Biking in Boston

[TheRatmeister]

Mass. is looking at first-in-the-nation rules for e-bikes, mopeds, and scooters - The Boston Globe

On Monday, Governor Maura Healey took aim at growing worries about e-bike use, filing the Ride Safe Act — rules that would regulate where and how e-bikes, mopeds, and scooters can operate, based on speed capability.

www.bostonglobe.com

These seem quite similar to the Dutch rules based on a quick read.

 

[FK4]

Mass. is looking at first-in-the-nation rules for e-bikes, mopeds, and scooters - The Boston Globe

On Monday, Governor Maura Healey took aim at growing worries about e-bike use, filing the Ride Safe Act — rules that would regulate where and how e-bikes, mopeds, and scooters can operate, based on speed capability.

www.bostonglobe.com

Im sure Im not alone in feeling, especially over the last year, that something seriously needs to be done about these vehicles. The degree of chaos on the road and bike lanes seems like a disaster waiting to happen, and I am really surprised we aren't hearing about more accidents given how ubiquitous these crazy move pulling drivers are.

 

[Jeremi]

Im sure Im not alone in feeling, especially over the last year, that something seriously needs to be done about these vehicles. The degree of chaos on the road and bike lanes seems like a disaster waiting to happen, and I am really surprised we aren't hearing about more accidents given how ubiquitous these crazy move pulling drivers are.

We need rules like this for cars and trucks first.

 

[BeyondRevenue]

For every idiot on a scooter I think “well at least he’s 1/20 the weight and a fraction of the mass of a car.“
We can’t prevent stupid. We can supply stupid with lighter, less lethal options.
E-bike slurs are yet another cultural wedge issue used to flare up older conservative voters.
Their meta-spin: It’s electric so it must be socialist somehow.
I see you Mr. Flynn. You’re not fooling anyone.

 

[TheRatmeister]

We need rules like this for cars and trucks first.

They aren't mutually exclusive.

What's really needed across the board is enforcement of traffic laws in general.

 

[FK4]

They aren't mutually exclusive.

What's really needed across the board is enforcement of traffic laws in general.

For every idiot on a scooter I think “well at least he’s 1/20 the weight and a fraction of the mass of a car.“
We can’t prevent stupid. We can supply stupid with lighter, less lethal options.
E-bike slurs are yet another cultural wedge issue used to flare up older conservative voters.
Their meta-spin: It’s electric so it must be socialist somehow.
I see you Mr. Flynn. You’re not fooling anyone.

Yes, and whatever Flynn and the pro car people think doesn’t change the fact that these scooters have become a NEW issue, that is dangerous, and it’s a complete cop out to pull some what aboutism on cars or write off the real issue because the reactionary in Southie also happens to dislike them.

I’ve had many near misses while driving. I’ve also been nearly knocked off my bike, in a fucking bike lane, more than once, and nearly been hit while crossing streets. They’re fast and small and easy to miss and their danger issues are different.

 

[TheRatmeister]

Yes, and whatever Flynn and the pro car people think doesn’t change the fact that these scooters have become a NEW issue, that is dangerous, and it’s a complete cop out to pull some what aboutism on cars or write off the real issue because the reactionary in Southie also happens to dislike them.

I’ve had many near misses while driving. I’ve also been nearly knocked off my bike, in a fucking bike lane, more than once, and nearly been hit while crossing streets. They’re fast and small and easy to miss and their danger issues are different.

I can tell you it's absolutely not just a Boston issue, mopeds and fat bikes are scourges of dutch cycle paths as well. The gas ones are deafeningly loud and the electric ones are quiet enough to sneak up on you like a Prius in a Trader Joes parking lot.

 

[Charlie_mta]

I can tell you it's absolutely not just a Boston issue, mopeds and fat bikes are scourges of dutch cycle paths as well. The gas ones are deafeningly loud and the electric ones are quiet enough to sneak up on you like a Prius in a Trader Joes parking lot.

The electric bikes and scooters are the scariest. Several times I've been pedaling along a path on my non-motorized bike, when suddenly an e-bike comes out of nowhere, swooping down like an eagle silently and swiftly upon its prey.

 

[stevebikes]

I'm not sure I can even describe the vehicle I saw get on the Somerville path at Willow Street yesterday. It was like a recumbent motorcycle driven by an old man, but I think it was a trike? Or even a quad. But it mostly looked like an F1 car at first glance. Definitely should not have been on the path though!

 

[sneijder]

https://www.reddit.com/r/bikeboston/comments/1tgi54l/instead_of_installing_the_planned_twoway

Reddit is fuming about the Dartmouth street bikeway which had a great concrete-separated wide two-way bikeway from the esplanade to Copley Square. This bikeway would legitimately connect a ton of low-stress cycling options from copley square to anywhere connected by the Charles River path. The cycleway is half complete, with the second half promised after recent repaving last month on Dartmouth St. But instead of installing the approved design, they just slapped down the same door-zone bike lane as before. The new design wasn't even reducing car capacity as the roadway was kept to 2 northbound lanes.

This is about as corrupt and wasteful an administration can get on this construction. Have a perfectly good two-way south-bound bikeway that just dead ends into two wide high-speed roads. Then people will cry "no one uses it!!!". Never forget that the city probably spent 200-500k designing this approved design in the first place.

 

[cubbe8]

https://www.reddit.com/r/bikeboston/comments/1tgi54l/instead_of_installing_the_planned_twoway

Reddit is fuming about the Dartmouth street bikeway which had a great concrete-separated wide two-way bikeway from the esplanade to Copley Square. This bikeway would legitimately connect a ton of low-stress cycling options from copley square to anywhere connected by the Charles River path. The cycleway is half complete, with the second half promised after recent repaving last month on Dartmouth St. But instead of installing the approved design, they just slapped down the same door-zone bike lane as before. The new design wasn't even reducing car capacity as the roadway was kept to 2 northbound lanes.

This is about as corrupt and wasteful an administration can get on this construction. Have a perfectly good two-way south-bound bikeway that just dead ends into two wide high-speed roads. Then people will cry "no one uses it!!!". Never forget that the city probably spent 200-500k designing this approved design in the first place.

By the looks of it that looks like temporary paint

 

[HenryAlan]

By the looks of it that looks like temporary paint

Based on the city's project page, it seems this is still under the design phase. Wu has garnered enough bad will that we are correct to be suspicious, but I suspect in this case, they just aren't ready to implement the final design.

 

[KCasiglio]

Based on the city's project page, it seems this is still under the design phase. Wu has garnered enough bad will that we are correct to be suspicious, but I suspect in this case, they just aren't ready to implement the final design.

There has been a couple cases where their stated explanation is that they want to have minimal active construction going on during the WC, so they're delaying full implementation. I think reasonable people can disagree on the approach, but it seems consistent

 

[as02155]

The project page looks to have not been updated in about 1-2 years. I don't think I would trust the information there - it seems like the only trustworthy source of info on anything this mayor is doing is a council hearing (still very bad) or media interview (where somehow policy is made?).

The reddit photos do not look like "temporary" paint - there's a good amount of height to the lines which is often how the "permanent" thermoplastic lines appear after installations.