Planning, Development and Transportation on October 22, 2026

I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT IF WE CAN'T MAKE IT SAFE FOR PEDESTRIANS UM, AS A CITY UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S OUR GOAL AND VISION ZERO SHOULD BE OUR GOAL AND WE HAVE TO MOVE QUICKLY AND URGENTLY TOWARDS THAT.

UM, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, UM, THE PARKING ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ROLE IS A DIFFICULT ROLE AS A STRESSFUL ROLE UM, AND IS WITH GREAT CREDIT TO UH, EACH MEMBER OF THE TEAM WHO'S OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY THAT I

UH, THERE'S ONE MUNICIPALITY THAT DOES NOT WE ARE THE ONE MUNICIPALITY THAT UH CURRENTLY BY STATE LAW IS NOT ALLOWED TO UH, HAVE UM AUTOMATED PARKING ENFORCEMENT IS SOMETHING WHICH AS YOU KNOW COUNCIL THEY'RE GOING TO TH

UM AND I KNOW IT'S A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION EVEN FOR MDH BECAUSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE BIKE LANE FOR EMERGENCY IN EMERGENCY CASES WHERE IT'S DIRE.

AND SO I, I DO THINK WE SHOULD START CALLING IT YOU KNOW BIKE LANE AND EMERGENCY VEHICLE LANE BECAUSE I DO THINK OUR UM HOSPITALS AND THE INSTITUTIONS CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THOSE AREAS NOT BEING BLOCKED IF THEY'RE NEEDED TO

SO IF THE NUMBERS SHOW LIKE HOW MANY 311 COMPLAINTS ABOUT BLOCKED BIKE LANES AND CROSSWALKS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED SO FAR THIS YEAR DO WE KNOW?

AND I KNOW THE MAP SHOWS LIKE THE HEATED SPOTS BUT WHERE THERE ARE REPEATED COMPLAINTS WHAT DOES HAPPEN?

UM, ANOTHER ISSUE OF OF FOCUSED ON AND MY COLLEAGUES HAVE AS WELL I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES CONCURRENT LIGHTING UM STREET LIGHTING IS AN ISSUE I AM CONCERNED WITH.

UM, UTILIZING THE DATA THAT WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING FROM DELIVERY COMPANIES THANKS TO THE THE RECENT ORDINANCE YOU ALL PASSED, UM, THAT IS SUPPORTING US HERE.

AND THEN THE MAYOR WOULD APPROVE IT AND THEN THE MAYOR WOULD SEND IT TO THE STATE.

WE COULDN'T ISSUE AND JUST ADOPT WHAT SOMERVILLE AND MANY OTHER CITIES HAVE IN BOSTON COUNTY THERE THE HOME RULE TAB IS ONE THAT WE WE TOOK.

I WILL SAY IT TOOK A WHILE AND I HOPE YOU LOOK AT THE UM HUM WELL UH THAT ACTUALLY PASSED BECAUSE WHAT WE SUBMITTED ENDED UP HAVING SOME QUESTIONS FROM THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND FROM THE STATE, UH, FOLKS

SUPPORT ANY MEASURE THAT WE COULD GET PASSED THIS.

I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR, UM, PRESENCE AND INPUT AND I'VE BEEN BIKING ALL OF MY LIFE BUT ONLY ABOUT A YEAR OR SO IN THE CITY AND I WOULD SAY FOR THIS DURATION I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COUNT HOW MANY INSTANCES CARS HAVE ALMO

EVEN THEN THE PUBLIC WAS REVIEWED WAS DENIED A COMPLETE CONVERSATION.

AND FINALLY I WANT THE CITY COUNCIL TO PASS THE SAFE STREETS ORDINANCE LIKE CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE TO ENFORCE A TIMELINE FOR INSTALLATION OF PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE TO PROTECT BIKE LANES AND CROSSWALKS SO FEWER STREETS

AS I WAS RIDING DOWN THE STREET AS I PASSED BY THE CAR, I TAPPED THE DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR WITH MY OPEN HAND TO EXPRESS ANNOYANCE AND DISAPPROVAL FOR BLOCKING THE BIKE LANE.

SO IF YOU'RE PARKING THOSE MUNICIPAL VEHICLES FOR UP TO ONE HOUR, SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE OUTSIDE OF THOSE HELPING PEOPLE GET PASSED.