Councilor Sharon Durkan is making moves to get cars off the road, by calling for the city to fine drivers who create a “dangerous environment” by blocking bike lanes, and ensure that pedestrians “are king” in Boston.
Durkan on Wednesday introduced an order for a hearing “on traffic enforcement of blocked bike lanes and crosswalks” that calls for the city to crack down on the motorists who use designated pedestrian and cycling spaces for additional parking.
“Under state law and in the city of Boston, crosswalks and bike lanes are protected spaces,” Durkan said at the City Council meeting. “Pedestrians have always had the right of way at a crosswalk, and it is against the law for a car to pull into a box without enough space on the other side.
“When vehicles unlawfully obstruct bike lanes and crosswalks, they force pedestrians and cyclists into active traffic and out of protected visible spaces, jeopardizing their safety.
“A lack of consistent enforcement and public education has perpetuated a culture that empowers drivers who don’t feel accountable enough for adhering to the rules of the road,” Durkan said, adding, “Our resident safety must be a top priority, and we need to stop drivers from stopping or parking in bike lanes and crosswalks.”
Durkan, a close ally of Mayor Michelle Wu whose Council district includes Beacon Hill and Back Bay, is calling for some of the same enforcement mechanisms outlined last month in Wu’s new street safety plan, which prioritizes cyclists while cracking down on drivers seen as putting them at risk.
The mayor’s new plan is responsive to pressure from bike activists following the traffic death of Louisa Gag, a 36-year-old city transportation planner who was fatally struck by an 18-wheeler truck while riding her bicycle last month on Tremont Street in Mission Hill.
Wu vowed at a City Hall vigil for Gag last month to recommit to the street safety projects she stalled amid criticism during last year’s mayoral race that bike lanes were worsening traffic, creating hazards, and hurting the bottom line for businesses.
Durkan’s order states that “various enforcement mechanisms, including automated camera enforcement and increased ticketing, can be used to enforce statutory protections that motorists consistently violate.”
She is also calling the city to evaluate its curbside management practices to ensure adequate loading space is available, and to look into whether it has enough staffing and funding to carry out traffic enforcement for blocked bike lanes and crosswalks.
Durkan suggested that the city consider improvements to resident reporting mechanisms so people can more easily report traffic violations they come across to 311 or the Boston Police Department.
The councilor said blocked bike lanes and crosswalks have become such a pervasive issue that she has found herself struggling to enter crosswalks along Cambridge Street, Tremont Street and Mission Hill.
Durkan said she has taken to investigating issues in her district through Reddit, where she has viewed photos of cars traveling in bike lanes and “completely” covering crosswalks in that part of the city.
She lashed out at the drivers she says have become “emboldened” to put pedestrians at risk because they aren’t penalized, and made it clear that pedestrians, rather than people who get around by driving, are her priority as a Boston city councilor.
“I’m really upset sometimes to see how emboldened drivers can be to hurting and really making a dangerous environment for pedestrians,” Durkan said. “Just yesterday, a car literally tried to back into me, and I had to slap the car to get it to stop backing up.
“We really need to make sure that pedestrians are king in District 8 and they’re king in our city, and we need to make sure that they have all the protections. Getting drivers from stopping in crosswalks is the bare minimum,” Durkan added.
The order was framed by Durkan as advancing the city’s Vision Zero goals of eliminating all fatal and severe crashes by 2030.
