2008 Woodie Awards
Five months after Boston mayor's pedal push
Many satisfied by city's stride, but bicyclists still deplore some conditions dangerous or inadequate.
Caitlin Coyle
Issue date: 3/20/08 Section: City Pulse
Boston's bicyclists have geared up in anticipation of the citywide initiative to improve bike accessibility. The effort, unveiled last fall, is intended to encourage good health and discourage automobile emissions.
Now, five months after Mayor Thomas Menino announced his plans to improve Boston's bike lanes, many local cyclists interviewed by The News still have high hopes for City Hall's potential to assist streets into becoming "biker friendly" paths to ride on.
Mayor Menino's announcement called for the hiring of former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman as Boston's "bike czar," or bicycle coordinator. She joins the city with years of experience cycling both on and off roads.
The announcement included goals for the next two to three years: The addition of 250 bicycle racks throughout the city; the creation of an interactive online bike map system; and the construction of a bike path that would connect Roxbury, South Boston, the South End and Boston Harbor.
In the latest newsletter from Boston Bikes, as the initiative was dubbed, Freedman announced the construction of a standard five-foot bike lane slated for this spring that will extend from Kenmore Square to the Boston University Bridge. She also advised that cyclists report any road dangers, like potholes, to an established city hotline: (617) 635-4000.
"Very soon we will be asking you to help us rate biking roads in Boston, identify existing rack locations, request new racks and point out unusual hazards for cyclists," Freedman wrote. "This data will be compiled and used for several projects."
The extent of progress toward these goals is unknown to The News. Freedman did not respond to several requests for an interview during the last three weeks.
For some of the bikers who ride on the streets of Boston every morning, a major concern is resistance from city drivers and scary street conditions. Malcolm Purinton, a Northeastern graduate student, has found his two-mile commute from Jamaica Plain to class to be dangerous and even, at times, life-threatening.
Now, five months after Mayor Thomas Menino announced his plans to improve Boston's bike lanes, many local cyclists interviewed by The News still have high hopes for City Hall's potential to assist streets into becoming "biker friendly" paths to ride on.
Mayor Menino's announcement called for the hiring of former Olympic cyclist Nicole Freedman as Boston's "bike czar," or bicycle coordinator. She joins the city with years of experience cycling both on and off roads.
The announcement included goals for the next two to three years: The addition of 250 bicycle racks throughout the city; the creation of an interactive online bike map system; and the construction of a bike path that would connect Roxbury, South Boston, the South End and Boston Harbor.
In the latest newsletter from Boston Bikes, as the initiative was dubbed, Freedman announced the construction of a standard five-foot bike lane slated for this spring that will extend from Kenmore Square to the Boston University Bridge. She also advised that cyclists report any road dangers, like potholes, to an established city hotline: (617) 635-4000.
"Very soon we will be asking you to help us rate biking roads in Boston, identify existing rack locations, request new racks and point out unusual hazards for cyclists," Freedman wrote. "This data will be compiled and used for several projects."
The extent of progress toward these goals is unknown to The News. Freedman did not respond to several requests for an interview during the last three weeks.
For some of the bikers who ride on the streets of Boston every morning, a major concern is resistance from city drivers and scary street conditions. Malcolm Purinton, a Northeastern graduate student, has found his two-mile commute from Jamaica Plain to class to be dangerous and even, at times, life-threatening.
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