It seemed as though he had just sprouted legs more than two months ago when an invigorated Mayor Thomas Menino proposed a city-wide bike path to increase two-wheeled traffic in Boston, and though city officials and health experts remain enthusiastic about the project, some say its training wheels are still too firmly in place.
According to an August Boston Globe article, Menino has a history of championing causes that hit close to home, including a campaign on the dangers of sun exposure after he was diagnosed with skin cancer and a vendetta against poor nutrition after he lost weight. The four-term mayor announced the Boston Bikes Initiative after he developed an affinity for pedaling, said MassBike Executive Director David Watson.
“It’s funny that you had all of these groups for so many years advocating for bicycling, but in the end, what it really took was just the mayor getting on a bike for a little bit to realize things need to change,” Watson said. “In general, he wants to pursue things as mayor that he has personal interest in.”
MassBike, formerly known as the Massachusetts Bicycling Coalition, has supported the program by helping plan and host a citywide Bike Summit in October, which attracted enthusiasts to discuss the future of bicycling in Boston, Watson said.
“As with other public works projects, these things take a lot of time to implement,” he said. “The mayor is interested in getting things done quickly, and will encourage people in the transportation department and public works to move quickly to get these things done.”
The only funding secured for the plans comes from the Boston Redevelopment Authority’s $25,000 grant to develop the South Bay Harbor Trail, which will span the 3.5 miles between the Ruggles T stop and Fan Pier, according to a press release.
“It’s really too early to see changes in the streets and all that,” Watson said. “Maybe in the spring and the summer we will begin, but I don’t really know what the timetable is.”
Other goals cited in the press release include a base count of Boston bikers, development of a route map and installing bike racks throughout the city, but none are spelled out financially.
Former Olympian, Boston Bikes Coordinator and coordinator for Boston’s annual Hub on Wheels cycling race Nicole Freedman said she has seen progress — albeit slow — with the project.
“We did the bike summit, we had Hub on Wheels – we’ve been making plans to install bike racks and put in some bike lanes and do preliminary work for some of the programs, and preliminary work to create a bicycle map,” Freedman said.
“This is really a part of a larger initiative around sustainable and livable cities, so we see the program as fitting into the larger green initiative and the health and obesity initiative. We see it as fitting into every initiative we really have.”
Others, like bike messenger Nick Scotti, who makes his living picking up and delivering packages from dispatchers, said the mayor’s plan would make his life easier.
“If it provides a faster route, I’ll use them, but I love playing in the traffic,” Scotti told The Daily Free Press in October.
Observing nationwide health statistics and guidelines as a reference, Freedman said officials used other cities as models for the Boston plan.
She said she hopes to start a Boston program similar to one in Paris that allows riders to share bikes with common drop-off and pick-up points throughout the city. She said she has discussed the idea with Boston University and other area colleges, and said a plan for BU is in the works for next semester.
Massachusetts health officials say the Boston bike craze will only help make the state healthier.
A 2006 study conducted by the Trust for America’s Health reported that Massachusetts has the second-lowest rate of adult obesity in the country.
Massachusetts Department of Public Health Physical Activity Nutrition and Physical Activity Unit program coordinator Maya Mohan said her department has contributed little to the plan, but said she supports the spirit of the initiative, provided enthusiasts wear their helmets.
“Biking is a great example of moderate physical activity and a great way to meet national health guidelines,” she said. “It is relatively easy and relatively cheap – it’s a great way to connect with nature while doing something for yourself.”
This is an account occasionally used by the Daily Free Press editors to post archived posts from previous iterations of the site or otherwise for special circumstance publications. See authorship info on the byline at the top of the page.
