This site has covered a wide range of bicycle and pedestrian safety issues — new laws and rules of the road, off-road path and greenway projects, and the redesign of streets, bridges, and intersections across Belmont, Watertown, Cambridge, Allston, Brighton, and the Fenway. This guide gathers that coverage by topic, with links to the 93 original posts (last updated June 2026).
Legislation and Rules of the Road
An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities (omnibus vulnerable-road-user bill). A multi-session effort developed with Representatives Rogers and Hecht and a coalition of bicycle, pedestrian, and transportation advocates, including safe-passing distances, truck side guards and mirrors, and related protections.
- An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities — Feb 3, 2017
- Transportation Committee Redraft — Mar 23, 2018
- Senate Ways and Means Draft — Jun 26, 2018
- Senate Passes Bill to Improve Traffic Safety and Protect Vulnerable Road Users (S.2570) — Jun 28, 2018
- Senate Passes An Act to Reduce Traffic Fatalities — Apr 25, 2019
Vulnerable Road Users Act and truck-safety implementation. The successor legislation became law, signed by the Governor on January 3, 2023 (Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2022). It required MassDOT to equip large state trucks with side guards and crossover mirrors.
- Protecting Vulnerable Road Users — Dec 27, 2022
- Progress on Truck Safety — Mar 3, 2025 (MassDOT implementation, plus a follow-on bill with Representative Owens to extend the requirements to municipal and utility vehicles)
Bicycle-safety bills and cyclist visibility.
- Bicycle Safety Legislation — Aug 11, 2015
- S.1117, An Act Relative to Bicycle Safety — Sep 25, 2015
- State Transportation Committee Considering Bike Safety Bills — Jan 6, 2016
- Proposed Legislation Adds Visibility to Issue of Cyclist Safety — Jan 14, 2016
Truck side guards and blind-spot mirrors.
- Side Guards and the Trucking Industry — Jan 14, 2016
- Bicycle/Truck Accidents — Aug 11, 2015 (prompted by the death of cyclist Anita Kurmann)
Blocking and parking in bike lanes.
- Bike Lane Parking — Jan 6, 2017 (on H.3072, An Act Protecting Bicyclists in Bicycle Lanes)
E-bikes: classification and where they may ride.
- E-Bikes on Paths — Mar 27, 2022
- E-bike Legislation Moves Forward — Apr 5, 2022 (Class 1, 2, and 3 rules for bike lanes, paths, and sidewalks)
Powered scooters and pedestrian conflicts.
- Scooters and Pedestrians — Jun 6, 2024
Distracted driving and the hands-free law. Keeping drivers’ attention on the road protects cyclists and pedestrians.
- Senate Passes Hands Free Driving Bill — Jan 24, 2016
- Hands Free At Last — Nov 18, 2019 (enacted)
Automated enforcement of speed and red lights.
- Automated Enforcement of Speed Limits — Mar 13, 2018
- Another Reason to Distrust Computers (Photo Radar / Photo Red) — Dec 21, 2012
Police training in bicycle-safety enforcement. A provision in the 2020 policing-reform law required training for law enforcement in bicycle-safety enforcement.
- Policing Reform Agreement (H.4886/S.2820) — Dec 2, 2020
- Full Text of Enacted Policing Bill — Jan 20, 2021
Rules of the road for cyclists.
- Revised Biking Laws — Jul 8, 2009
- 2018 Road Safety Legislation — Jul 6, 2018 (balancing the interests of cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians)
- Safe Driving — Mar 7, 2014
Bike/ped and Complete Streets funding in bond bills.
- Senate Passes Transportation Bond Bill — Mar 6, 2014 ($50 million Complete Streets grant program)
- Environmental Bond Bill (S.2250) — Jul 10, 2014 (funding for bike/ped safety, signals, and traffic calming on Alewife Brook Parkway and Fresh Pond Parkway)
- Transportation Reform Enacted — Jun 18, 2009 (bicycle and pedestrian access language)
Off-Road Paths, Trails, and Greenways
Belmont Community Path / Mass Central Rail Trail.
- Belmont Community Path — Dec 31, 2013
- Moving Forward with the Belmont Community Path — Sep 21, 2018
- Belmont Community Path Eligible for Federal Highway Funding — Aug 8, 2018
- Helping Belmont Land Community Path Money from the State — Jun 27, 2018
Fitchburg Cutoff Path (Belmont to Alewife).
- Bikepath from Belmont to Alewife Opening — Sep 1, 2013
- Fitchburg Cutoff Path Winter Snow Maintenance — Feb 8, 2014
Watertown–Cambridge Greenway.
- Project Public Meeting on June 9 — May 21, 2015
- Notes on the Greenway Meeting — Nov 30, 2015
- Watertown–Cambridge Greenway — Oct 26, 2016
- New Funding for the Watertown Greenway — Jun 22, 2017
Greenough Boulevard Greenway (Charles River, Watertown).
- Greenough Boulevard Greenway Project — Jan 12, 2015
Charles River paths and basin connectivity.
- Charles River Basin Connectivity Study — Dec 5, 2013
- Watertown Riverfront Park and Braille Trail — Oct 27, 2014
- Temporary Closure of the Paul Dudley White Bike Path — Jan 13, 2016
Charlesgate Greenway (under the Bowker).
- Charlesgate Park Update — Apr 15, 2016
Linden Street Bridge: a new off-road connection.
- New Trail Connection — Dec 27, 2025 (a new bridge over Route 60 completing an off-road link toward Route 95)
Winn Brook to Uplands path (Belmont).
- Path: Winn Brook to Uplands — Jun 4, 2019
Alewife-area bicycle and pedestrian access.
- Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements — Jul 3, 2009
- Biking Around Alewife — Aug 31, 2009
- Status of the Alewife to Brighton Road Bike Path — Jul 29, 2010
Streets, Bridges, and Intersections
Belmont / Trapelo Road corridor.
- $14.6 Million Approved for the Belmont–Trapelo Corridor — Sep 22, 2011
- Belmont/Trapelo Corridor Project Out to Bid — Aug 25, 2012
- What Happened to the Belmont Street / Trapelo Road Bicycle Lane? — Jul 2, 2016
Belmont Center reconstruction.
- Belmont Center Reconstruction — Mar 7, 2014 (narrower lanes for slower speeds, with bike/ped accommodations and improved accessibility)
Mount Auburn Street corridor and Fresh Pond Parkway.
- Study of the Fresh Pond Parkway / Mount Auburn Street Intersection — Dec 8, 2014
- Mount Auburn Project Update — Feb 5, 2017
- Mount Auburn Street Construction Update — Sep 24, 2019
- Mount Auburn / Fresh Pond Improvements — Feb 2, 2020 (pedestrian crossing bumpouts)
Commonwealth Avenue reconstruction and bridges.
- Comm Ave Phases 2A, 2B, 3 — Feb 28, 2014
- Comm Ave Bridge Replacement Project — Apr 14, 2017
Longfellow Bridge rehabilitation.
- Longfellow Bridge Hearings — Oct 5, 2010
- Longfellow Bridge Construction Impact — Jan 14, 2016
- MassDOT FAQs on Longfellow Bridge Design and Improvements — Jun 19, 2018
Bowker Overpass and the I-90 ramps.
- Removing the Bowker by Improving Longwood-to-Pike Access — Jan 11, 2013
- Findings on the Bowker and the Back Bay Ramps — Nov 20, 2014 (a new bike/ped connection from Beacon Street to the Mass Ave Bridge)
- Bowker Overpass Repairs Update — Dec 3, 2015
- Bowker Overpass Update — Jul 5, 2024
Cambridge Street (Allston/Brighton): safety audit and cycle track.
- Cambridge Street Bridge Deck Replacement — Jan 9, 2014 (a signalized crossing and separated cycle track)
- Cambridge Street Safety Audit — Dec 16, 2014
- Cambridge Street Improvements — Jul 29, 2014
Massachusetts Avenue bridge and redesign.
- Proposed Project: Massachusetts Ave Bridge over Commonwealth Avenue — Apr 2, 2015
- A Proposal for Mass Ave Redesign in Cambridge — Feb 11, 2016 (parking-protected bike lanes)
Allston I-90 Multimodal Interchange.
- Environmental Notification Form Comments — Dec 1, 2014
- MassDOT Allston Announcement — Jan 11, 2019
Birmingham Parkway redesign (Brighton).
- Community Discussion on Birmingham Parkway Possibilities — Jun 13, 2017
- Birmingham Parkway Community Meetings — Sep 13, 2019
Memorial Drive safety improvements.
- Mem Drive Safety Improvements — Oct 4, 2024 (improvements accelerated at a location dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians)
DCR parkways: systemwide modernization.
- DCR Parkways Master Plan: Projects in the District — Jun 28, 2021
- Charles River Dam Road Safety Improvements — Jul 18, 2019
Crossings, Sidewalks, and Other Local Improvements
Pedestrian crossings, curb cuts, and accessibility.
- Pedestrian Safety — Jun 10, 2013
- Charles Reservation Connections between Routes 30 and 16 — Jun 10, 2018
- Fenway Accessibility — Dec 20, 2019 (missing curb cuts at a Fenway crosswalk)
Winter clearing of paths and sidewalks.
- DCR Storm Management Plan — Jan 5, 2016 (snow-clearing priorities for multi-use paths and parkway sidewalks)
Bikes on the MBTA.
- Bikes on the MBTA — Jan 9, 2014 (bus-mounted bike racks)
Bus lanes and bike lanes on Mount Auburn Street.
- Understanding the New Bus Lanes — Nov 16, 2018
- Bike Lane Danger — Nov 9, 2018 (concerns about intermittent bike lanes on Mount Auburn Street)
Discussion and Differing Perspectives
These posts capture the range of community views on road design and the tradeoffs of safety measures. Some of them are authored by constituents and may not reflect my views.
- Urban Cycling Discussion — Jun 8, 2012
- Can We Trust Government with Our Roads? — Oct 11, 2011
- Two Approaches to Traffic Safety — May 3, 2011
- Hearing on “Anti-Motorist” Bills — Mar 27, 2016
- Bicycle Safety Forum — Take-Aways — Feb 28, 2016 (forum at Suffolk University)
- Results of Poll on Bike Safety — Jul 10, 2018
- Wheeling Along the Sidewalks of Watertown — Oct 1, 2013 (sidewalk cycling)
- Roundabouts and Circles (Road Safety) — Mar 22, 2011