Tom Menino, cycle survivor

I'm sure it was the mayor's fault. Maybe he should get training wheels.

I'm glad the mayor is OK, and I'm sure the horror stories will flow freely, but we should remember that it's probable that neither the mayor nor this particular driver were "out-of-control" at the time of the accident. Improvements to cycling in Boston should ensure that responsible cyclists and responsible drivers are able to share the roads in a way that is mutually understood. Hopefully it will also encourage the crazy cyclists and drivers to tone it down.

I have encountered both, but the worst thing is being near the couriers on bicycles. They weave in and out, scare pedestrians and motorists, and treat their job as an extreme sport. I blame the courier companies for letting this continue and also for the local police for looking the other way (they also look the other way when cars drive through cross walks - sometimes with pedestrians off the curb and ready to cross). What bothers me the most is every morning and evening I see the bicyclists driving down Nonantum Rd. when there is a great bicycle path right there empty. Not enough danger for them I guess.

I've been biking all my life and love it, and I'm glad to see that more and more people are biking, even the Mayor! Maybe this means we'll start to make Boston a more bike-friendly city, which would be terrific for everyone (fewer cars on the road, more traffic calming, more people geting great exercise, etc.).
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, three times in the past week while walking I have almost been hit by bicycles on the sidewalk. In Boston, it is AGAINST THE LAW TO RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE SIDEWALK or anywhere else cars aren't permitted! Washington Street and Atlantic Ave. downtown are scary places to bike, I know, but the solution isn't to jump up on the sidewalk and wobble along on your new wheels, sporting your shiny new helmet, scaring folks to death. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, period.
So, all you new bikers out there, and you experienced ones who didn't know, please stick to the streets (riding with traffic, obeying the rules of the road, yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks) and call and write the Mayor and City Council now, and next week, and the week after that, to make the streets safer for bikers.
Thanks!

In response to Sheila regarding Nonatum Road and other places where "bike paths" are near roadways. Before complaining about bicycles, get out and try one first, or at least observe where you think they "should" be riding. There are several reasons that bicyclists do not use nearby paths or road shoulders.

First, the path may be in deplorable condition, or may not have been truly built for high speed biking. I have not ridden the Nonantum path in over a year, but my recollection is that it is rough, and does not have good transitions at the intersections.

Second, the path may be crowded with other non-bicycle users. The Minuteman Bikeway is extremely crowded on weekends and during rush hours making high speed biking unsafe. In Washington, DC, they have recently enacted a 15MPH limit on a well used path, effectively making it unusable for commuters.

Third, road shoulders are notorious for debris, wrongway grates, potholes and other hazards which require a bicyclist to travel further from the curb than you might expect. Additionally, a rider may be preparing for a left turn, or moving left to avoid a "right only" lane.

When commuting, it is not unusual for commuters to hit peak speeds over 20MPH. Like your car, this requires smooth pavement and a reasonably straight line of travel. The bottom line is that motorists must make it a habbit to watch for cyclists, and to understand why they may be riding where they are.

Bicycling should not be as scary as it can be.

In some cases, the cyclists themselves are the cause. Especially now with the current bike trend and increased gas prices, people hop on a new shiny bike and take to the roadways without *really* studying bike safety and urban riding. There are MANY nuances to urban riding far beyond simply obeying traffic laws. Many of these are learned with experience, but there are a ton of web sites out there that offer great advice that anyone can read up on before hitting the roads.

Drivers are a huge problem though. People don't realize that bikes have the exact same right to be on the road as cars do, and furthermore, we don't have to be way over in the ditch. Riding further into the lane is almost always the safer strategy for bikes, more people can see you and you can't get hit by a door. Some drivers get so angry at bicyclists that they buzz them with their cars, honk their horns, etc., which puts the bicyclist in a lot of danger. Also both drivers and pedestrians don't realize that a bike doesn't stop as quickly as a car does- drivers (or people crossing the street) will often gun it out in front of you, assuming they have as much time with a bike as they do with a car.

As for the bike paths...riding on the Minuteman or by the river on the bike path is practically a death trap for everyone involved. Sure, you can't get hit by a car, but try navigating through swarms of couples walking hand-in-hand, baby carriages, small children learning to ride, whole families out for strolls, rollerbladers, runners, people with ipods, people on phones...all with clipless pedals...it can be scary at times! The bike paths are just far too crowded to...well...ride a bike on! I was traveling down the Minuteman at a good speed recently, when a woman, carrying a baby, came out of nowhere and walked right across the path. I had to swerve and break, and unfortunately didn't clip out in the process. As I landed on the concrete (probably not great for anyone behind me as well) the pedestrian didn't even apologize!

For place with so many cyclists, there are a lot of problems. I know people who are afraid to start riding a bike because it looks scary. to be honest, it really can be, and that's just no good because the more people who ride bikes, the more everyone benefits.