One of the best direct actions residents can take to help is to use modes of transportation that don't burn fossil fuels, like bicycles. Bikes are a great way to help the environment, stay fit, and get where you need to go. Unfortunately, it is not easy to take advantage of this option in the city of Boston. Our office is located in downtown Boston, so we see the difficulties cyclists face everyday. Environment Massachusetts is not working directly on a bicycle campaign right now, but we agree with campaigns run by other organizations, like LivableStreets Alliance, that are working to make Boston more bike-friendly.
Boston was named one of the worst biking cities in the nation three times in the last 10 years by Bicycling magazine. This is not surprising, considering we have only one bike lane in the whole city. This means that cyclists are usually forced with mix with car traffic, which is incredibly dangerous and unhealthy. On top of the risk of being hit by a car (it happened to Mayor Menino last summer!), those on bikes are forced to inhale exhaust fumes for extended periods of time. It does look like conditions have improved in the last year. Mayor Menino appointed Nicole Freedman as the director of bicycle programs for the city of Boston. She helped oversee the creation of the bike lanes along Commonwealth Avenue. In addition, Bicycling magazine revised its opinion and named Boston a future best city for biking. This is good news for the 5.4% of commuters in the Boston area who bike or walk to work on a regular basis, according to the American Fitness Index.
Contact Boston's biking czar and ask her to help our citizens become healthier and decrease global warming pollution by making Boston more bike-friendly!
Do you ride your bicycle to work or school? How bike-friendly are other communities in Massachusetts? Let us know in the comments!
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