BikEthan

Copy of e-mail sent to the Boston Transportation Department and to MassBike (Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition a bicycle advocacy organization), thoughts?

I almost got run off the road by a driver heading eastbound on Huntington Avenue in Boston. I tapped on her car with my left hand as she passed as I was unsure as to whether or not she saw me (despite my bright orange riding jacket and the clear sunny weather with excellent visibility). She was close enough that I didn't even have to shift my weight to tap her car. I was in the right lane riding away from the door zone. There was no one in the left lane (there are 2 eastbound lanes on the section of Huntington I was on) and she very easily could have given me plenty of space. Instead she drove by me while accelerating mere inches from me. While being passed too close is in no way extraordinary the driver works for the BTD as evidenced by her jacket and the hat sitting in her passenger seat. I didn't take her license plate number (now wishing I had). Given the state of bicycle advocacy in Boston and the mayor's professed commitment to making cycling in Boston easier and safer I thought that maybe some more education needs to happen for city employees regarding bicycles. This was truly excessive and dangerous and is that much more reprehensible given that the driver is a city employee.

Mainly I'm glad she didn't actually clip me.

bcart1991

Glad you're okay.

Write a letter/email to the mayor and the head of the department. Make sure you give proper location & time.

BikEthan

Thanks for the advice. I've sent the letter off and it looks as though this might actually be getting through to people who care. I'll post when I find out details.

njm

Maybe it's her job to promote irony within the city by driving poorly in a BTD car.

BikEthan

Yeah... I wish. Haven't heard back from anybody other than Massbike on this. Don't really expect to at this point.