Boston Releases New Guidelines for City Streets Amid Disagreements Over Bike Lanes

A group of city officials is urging Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to listen to the community about infrastructure projects involving the city's streets.

Wu had requested a 30-day review of all street and transportation projects undertaken in the city over the last 15 years.

In a memo sent to Wu by Mike Brohel, superintendent of basic city services, on Wednesday, Brohel reiterated a comment Wu made during an interview on GBH last month. At the time, she said the city didn't hear the concerns of community members and “just wanted to move as quickly as possible.”

“We heard consistent feedback that project communications and community engagement were inadequate, that decisions seemed predetermined, and that processes too often did not achieve consensus, contributing to a loss of community trust,” reads the memo obtained by the Boston Globe. “Many felt that their feedback was given insufficient attention.”

In its analysis of the memo, the Boston Globe noted that while many recommendations relate to specific projects, such as possibly narrowing the bike lane on Boylston Street and re-examining the Arlington Street bike lane for potential relocation, several suggestions are broader.

The memo recommended prioritizing “consensus over speed” to improve project communications and establish a timeline for future projects. City officials said they “strongly” recommend creating a “comprehensive plan for bike lane infrastructure” and “mandate that any future bike lane project only occur if it fits into” the plan.

According to Brohel's memo, meetings will be held to review other street projects and obtain feedback from more neighborhoods. “We hope that through this review and recommendations, the Streets Cabinet can establish better project communications and engagement moving forward,” it stated.

The memo follows a letter sent to Wu earlier in the year by businessman Jay Cashman, who leads a movement called Pedal Safe Boston. Cashman urged the mayor to “halt all ongoing and planned bike construction” until a master plan has been established. During a phone call with Wu in January, Cashman recalled telling Wu, “You're going to do something about this.”