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Boston City Council Once Again Trying To Lower Speed Limit To 20mph
Written by Boston Biker on Nov 16As someone who has been hit by a couple cars, let me tell you 20mph or below is how fast you want the cars going.
From UHub:
NorthEndWaterfront.com reports. In 2016, the city reduced the default city speed limit from 30 to 25. You may recall that before the city did that, councilors approved a reduction to 20 but were stymied by state law. Councilors say that today, as then, the issue is safety – for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers themselves.
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Report From The Lowering The Speed Limit Public Hearing
Written by Boston Biker on Apr 25Lynn gave this great report on how the hearing to lower the speed limit to 20 mph in Boston went (the report was from 4 days ago, I am just now getting around to reading it). Looks like things are going well for the effort:
Hi folks,
A few take aways from yesterday’s hearing at City Hall:
– City Council was unanimously in support of Baker’s 20 mph proposal. The Council will officially vote on the proposal next week. Assuming it passes in City Council, it would then need to be approved by the Mayor, and next would go to the statehouse. It’s filed as a Home Rule Petition, meaning while the state would need to approve it, it provides allowance for the City of Boston only.
-While the City Council has put forth similar proposals before, they have failed to pass at the state level. The question of who/why/how the measure was previously blocked was brought up at the hearing, but no one had any definitive answer.
– BTD’s Chris Osgood, Gina Fiandaca and Vineet Gupta all highlighted that the lowering of the speed limit intersects with the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan and the work currently underway (Neighborhood slow zone pilot:Talbot-Norfolk Triangle, Priority Corridor for re-design: Mass Ave)
– The City recently installed “speed boards” and “rapid flash beacons” on cut-through streets and others noted for speeding/high crash areas. BPD noted that the speed boards capture data in real time, allowing them to know when and where they need to provide better enforcement.
– BTD said that after the intial Neighborhood Slow Zone Pilots, the plan is to create an open application process for neighborhood groups to request specific traffic calming measures in a focused area.
Read Globe coverage of the hearing here.
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Boston City Council Hearing On Lower Speed Limits In Boston
Written by Boston Biker on Apr 08Got this in the email. Very interesting proposal! If we really could make speeding enforcement and lowering speeds a priority we would be much better off.
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On April 20th there will be a hearing on Councilor Frank Baker’s proposal regarding lowering the speed limit in Boston from 30 to 20 mph. I am myself slightly confused whether the measure sets a new speed limit, or allows the speed limit to be lowered. There is a bunch of press on this you can find, one example is here.
The hearing will be held at 11AM in the Iannella Chamber on the 5th floor of the City Hall. Public notice ishere.
I asked Amy Frigulietti (Councilor Barker’s Chief of Staff) about what can be done to help get this passed, and here is what she wrote:
Spreading the word and sending testimony will be very useful in helping this effort. Also, please feel free to encourage others to submit testimony and/or attend the hearing, if their schedules permit. Others should also let their district city councilors, all four at-large city councilors, and the mayor know of their support. This Home Rule Petition needs to pass the City Council and the Mayor needs to sign it. Then it needs to pass the State Legislature. So, the more elected offices in support, the better.
Mayor Walsh has not come out in support of this proposal, from what I read in the media, though it looks like he supported an earlier, failed, proposal to lower the speed limits.
You can email your (or an at-large) councilor to have your comments become part of the record. The public notice lists the following email addresses which the public notice recommends using for the correspondence regarding this matter:
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The Word On The Street
Here is what people are saying
- Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →jsallen
- Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →jsallen
- It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022... Continue reading →commonwheels
- It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022... Continue reading →commonwheels
- Hello world! June 9, 2021Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Continue reading →thecommunityspoke
- Run The Jewels Lead Free Pewter Hand Carved And Cast Pin Set January 3, 2021Made these lovely RTJ fist and gun pin set. Hand carved in wax, and then cast in lead free pewter. Because these are made by hand you can do fun things like add an extra small pin so that they sit just so (also means they have “customized” brass back plates to accommodate the extra […]Boston Biker
- My Work In The Wild: Feather Head Badge With Chris King Headset January 3, 2021One of my customers sent me this amazing picture of my feather badge installed on their (awesome!) bike. Check out Manofmultnomah (here and here), apparently Chris King took some interest in it as well. Want one of your own? Buy it here, or here... Continue reading →Boston Biker
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
