David Watson Leaves MassBike

I can personally attest to the many fine things David did over at Massbike, he will be sorely missed, but we all wish him the best in his new adventures.

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David Watson Steps Down As Executive Director Of MassBike

While I am very sad to see David go, he did an excellent job at MassBike for many years, its great that he is moving on to other challenges.

From MassBike:

Today our Executive Director, David Watson, announced that he will be leaving MassBike. David has been with us for more than eight years and in that time has used his passion for biking to help make Massachusetts safer for all cyclists.

Watson remembers biking in the streets of Massachusetts at the beginning of his tenure at MassBike. “Bike commuters were bravely riding along, but largely limited to the strongest and most fearless among us,” he wrote in his announcement (pdf). “There were precious few bike lanes in the state, and none at all in Boston. State transportation policies were just beginning to contemplate biking and walking, but that had not yet translated to change on the streets. Little or no funding was dedicated to bicycle infrastructure or education.”

Now, eight years later, much has improved. Massachusetts has installed more bike lanes and increased state funding for bike paths. More residents have an interest in biking for transportation and health. In a time when federal funding for biking and walking has been cut, Massachusetts has created a state policy to triple biking, walking, and transit, and is providing funding to make it happen. With David at the helm, MassBike has:

• Launched our Safe Routes to School Program in 2008, which has reached more than 11,000 kids
• Championed the Bicyclist Safety Bill, which became law in 2009
• Trained MBTA bus drivers since 2010 to better prepare drivers for interactions with bicyclists
• Successfully advocated for improved bike parking at transit stations and bike racks on all buses
• Expanded Bay State Bike Week in 2010 to a statewide celebration in partnership with MassDOT
• Introduced legislation in 2011 (and again in 2013) to protect Vulnerable Road Users
• Secured expanded bicycle hours on the MBTA Blue Line in 2011
• Published bike safety information in seven languages in 2012 (now 10 languages!)
• Launched the Bikeable Communities Program in 2012, which has helped more than 40 cities and towns improve bicycling conditions
• Created the annual Massachusetts Bike/Walk Summit in 2012
• Helped educate police officers in 2014 with our training video
• In 2014 successfully advocated for increased funding for bike paths, including more than $130 million in the MassDOT capital budget and $377 million in bonding authority

“A tireless advocate – and a tireless cyclist – David has been instrumental in seeing so many wins for safe biking in Massachusetts,” said Jim Bradley, President of MassBike’s Board of Directors. “We thank him for serving MassBike, bicyclists in Massachusetts, and the community so well these last eight years. We will remember his time at MassBike as one of action, commitment, and enthusiasm.”

The Board now begins a search for a new Executive Director. The right person will capitalize on the successes of Watson’s tenure to provide Massachusetts with a future of greater acceptance of and enthusiasm for bicycling.

“I am very proud of the team, the organization, and the partnerships we have built together over the past eight years,” Watson wrote of the MassBike board, staff, and community. “This has been the most challenging and the most rewarding job I have ever had, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do it.”

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It also means that someone can step in to take the helm and move MassBike forward even more!

From MassBike:

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Local Bike Advocate Gets Justice!

David Watson the executive director of MassBike finally got justice. Several months ago a crazy person hit him while he was stopped at a red light… after many months in court here is what happened.

Last September, I reported that a motorist had intentionally hit me while I was riding to work. Fortunately I was not hurt, but my bike was totaled. As the victim, I wish it had never happened, but as an advocate I decided to learn from the experience how the legal system works and whether it would protect me and hold the driver accountable. It took awhile (seven months) for the case to move through the legal process, from the initial report, to the investigation, to the filing of charges, to a hearing, and finally to a resolution.

I think the system worked in my case, though not in the way I originally expected. I had initially hoped to see the driver convicted in court, but after weighing the options carefully I chose to attempt mediation offered by the Boston Municipal Court. The case was finally settled this week. I know this result will not satisfy everyone, but I feel that it served my purpose. My primary goal was for the motorist to publicly take responsibility for what he had done, and he did. As part of the settlement, the motorist, David Monahan of Roslindale, MA, made the following statement:

On September 13, 2011, I intentionally struck a bicyclist, David Watson, with my car while he was stopped at a red light in Boston. I purposely pushed Mr. Watson’s bicycle with the bumper, pushing it completely out of the road as the light turned green. I cannot undo what I did, but I can and do accept full responsibility. In addition, I extend my sincere apology to Mr. Watson. This incident has served as a real wakeup call for me to be a more responsible, law-abiding, vigilant and aware driver. This is especially necessary in Boston where motorists like me must learn to share the roadways with a growing number of bicyclists.

Having talked face-to-face with the driver, I believe his statement is sincere – that he made a very bad choice and regrets it. I also believe he genuinely wants other motorists to learn from his mistake and do more to protect bicyclists. And I think for a motorist to say these things sends a powerful message that violence against bicyclists is wrong and will not be tolerated.

I hope other bicyclists will share their experiences dealing with the legal system. From my perspective, the system can protect us and hold drivers accountable, but the process is not quick or simple. The legal system has many hurdles built into it that must be cleared by any victim, bicyclists included, but patience and perseverance can lead to a fair result.

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His Honnah And Others Bust Out A Bike Lane

So I was at the Com Ave “first” bike lane (it has come to my attention it is really not the first one, just the first significant one). His Honnah Mayor Menino was there, and Nicole Freedman director of bicycle programs, David Watson of MassBike, and Larry Slotnick (thanks for the tip Charlie) Phil Goff from the Livable Streets Alliance, and some other guy who I have forgotten but had something to do with roads or something…Anyway.

Every century ride starts with pushing through that first mile, and that is what this was (hopefully) for Boston. The first in a series of bike lanes aimed at creating a network of well design bicycle infrastructure. Do I think these lanes are too short, yes. Do I think these lanes are on a section of Com Ave that didn’t need bike lanes, yes. Was the Mayors MASSIVE FREAKING TAHOE parked in the bike lane THE ENTIRE FREAKING TIME HE WAS THERE, yes. But does that mean I think these are bad bike lanes, hell no.

These are important first step, Nicole, David, Phil and the Mayor and all the people in all of their groups worked hard to get these lanes put in. These lanes are a token of things to come. I can only hope that these sort of infrastructure projects become so common that there will be little cause for hooplah and press coverage.

I think that a well designed system of bike lanes, bike racks, and other cycling infrastructure will shepherd Boston out of it’s dismal bicycle past (rated worst city in America for cycling). Ironically bike lanes themselves do not make bikers safer, however they do encourage more cyclists to get out on on the street, which does in fact make bikers safer. More cyclists = less cars = more cyclists = less cars, you get the idea.

I was unable to get video of the whole deal, but here is some of it from MassBike.

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