow Boston’s vibrant bicycle community.

Sincerely,
Thomas M. Menino
Mayor, City of Boston

But what really seems to have some in a tizzy is the notion of a mandatory helmet law being proposed by the mayors office.

Helmets are very useful in reducing injury to your head AFTER the accident occurs. Having a helmet on will reduce your chances of getting brain damage once the car has run into you, but wont keep it from hitting you in the first place. Or from the street being full of pot holes, or from poorly designed intersections, or red light runners etc.

One can only assume at the behest of the Boston Public Health Commission. The BPH seems to be obsessed with helmets, something I (and many others) have disagreed with in the past.

The whole thing is full of statistics here is just a taste:

74% of people are already wearing helmets

21 is the age most likely to be in a crash

Most crashes happen at 5pm

The report is well worth a read, read it all here.  Leave your thoughts, findings, statistical analysis in the comments.

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The City Celebrates Bike Week

Got this in the email, lots and lots of bike week events going on:

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Bike Week is here and it’s jam-packed with activities! For a complete list of all bike events happening around the state this week, visit here. Below you will find some important highlights from Boston Bikes!

Mayor Menino’s Bike Week Celebration: May 17, 7-9a

Cap off a great week of biking by joining us and hundreds of others for the Boston Bike Week Celebration on City Hall Plazathis Friday. To get there, you can join one of 10 convoys - including NEW East Boston/Chelsea and Melrose/Malden/Everett routes – or ride in on your own. We’ll start the morning right by enjoying breakfast by Boloco, getting cool free stuff, and saying good morning to each other, including many vendors.

Will you be there? Find your convoy & REGISTER AHEAD!

Ride of Silence: May 15, 7p 

The Ride of Silence, which is being organized by area volunteers, will honor cyclists who’ve been killed in collisions with motor vehicles. Riders must be 16+ and wear a helmet, and are encouraged to wear a white t-shirt or arm band. The route will be completed in silence and go at a slow pace on a 4 mile route through downtown Boston, leaving from City Hall Plaza at 7p. Press coverage and more information can be found here.

 

 

 

Two Wheels, One Fund: May 16, 6p

We are partnering withJerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill to bring you “Two Wheels, One Fund” benefiting The One Fund. With support from the New England cycling community, the event will offer guests an evening of dinner, drinks, live music from Sweet Tooth & the Sugarbabies and the east coast premiere of Red Bull Media’s new mountain biking film, “Where the Trail Ends.” More information and ticket details can be found here.

 

Boston Bikes’ Annual Bike Update, May 21, 6-8:30p

 

Our 5th annual bike update, hosted by the LivableStreets Alliance, will be a presentation on our achievements, challenges, and future goals as we strive to create a “world class bicycling city”. Come hear the latest details about the New Balance Hubway bike share, the Bicycle Network Plan, parking facilities,community programming, and more.

This event is free and open to the public and will be held at the Copley Boston Public Library in the Rabb Lecture Hall. Register!

Visit our calendar of events for more bike events in Boston!

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Boston Bikes Update

Update from the city, via email:

With over 675,000 total trips taken on Hubway and almost 60 miles of on-street bike facilites, 2012 became the Year of the Bicycle.

Reflection on the Year  The tragic accidents over the past few months have been emotional for the cycling community in Boston. As representatives for that community within city government, the outpouring of concern, thoughtfulness, and call to action from our fellow riders has especially touched the Boston Bikes staff. We are thrilled to be carrying out the Mayor’s vision of making Boston better for cyclists. So while we’ve already come so far, there is still lots of work to be done. Thank you for continuing to support each other, for welcoming new riders, and for continuing to look out for all of each other. continued here Engineering Updates  During the summer and fall of 2012, bicycle facilities were added all across the city. From new dedicated bike lanes in East Boston to the extension of the cycle track in Allston. Boston Bikes is working rapidly to provide safe facilities across the city.  More facilities are set to be installed when the weather warms, including bike lanes on Market Street in Brighton and Albany Street in the South End. Designs for 2013 are already in the works that include more buffered and protected lane projects. This year also saw the expansion of on-street bike corrals. While currently removed for winter plowing, look for more of these in the spring. Equity & Encouragement: Rolling it Forward – Have any Connections? Roll it Forward, our program that collects, repairs, and redistributes bicycles to low-income Boston residents, is still going strong. This fall, we partnered with 14 community organizations to give out 189 bikes! Thank you for all of your support! We are still accepting individual bicycle donations at our partner shops. We are also looking for leads or connections to locations (i.e. apartment buildings, office buildings, campuses, etc) that might have abandoned bicycles that they would like removed. If you have any connections, contact [email protected]. Evaluation:   Boston Bike Counts In September, with the help of over 30 volunteers, Boston Bikes conducted annual bike counts at 32 locations across the city. During   those weeks we saw 15,680 cyclists and with the help of two graduate students at Tufts did a little GIS analysis. Between 2010 and 2012 Boston has seen a 31% increase in ridership based on these counts – likely a conservative estimate. SEE MORE HERE Enforcement & Education: Be Bright Campaign In November we partnered with the Boston Police Department to do targeted bike safety enforcement and education. Police officers targeted intersections in Allston and pulled over cyclists who were riding after dark without lights. A white front light and red rear light or reflector are required by law. Cyclists were not ticketed but were reminded of the law and given a coupon for purchasing lights.Officers also enforced and encouraged cyclists and motorists to follow other bicycle-related laws. Heeding the call from cyclists for safe bicycle lanes, Boston Transportation Department enforcement officers stepped. What good is a bike lane if it’s clogged up? During the first 10 months of 2012, BTD Officers issued over 1,517 tickets to vehicles parking in bicycle lanes. Boston Bikes is continuing to collect data to help make enforcement of bicycle lanes as effective as possible.

Stay Connected    You can get up-to-date information about events, projects, programs, special features, and all things Boston Bike by following us on Twitter (@bikeboston) and Facebook. Don’t forget to check out the Boston Bike website for weekly blog updates at www.bostonbikes.org/

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Help Boston Count Bikes

Got this in the email looks like fun, plus you get to hold a clipboard!

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Boston Bikes is about to kick-off our annual bicycle count from September 10th-25th, and we need your help. Do you like bikes? Do you have a knack for tabulation? Do you enjoy holding a clipboard? Then we need YOU to support our effort in evaluating bicycle ridership in Boston.
We need reliable volunteers to staff counting locations across the city during the morning (7a-9a) and evening (4p-6p) travel hours.
SIGN UP HERE to learn more.

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Kristopher Carter Interim Director Of Boston Bicycle Programs

I have gotten word that Kristopher Carter current adviser to the Mayor, has been made the interim director of the Boston Bicycle program. I have heard from a couple people that he is a pretty good guy, but more info when I get it.

Can’t confirm this yet, more info when I get it.

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Re-cap Of Boston Bikes Presentation

Greg has an awesome recap of the 4th annual Boston Bikes report.

I, for one, am looking forward to Mayor Menino raising his right fist into the air as he welcomes tonight’s audience with a booming “The car is NO LONGER KING IN BOSTON!”

6:16pm: BostonBikeUpdate begins! in an almost full auditorium, Steve Miller of Livablestreets welcomes…NOT Mayor Menino, who “got a flat tire on the way to update and could no longer attend.

more here

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4th Annual Boston Bikes Update (New Date)

4th Annual Boston Bikes Update (New Date) – Tuesday Feb. 28th 6:15 – 8 p.m. Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street / Rabb Lecture Hall

Free and open to the public

Nicole Freedman, Director of the Boston Bikes Program, will present her fourth report on past achievements, challenges, and future goals of the Mayor’s effort to create a “world class bicycling city.” Come hear details on Hubway bike share, the Bike Network Plan, parking facilities, youth programs, festivals, and more.

And this year the Mayor is scheduled to make an appearance.

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