Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

Due to a snow storm, most of the congressional meetings were canceled, including all Massachusetts delegation meetings. Nonetheless, we were still able to discuss important bicycling issues, share stories, and network with other advocates from across the country. Because we were not able to meet with our delegation on Capitol Hill, we are working on scheduling meetings with them locally to continue our ongoing relationship, and as well as build new ones with Senators Warren and Cowan and Representative Kennedy.

To watch videos of the keynote and plenary talks, visit the League’s YouTube Channel. If you were not available to attend the Summit, the League has made the presentations from break-out sessions public; click here to view.

The National Women’s Bicycling Forum

Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth

Congresswoman Duckworth said, “As you promote cycling as a way to be fit and as a way to become part of your community, think of the disabled. Three steps can permit me from getting into a bike shop. Simple things that cost little prevent many disabled people from participating. Continue to help promote this lifestyle, you are making a difference in this avenue.” Along with her inspiring words, many other speakers at the Women’s Forum had words of wisdom.

MA Attendees & MassBike Staff

The current transportation authorization, MAP-21, was passed after years of delay and much hard fought negotiation. The united voice of bike advocates was a crucial element keeping even our small share of funding from being totally gutted. However, it expires in a short 19 months from now and the current Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair has already been quoted calling bicycle-related investments into question.

We want you to join us in D.C. to tell our congressional delegation to continue supporting cycling.

In a few weeks, MassBike will be leading Massachusetts advocates to Washington D.C for the 2013 National Bike Summit hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. It’s a great experience, and we hope you will join us. To register for the National Bike Summit click here.

If you will not able to make it down to the Capitol with us, we still encourage you to call your Representative and Senators on March 6th. We’ll post more about this as the date approaches, so stay tuned.

Even better, the day before the summit the Women’s Bicycling Forum will take place, which will highlight the rising influence of women in the bicycling movement. Both women and men are welcome to attend. To register for the Women’s Bicycling Forum, click here.

If you have any questions feel free to call 617-542-2453 or email Advocacy@MassBike.org.

“An Act To Protect Vulnerable Road Users”, SD 723, co-sponsored by:

• Senators William Brownsberger (lead sponsor), Sonia Chang-Diaz, Katherine Clark, and James Eldridge.
• Representatives Denise Andrews, Gailanne Cariddi, Carolyn Dykema, Lori Ehrlich, Kenneth Gordon, Jonathan Hecht, Kate Hogan, Kay Khan, Peter Kocot, Denise Provost, David Rogers, John Scibak, Carl Sciortino, and Frank Smizik

“An Act To Protect Bicyclists In Bicycle Lanes”, SD 731, co-sponsored by:

• Senators William Brownsberger (lead sponsor), Sonia Chang-Diaz, Katherine Clark, Kenneth Donnelly, James Eldridge, Patricia Jehlen,
• Representatives Denise Andrews, Carolyn Dykema, Lori Ehrlich, Kenneth Gordon, Jonathan Hecht, Kate Hogan, Kay Khan, Peter Kocot, Elizabeth Malia, Denise Provost, David Rogers, John Scibak, Carl Sciortino, and Frank Smizik

We could not have won the support of so many legislators without your help, so many thanks to all of you who called or emailed your senator and representative!

Our efforts to build even stronger support in the Legislature are just beginning, but this is a great start. Over the next few weeks, we will be reaching out to like-minded organizations around the state to sign on in support of these bills – and they will help us win over more legislative supporters. If you are involved with an organization you would like to see support either or both of the bills, please let us know who to contact by emailing their information to Executive Director David Watson, David@MassBike.org.

• The Wellesley Police Department performed a thorough investigation beginning immediately following the crash. They interviewed witnesses, collected evidence at the scene, reviewed traffic camera video, executed a search warrant at the company that owns the truck, impounded the truck, and performed extensive forensic analysis on the truck. Police tracked down the driver and interviewed him at his home the next day, and concluded that he was not being truthful in his account of the incident. They performed a simulation of the crash using the truck, a bicycle, and an officer the same size as the driver to determine what the driver could have seen. You can read the entire report of the investigation here, but be warned that it is graphic and disturbing.
• The police filed a variety of charges against the driver, including motor vehicle homicide. The driver was also charged for Unsafe Overtaking of a Bicyclist, a law passed as part of MassBike’s 2009 Bicyclist Safety Act.
• Prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury, which, in December, declined to indict the driver, effectively bringing an end to the investigation. Grand juries are county-wide, and closed to public view, so we will never know who was on the jury, what evidence was presented, or what was said in jury deliberations. The grand jury would have been composed of citizens from multiple communities in Norfolk County.
• The Motsenigos family has filed a civil lawsuit against the driver and the companies that own and operate the truck.

So what went wrong? Based on the information available to us, it appears that the police and prosecutors took this case very seriously, and performed a thorough and professional investigation. Ultimately, the decision was in the hands of the grand jury and we cannot know what was in their minds. We can and should assume that the grand jurors took their job seriously – they are constantly reminded of the gravity of their decisions. But we can assume that many of them, perhaps all of them, are not cyclists – we represent a growing, but still small proportion of the population. We can be certain that most of the jurors, probably all of them, are drivers – most people, including most bicyclists, are.

I will speculate that some, perhaps all, of the jurors put themselves in the place of the truck driver and asked themselves the question “should I face felony criminal charges if I accidentally hit a bicyclist?” And in the world as it exists today, with bicyclists forced to mix with cars and trucks on roads that were not designed to be shared, and inadequate education of both motorists and bicyclists, those jurors might have decided it would not be fair to hold the truck driver accountable. The system did not fail us, but our fellow citizens did.

This is a cultural issue, where most people still view bicyclists (if they think about us at all) as daredevils and people on the fringe of society. They do not yet see us as vulnerable individuals sharing the road, people like them who deserve greater protection and vigilance. We need to get past this cultural divide, get more rapidly to the point where bicyclists are as accepted and respected as any other person on the road. We are working on this culture shift at MassBike, and we are thinking hard about how to accelerate it. We need your help, first with your ideas, and later with your participation as we move forward.

Please give us your thoughts in the comments.

MassBike’s bills are the “Act To Protect Vulnerable Road Users”, S.D. 723, and the “Act To Protect Bicyclists In Bicycle Lanes”, S.D. 731. Many thanks to Senator William Brownsberger, who sponsored and filed the bills on our behalf.

YOU CAN HELP

We are actively seeking co-sponsors for all these bills, but the deadline is February 1, so there isn’t much time! Please email your own state senator and state representative and ask them to co-sponsor these bills. If you’re not sure who they are or how to email them, enter your address here.

This marks the second time we have filed the Vulnerable Road Users Bill. In the last session, it got stuck in committee, but we succeeded in raising awareness of the risks posed by motor vehicles to bicyclists, walkers, and other vulnerable users.  The bill will strongly encourage motorists to exercise more caution when operating around vulnerable road users, will educate motorists to operate more safely, and will provide law enforcement with additional tools to protect vulnerable road users. The bill:

• Defines “vulnerable users” to include pedestrians, bicyclists, and others including wheelchair users, all non-motorized users, and horseback riders (an even more inclusive list than last time!)
• Enhances the fines applicable to motorists who kill or seriously injure vulnerable users
• Requires traffic safety education
• Requires community service

And, new for the VRU Bill: We have added protection that makes it illegal to physically harass a vulnerable user with a motor vehicle, and enables you to sue motorists for a wide range of harassing behavior.

The Bicycle Lane Bill is very straight-forward and addresses a common problem: It makes it a violation statewide for the driver of a motor vehicle to park or stand in a marked bicycle lane or other on-street bicycle facility. When a motor vehicle parks or stands in a bike lane, it endangers bicyclists by causing them to move out of the bike lane into traffic to avoid the parked vehicle, or squeeze between the parked vehicle and the curb or other parked cars. In most communities in Massachusetts, it is not clearly a violation to park in a bike lane. While the City of Boston has recognized the problem and adopted its own ordinance, we run the risk of a patchwork of inconsistent and confusing local laws if we do not act statewide.

MassBike also strongly supports bills filed by our partners:

The “Act Relative To Active Streets And Healthy Communities”, S.D. 676/H.D. 1917, will create a program that encourages cities and towns across Massachusetts to routinely include Complete Streets design elements in locally funded road projects, making streets that are safer and more convenient for bicyclists, pedestrians, and all users – not just cars.

The “Act Relative To Speed Limits”, H.D. 3991, would reduce the prevailing speed limit (the default when there is no sign) from 30mph to 25mph. Even a small reduction in speed limits can dramatically increase the chances of a bicyclist or pedestrian surviving a collision with a motor vehicle.

Finally, the Transportation for Massachusetts coalition (MassBike is a member) has filed three bills aimed at increasing revenue for transportation and accountability for transportation decisions. These bills support the very progressive transportation plan recently proposed by the Governor, including increased funding for biking and walking.

With Daylight Savings Time behind us, it getting dark a lot earlier. This means it’s that time again – our annual “Light up the Night” blog post! Even though we put out a riding at night post every year, I don’t want you to think that this post is pro-forma.  We write this annual post because being visible matters. A lot.

At the very least, use a front and rear light. Massachusetts law requires that you have a front light and rear reflector, but a rear light is even better. Usually lights come in pairs anyway. When picking out lights for your bike, it is 25% about seeing where you’re going and 75% about being seen by others on the road.

After dark, it’s important to make sure motorists can see you way before they get near you. I usually know to turn my lights on by the street lights coming on. As law states you must light up your bike no later than 30 minutes after sundown.

Lights are too expensive, you say? Well, if you are a MassBike Member, be sure to check out our bike shop partners who will give you a discount on bike gear.

Installing both a front and rear light is a great first step, but why stop there? When you go through an intersection, it’s equally important to be visible from the sides. Here are our suggestions for what else you need to light up the night:

1. Reflective or lighted ankle straps, or pedal reflectors: Some pedals come with reflectors. While both types of ankle straps do double duty by keeping your pants away from your dirty chain, lighted ones provide more visibility.
2. Reflective Clothing: Examples include bicycling-specific jackets with day-glo accents and or a construction worker-style vest. Both will provide the necessary sideways visibility with their neon colors and/or reflective striping.
3. Other Reflective Accessories: Wheel reflectors, reflective tires, and reflective tape and stickers that can go on almost any part of your bicycle are other options, especially if you might forget a vest or jacket at home. There are also great lights that can be added to your spokes or bike frame that are both a bit more fun and eye catching then traditional wheel reflectors.
4. Reflective, But Fashionable If you’re afraid of not being quite chic enough, then not to worry! There is a clear reflective spray paint that they produce that can make anything light up. Also check out some of these more “Cycle Chic” reflective options.

You wouldn’t drive a car after dark without lights, so why would you ride a bike that way? Remember, you don’t get extra points for being a bike ninja. Be seen and stay safe!

Bike safety information now available in seven languages

Today at the Moving Together bicycle and pedestrian conference in Boston, the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) introduced new versions of its most popular educational publications in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Russian, and Haitian-Creole. Arabic and Portuguese versions will follow shortly. The new materials are:

• “Go By Bike: A Guide to Bicycling in Massachusetts”, filled with valuable information on how to ride safely and legally in traffic;
• “Go By Bike: A Parent’s Guide to Bike Safety”, helping parents teach their young riders the basics of safe biking; and
• “Same Roads, Same Rules” spoke cards, with key tips for bicyclists and motorists to interact more safely.

This marks the first time bicycle safety educational materials have been available in Massachusetts in such a wide range of languages.

MassBike works with bicyclists and communities statewide to make bicycling safer and more convenient, and we are pleased to provide educational resources that better reflect the diversity of our state. “The rapidly increasing popularity of bicycling, combined with MassDOT’s recently announced mode shift goal to triple biking in Massachusetts, highlights  the need to make bike safety information available to motorists and bicyclists for whom English may not be their primary language,” said David Watson, MassBike Executive Director.

All the new materials will be available for download free-of-charge on our Publications web page, and in print at all events where MassBike has a booth. For larger quantities, contact us. If there are other languages you would like to see, please let us know.

MassBike gratefully acknowledges the hard work of our volunteers, without whom this project would not have been possible:

Project Manager/Intern: Chinh Bui

Translators:

Narrow shoulders, wide lanes

New bike lanes in progress!

In late August, we discovered what appeared to be preliminary striping for very narrow shoulders and very wide travel lanes on the newly-repaved Mystic Valley Parkway in Arlington. As shown, those shoulders would not have been wide enough to qualify as bike lanes.  We immediately expressed our concern to the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and were quickly joined by other advocates who also noticed the problem. This was urgent, as paving and striping were ongoing. A flurry of emails and phone calls, and five days later we learned that DCR would stripe five-foot bike lanes – a big improvement. And those bike lanes are now installed! Many thanks to all the advocates for jumping on this right away, and to DCR for listening to us.

“No Bikes” signs went up …

… and finally came down!

The other problem involved some incorrect road signs and, surprisingly, considering there was no engineering or paint involved, took much longer to solve. Several months ago, we learned that “No Bikes” signs had appeared at intersections on the Alewife Brook Parkway, ostensibly banning bicyclists from riding on the road. This surprised us because we know that Massachusetts law gives bicyclists the right to use all public roads except for limited access or express highways (such as I-93 or I-95). Other bicyclists also noticed the signs and complained to neighboring municipalities. More emails and phone calls ensued, over a period of months, until two weeks ago, when we got the word that the signs would come down. And down they are.

For the record, we agree that the Alewife Brook Parkway is not a particularly good road for bicycling. Cars go too fast, and there is little or no shoulder so bicyclists must take the lane. The new Alewife Greenway offers an alternative, but some bicyclists prefer to ride in the road for a variety of reasons. We believe DCR acted to protect bicyclists, though we disagreed with their approach. The answer is not to remove bicycles from the road – it is to make the road safer for bicyclists. MassBike will continue to defend bicyclists right to use the road, and we have committed to working with state officials on future efforts to improve bicyclist safety on the parkway. Though we often have to be persistent, we are very lucky to have state agencies, like DCR, that value our opinion and, ultimately, agree with us.

• We rallied widespread support from the biking and walking communities, demonstrating to legislators that we are a political force.
• We succeeded in generating a great deal of awareness about the dangers faced by bicyclists and pedestrians from motorists.
• We got valuable feedback that helped us revise the bill to make it more likely to pass.
• And we won support from new friends in the Legislature and other advocacy groups.

While disappointing, what happened to the bill is not surprising. Even successful bills, like our 2009 Bicyclist Safety Act, usually take multiple sessions of advocacy before passing. (That one took four legislative sessions, a total of eight years.) With the level of interest we generated in this session, the bill will be well-positioned, with a better chance of passing, when we re-file it next January.

Many thanks to everyone who responded to our Action Alerts on the bill over the last 17 months, and told their personal stories to demonstrate the need for this bill. Thanks also to everyone who attended our Bike/Walk Summit and met with their legislators. And thanks to Representatives Sean Garballey, Kay Khan, and Carl Sciortino, and Senator Will Brownsberger, for sponsoring the bill. We know you will all be there when we need your help next time! And we will get this bill passed!

Please call or email your State Senator and State Representative right now and tell them you need their support TODAY to protect vulnerable road users. We need each and every one of you to take action now, or this bill will die and we will have to start all over again next January:

1. Call or email your State Senator and ask him or her to ask Senator McGee, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation to report favorably on H3079.
   Click here to find out who your State Senator is and how to contact him or her.
2. Call or email your State Representative and ask him or her to ask Representative Straus, House Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation to report favorably on H3079.
   Click here to find out who your State Representative is and how to contact him or her.
3. Email action@massbike.org to let us know who you contacted.

If your Senator or Representative is actually a member of the Joint Committee on Transportation, it is especially important to contact them today!

Joint Committee on Transportation:

Senate Members:
Thomas McGee (Senate Chair)
Gale Candaras
Robert Hedlund
Brian Joyce
Marc Pacheco
Michael Rush

House Members:
William Straus (House Chair)
Mark Cusack
Marcos Devers
Peter Durant
Michael Finn
Steven Howitt
Timothy Madden
John Mahoney
James Miceli
Denise Provost
Carl Sciortino
Chris Walsh

Please don’t sit this one out – contact your state legislators right now! Thank you for standing with MassBike to protect bikers and walkers.