On the evening of February 22, 2022, a freshman at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst was walking on Massachusetts Avenue when she was struck and killed by a motorist, another UMass student. She was rushed to Baystate Medical Center where she succumbed to her injuries. Her death has prompted the university to implement safety measures to prevent future tragedies.
Read MoreBills are pending in the state House and Senate that would allow electric or e-bikes to travel in bike lanes. Currently, Massachusetts is one of just 4 states that classifies electric bikes as mopeds since they are battery powered and bars their presence in bike lanes though opponents of the law acknowledge that the law is generally ignored and not enforced.
Read MoreThis past November 2021, a woman in Springfield, Massachusetts was struck by a motorist and killed on State Street near Chestnut Street that resulted in the city’s 20th fatal accident of the year and 5th fatality for the month of November alone. Just the previous week, a pedestrian was killed just 6 blocks away on State Street.
Read MoreCovid-19 may have been a once-in-lifetime event, or so we hope, that led to business and office closures in Massachusetts and throughout the nation for most of 2020 and into the early part of 2021. As a result, there were far fewer vehicles on the road as those who were still working could do so at home or in areas outside of their normal offices. With traffic volumes drastically reduced in 2020, we would expect traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities to have fallen as well.
Read MoreResidents of Brockton, Massachusetts have been aware of the dangers faced by pedestrians from motor vehicles in their city for a number of years without much response or action from city officials. Nationwide, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, pedestrian accidents and fatalities are on the increase. Between 2009 and 2018, the foundation reported a 55% increase in pedestrian fatalities from motor vehicle accidents.
Read MoreIn early August, a 55-year old woman in Brockton, Massachusetts was crossing Centre Street near the entrance to Brockton Hospital around 9:00 p.m. when she was struck and killed by a man driving a Chevy Tahoe. The suspect left the scene only to turn himself in to police about an hour later.
Read MoreFour cities—Norwood, Plymouth, Lawrence, and Westford– recently received grants from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation as part of the Shared Streets and & Spaces program. These grants will enable these municipalities to implement or make design changes to streets, curbs, parking spaces, and parking lots. Its aim is to promote the public health, to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian mobility and safety, and make it easier to access businesses.
Read MoreIn an apparent distracted driving case, an 81-year old Fall River, Massachusetts woman tragically died from fatal injuries suffered while crossing Bedford Street in Falls River. She was struck by a 2015 Ford Freestyle SUV that was driven by a 19-year old young man.
Read MoreIn April of this year, another tragic accident occurred on Massachusetts Avenue at its intersection with Harrison, just across from Boston Medical Center when a tractor-trailer struck and killed a bicyclist who was apparently walking his bike through the intersection when he was struck. There are traffic lights at this intersection and reports did not indicate if the cyclist was crossing on a green light or if he was struck while walking in the same direction as the truck.
Read MoreIf you have ever seen or at least heard of the 1953 film noir classic, “The Wild One,” starring a brash and anti-authoritarian hero Marlon Brando who rode menacingly into a small California town with his band of outlaw motorcyclists, you might think about comparing it and its existential message to Springfield resident and self-proclaimed urban cyclist, Joshua Diaz, founder of 413 BikeLife. This group of young, mostly high school aged cyclists, while not exactly taking over and terrorizing the town like Brando and his group of rebel motorcyclists, have taken to the streets of Springfield on their bicycles in what Mr. Diaz claims is merely an expression of their dedication, athleticism, and devotion to the art of bicycle riding.
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