Pedal Safe Boston testified at the State House this week in support of Senate Bill 2347, filed by Senator Nick Collins. The bill proposes new oversight for bike lane planning and regulation of commercial e-bike and scooter use.
“In the city of Boston… there’s been a growing concern over bike lanes being constructed… without community engagement,” Collins said at Tuesday’s hearing. He cited designs that fail to protect riders or pedestrians and lack ADA compliance. The bill would require a public hearing and approval from either MassAbility or a local disabilities commission before a new bike lane is approved.
Our founder and infrastructure expert, Jay Cashman, submitted written testimony read by Pedal Safe’s Ryan Meehan. “The rollout of these changes in Boston has too often occurred without a master plan, without full community input, and without serious attention to data, accessibility and long-term functionality,” the testimony stated. “This bill is not anti-cycling. It is pro-safety, pro-planning and pro-community.”
The bill also addresses the growing use of motorized bikes, scooters, and mopeds for commercial purposes. Collins described riders “running red lights, driving on sidewalks down one way streets, wrong way in the bike lane, and excessive speeding.” The legislation introduces escalating fines for violations, requires insurance for all commercially operated vehicles, and forms a task force to modernize enforcement and update “rules of the road.”
Professor James Alan Fox, a legally blind South End resident, described being struck multiple times by cyclists who ignored traffic laws. “Despite my limited vision, I have no problem… seeing approaching cars and trucks, but not so much with speeding bikes and scooters,” he said. “Those who fail to follow the law should absolutely be ticketed.”
“There is no provision to help them get across the bike lane,” said Jill Suarez, an Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Carroll Center for the Blind, speaking about the hazards her visually impaired students face navigating city infrastructure. She described being struck herself in a crosswalk and having to physically intervene to prevent her clients from being hit.
The bill offers a path to improve how cities like Boston approach transportation planning. Rather than allowing rapid, uncoordinated infrastructure changes to reshape neighborhoods without accountability, Senate Bill 2347 would embed transparency and disability oversight into the process. It creates a statewide baseline for public hearings and accessibility reviews, steps that have too often been skipped in Boston’s recent rollout of bike lane infrastructure.
Boston’s mayoral administration has failed to deliver transparent, inclusive, and well-planned bike lane infrastructure. To demand better planning and real oversight, email written testimony supporting Senate Bill 2347 to Senator Brendan Crighton, Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Transportation, at Brendan.Crighton@masenate.gov. Let lawmakers know the status quo isn’t working. It’s time for accountability.
You can read Pedal Safe Boston founder Jay Cashman’s full written testimony below.v
