Boston bicycle injury

Published on: February 15, 2018

Massachusetts Bicycle Safety Bill Promises Broadest Action to Date: Show Your Support!

An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities, a broad and sweeping bill directed at improving bicyclist safety in Massachusetts has survived its latest hurdle in the State House but now needs your support.

Boston bike injury lawyer

The bill, S.1905 and H.2877, covers a comprehensive range of critical traffic safety issues, including several pertaining directly to the rights and safety of bicyclists in Boston and across the Commonwealth.

The bill includes provisions relating to bike path crossing, a pet project of our own BikeAttorney.com attorney Andrew Fischer, a three-foot law and increased fines for double parking in bike lanes. Each section addresses current hazards cyclists face and impediments to damage recovery from negligent motorists.

Several elements of the bill have been floated in some form or another during prior legislative sessions. These efforts always stalled, typically an unfortunate victim of warring political interests. This bill presents a vital opportunity to protect Massachusetts bicyclists in a comprehensive manner, underscore their rights on the road and allow meaningful recourse against those who disregard their lives.

The Act (which we also credit in large part to the efforts of state and local Vision Zero coalitions and cycling advocacy groups like MassBike) would help reduce overall traffic deaths in the Commonwealth through a host of changes, including:

Amending the state’s texting-and-driving law;
Improving signage for bicyclists and pedestrians;
Requiring side guards on trucks contracted with the state;
Raising awareness of drowsy driving;
Introducing a traffic safety curriculum in public schools.

State senators and representatives need to hear from constituents that now is the time to act. The deadline for legislative action was extended, meaning voters have from now until March 2nd to contact their lawmakers and voice support for S.1905 and H.2877. Continue reading

Published on: July 10, 2016

Boston Ghost Bike Ritual an Increasingly Common One

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A bicyclist in Cambridge was struck and killed in Inman Square recently, prompting a vigil and a lasting memorial we’ve come to see with increasing commonality in Boston: The ghost bike. bikememorial

The 27-year-old cyclist, Amanda Phillips, was allegedly hit by a landscaping truck at the intersection of Cambridge and Hampshire Streets around 12:15 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. She was in critical condition following the crash and was transported to Mass. General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Witnesses told investigators Phillips either swerved to avoid an opening door of a sport utility vehicle or was actually struck by the door and thrown into the path of the truck. One nearby resident told reporters the Cambridge intersection has been a huge problem for decades, and it’s gotten even worse as the number of bicyclists has ballooned in recent years. Continue reading

Published on: January 15, 2016

Boston Safe Cycling Resolutions for 2016

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Many in Boston have dedicated themselves to a healthier lifestyle in 2016, and for some, that means participating in a cycling routine. That can involve commuting to work by bike at least a few days a week or it can mean simply taking one out for recreation on the weekends. bicycle12

Boston bicycle ridership has grown exponentially since 2007, when former Mayor Thomas Menino launched Boston Bikes. With more than 60,000 bicycle trips made just within the Hubway share ridership program annually (and more than 1.5 million since the program was launched) the city has vowed to slash the cycling injury rate by half by 2020. The 30-year Bike Network Plan involves construction of 356 miles of bike facilities in the city, and the city is continuing to dedicate resources to renovating existing roads under the “Complete Streets” model.

In a recent three-year span, the city reported 1,700 confirmed bicycle accidents to which Boston emergency medical technicians responded. Another survey by Boston Bikes indicated there were more than 2,550 crashes that occurred during that time.

As cycling grows in popularity, it becomes incumbent on all of us to work toward a safer environment for cyclists. That often begins with the cyclist, and the outset of a new year is a good time to get started. Continue reading