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AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.I'M GONNA CALL TODAY'S TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES MEETING, UH, COMMITTEE MEETING TO ORDER.
THE CALL OF TODAY'S MEETING IS TO DISCUSS MICRO MOBILITY IN CAMBRIDGE, INCLUDING CURRENT SAFETY TRENDS, THE RECENTLY FILED STATE LEGISLATION, RIDE SAFE ACT, AND NEXT STEPS FOR EDUCATION ENFORCEMENT CONSIDERATIONS.
ENFORCE THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS OR ROLL CALL OF MEMBERS.
THAT'S FOUR MEMBERS PRESENT, ONE RECORDED AS ABSENT.
PURSUANT TO CHAPTER TWO OF THE ACTS OF 2025, ADOPTED BY MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL COURT AND APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR, THE CITY IS AUTHORIZED TO USE REMOTE PARTICIPATION AT MEETINGS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL'S COMMITTEES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDS THIS MEETING AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FOR FUTURE VIEWING.
THIRD PARTIES MAY ALSO BE AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING THIS MEETING.
IN ADDITION TO HAVING MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE REMOTELY, WE HAVE ALSO SET UP ZOOM TELECONFERENCE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
EACH PEOPLE SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES, AND SIGNUP IS AVAILABLE UNTIL THREE 30.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY COUNCIL SECTION OF THE CITY WEBPAGE, INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOW TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK, UH, POSTED THERE.
ONCE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SIGNUP PROCEDURE, YOU'LL RECEIVE A LINK TO THE ZOOM MEETING.
YOU CAN ALSO EMAIL WRITTEN COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD, FOR THE RECORD TO THE CITY CLERK AT CITY CLERK@CAMBRIDGEMASS.GOV.
TO WATCH A MEETING, PLEASE TUNE IT TO CHANNEL 22 OR VISIT THE OPEN MEETING PORTAL ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UH, WITH ALL THAT, ALL OF TODAY'S VOTES, IF ANY, WE'LL BE BY ROLL CALL.
UM, SO I GUESS MAYBE WE SHOULD LET EVERYONE INTRODUCE THEMSELVES FIRST AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
I'M NOT SURE, UM, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE SIGNED UP? WE HAVE FIVE PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO, UH, WHAT WE DO, WHY DON'T WE GO FROM THE LEFT AND GO AROUND THE ROOM.
PATTY NOLAN ON THE CITY COUNCIL
I'M, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DEPARTMENTS INTERN.
UH, BROOKE MCKENNA, TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER STEPHANIE GROHL, ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
STEPHANIE MCCALL OF ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR PARKING MANAGEMENT.
LIEUTENANT CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
EVAN BJORK CLINTON, ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR LAW DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M, UH, I'M TIM FLAHERTY, CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNSELOR.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF?
SHE, HER A DA COORDINATOR FOR THE CITY.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER, OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MICHAEL ROKO, FOLLOWED BY SARAH BLOCK.
UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYONE.
UM, AND I WAS REALLY GLAD TO SEE THAT THIS HEARING HAD BEEN CALLED ON THIS TOPIC, SPECIFICALLY THE RIDE SAFETY ACT AND IN RESPONSE TO THE MICRO, MICRO MOBILITY REPORT FROM THE STATE.
SO I DON'T INTEND TO USE ALL THREE MINUTES, BUT I'LL SAY I'M FROM NEW JERSEY, GETS A LOT OF HEAT.
IN ONE CASE, IT REALLY DESERVES IT.
THEY HAD A VERY KNEE JACK, KNEE JERK REACTION TO, UM, E-BIKES MICRO MOBILITY, AND PRODUCED A SET OF REGULATIONS THAT WERE SO UNWORKABLE AND CONFUSING AS TO JUST LEAD TO A LOT OF FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, AND DISRUPTION TO, UM, MOBILITY GENERALLY.
SO PEOPLE ON BIKES, PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS, PEOPLE ON E-BIKES.
I THINK I, SO I APPLAUD THE CITY FOR BEING REALLY PROACTIVE AND, AND, AND, AND RESPONDING QUICKLY TO THE MICRO MOBILITY REPORT.
I WAS REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT'S IN THE MICRO MOBILITY REPORT.
UM, I CARE A LOT ABOUT SAFETY ON THE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, I'M A PEDESTRIAN FIRST AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE.
I RIDE A BIKE, I RIDE AN E-BIKE FROM TIME TO TIME, AND I DRIVE FROM TIME TO TIME.
SO GETTING THIS RIGHT IS IMPORTANT.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO THINKING ABOUT POTENTIAL, UM, REGULATIONS AND POTENTIAL SIGNAGE, UM, I THINK WE CAN GET OURSELVES INTO A REALLY TRICKY STATE WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO, TO GAUGE WHETHER A GIVEN E-BIKE IS CAPABLE OF GOING OVER OR UNDER A CERTAIN SPEED.
UM, WHILE E-BIKES ARE HEAVIER THAN OTHER BIKES AND, AND, AND OTHER DEVICES.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN REALLY, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH
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A LOT BY SAYING AFFIRMATIVELY HERE, HERE, HERE'S WHAT OUR RESTRICTIONS ARE FOR SPEED IN CERTAIN PLACES.I'M, I'M A SHARED PATH USER, AND I FIND THAT TO BE A REALLY STRESSFUL PLACE TO RIDE A BIKE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, SIGNAGE TO THE EFFECT OF SLOW DOWN, UM, CAN, CAN, CAN, CAN REALLY MEAN A LOT.
AND, AND HAVING NUMBERS ATTACHED TO THAT CAN REALLY MEAN A LOT.
THANK YOU TO, UM, I, I SAW SOME OF THE STAFF'S, UM, MAY 28TH PRESENTATION, SO I MEAN, THEY HAVEN'T PRESENTED YET HERE, BUT, UM, I, I'M, I'M, I'M GLAD FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
I'M GLAD AT THE STATE LEVEL AS WELL.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH BLOCK, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER SCHMIDT.
OH, I, CAN YOU HEAR ME? I, I THINK I MISSED THE BUTTON.
UM, SARAH BLOCK 24 SHEPHERD STREET.
UM, I AND SOME OTHERS RECENTLY STARTED A SENIOR, UM, BIKE GROUP, AND I NOTICED A NUMBER OF OLDER PEOPLES, MEANING PEOPLE SIX, SIXTIES, SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, USE THE E-BIKES AS MOBILITY DEVICES IN ADDITION TO RECREATIONAL DEVICES.
AND I, AND THEY TEND TO RIDE QUITE SLOWLY.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, UH, LEGISLATION THAT, UH, YOU CONSIDER THE NEEDS OF OLDER PEOPLE RIDING E-BIKES THAT CAN NO LONGER RIDE IRREGULAR, UH, PEDAL BIKE.
AND I THINK THAT WAS ALL I WANTED TO MENTION.
UM, THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO, AND PERSONALLY, I FIND, UM, THE SIGNS THAT KEEP REMINDING CYCLISTS TO YIELD TO PEDESTRIANS AND LIMIT SPEEDS ARE THE MOST HELPFUL UNSHARED PATHS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KRIS SMITT, FOLLOWED BY JANIE KATZ.
HELLO, MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER SCHMIDT, UH, 25 BANK STREET SOMERVILLE.
UM, I'M ALSO THE FOUNDER OF COMMUNITY PEDAL POWER AND THE OPERATOR OF THE, UM, UH, GREATER BOSTON E-BIKE LENDING LIBRARY.
UH, YEAH, SO I HAVE BEEN AN E-BIKE RIDER FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS NOW, UM, AND HAVE PUT MORE THAN 20,000 MILES ON MY E-BIKE, UH, AND HAVE ALSO HELPED MORE THAN 1200 FAMILIES TRY OUT E-BIKES AND HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES PURCHASE E-BIKES THAT ARE RIDING AROUND, UM, STREETS IN SOMERVILLE, CAMBRIDGE, THE GREATER BOSTON AREA.
UH, AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN MOST EXCITING, UH, IN SEEING THE TRANSITION OF MICRO MOBILITY IS THE NUMBER OF, UM, CARS WE'VE REMOVED FROM THE STREETS.
UH, I TALK TO FOLKS WHO, UM, ON AVERAGE, A PERSON WHO BUYS AN E-BIKE RIDES A E-BIKE ABOUT A THOUSAND MILES, UH, TO 2000 MILES PER YEAR.
UM, IN MANY CASES, THESE PEOPLE ARE REPLACING SECOND CARS OR REPLACING TRIPS THAT WOULD BE TAKEN IN CARS.
AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE, UM, FOR PARENTS RIDING CARGO BIKES WITH CHILDREN ON THE BACK, UM, WITH A CARGO BIKE THAT CAN CARRY YOUR TWO KIDS.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ON THE E-BIKE THAT YOU COULDN'T REALLY DO ON, UH, YOU KNOW, A A REGULAR PEDAL BIKE.
UM, YOU CAN TAKE KIDS TO DAYCARE, YOU CAN GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, AND THEN YOU CAN GET TO WORK, UM, AND GET HOME TO MAKE DINNER ON TIME.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, CARRYING A HUNDRED POUNDS OF STUFF ON THE BACK OF YOUR BIKE IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, GREAT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY ATHLETIC.
BUT AS A 4-YEAR-OLD MAN WITH OLD KNEES, I DON'T HAVE THAT ABILITY.
UH, AND I'M, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY TO ENABLE THIS WAY OF GETTING AROUND.
UM, BUT WHAT THIS MEANS TO ME IS I'VE HELPED PUT HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES ON BIKES CARRYING THEIR KIDS AROUND OUR CITY, IS THAT WE HAVE TO BE REALLY COGNIZANT OF WHAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING, WHAT WE'RE ALLOWING, AND WHAT WE CAN MAKE HAPPEN.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT CAMBRIDGE HAS PUT INTO PATHS, UH, AND, AND BIKE LANES.
UH, I THINK IT IS TRULY IMPORTANT THAT KEEP THOSE THINGS, UH, AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
UH, AND THAT, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ONLY HAPPEN, UH, IF WE CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, ALLOW AND, AND ENCOURAGE THESE, UH, TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, I HEAR OFTEN TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, BANNING VEHICLES THAT CAN GO AT HIGHER SPEEDS, CLASS THREE E-BIKES AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, OR EVEN LOWERING THE SPEEDS OF E-BIKES ENTIRELY, UH, OR BANNING E-BIKES ENTIRELY.
UM, AND I REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT, UM, IF YOU HAVE A PARENT WHO'S GONNA TAKE THEIR TWO KIDS TO DAYCARE, UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA RIDE THE COMMUNITY PATH TO GET TO THE DAYCARE NEAR CAMBRIDGE HIGH GALLERIA, WHERE MY CHILD WORKS, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RIDE INTO DOWNTOWN BOSTON.
THEY MAY BE RIDING AN E-BIKE THAT CAN GO FASTER.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY NEED TO DO SO, OR ARE GOING TO DO SO ON THE COMMUNITY PATH.
UM, WE DON'T BAN A TESLA FROM DRIVING THROUGH A SCHOOL ZONE JUST BECAUSE IT CAN DRIVE A HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR.
WE, UM, LOOK AT THE BEHAVIOR, UM, RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, BLAME THE FOOL, NOT THE TOOL IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF HOW WE LOOK AT THIS.
SO SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, UH, ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION AND SETTING SHARED STANDARDS FOR SHARED SPACES.
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BANNING THINGS BAD.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JANIE KATZ.
UM, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING THIS HEARING.
UM, I, UH, HAVE BEEN A CYCLIST THROUGHOUT MY ALMOST 50 YEARS OF LIVING IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE, UH, WHERE I MOVED, UH, AFTER GETTING OUT OF COLLEGE, UM, UH, WE, UH, MY HUSBAND AND I RAISED OUR THREE KIDS, UM, ON BICYCLES.
WE WERE AHEAD OF THAT CURVE WITH CARGO BIKES.
WE HAD TO HAVE ONE BUILT IN ABOUT TWO IN 2000.
WE COMMISSIONED SOMEONE TO BUILD US A CARGO BIKE.
UM, AND MY KIDS LEARNED PRETTY, ESPECIALLY MY YOUNGER ONES, LEARNED EARLY TO RIDE BIKES IN THE CITY.
AND, UM, I DID LET, LET MY KIDS SOMETIMES, UM, RIDE ON SIDEWALKS, BUT SIDEWALKS, UH, ARE ACTUALLY MORE DANGEROUS TO RIDE ON FOR CYCLISTS.
AND WE TAUGHT THEM TO RIDE IN THE STREET.
UM, BUT SOMETIMES KIDS OR ANY OF US DO NEED TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALKS WHEN THERE ISN'T ADEQUATE, UM, SAFE PLACES TO RIDE.
UM, I MEAN, FRESH POND, UH, PARKWAY IS ONE, OH, WIFE BROOK, EL WIFE BROOK PARKWAY.
UM, YOU, THERE'S NO OPTION EXCEPT TO RIDE ON THE SIDEWALK.
UM, I AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE FACT THAT WE DON'T BAN CARS THAT CAN GO ABOVE 25 MILES AN HOUR FROM OUR CITY STREETS, UM, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE BANNING BIKES, UM, THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GO FASTER.
I, I'VE HAD AN E-BIKE NOW FOR, UM, WELL, I'M 69.
I'VE HAD IT SINCE I WAS 62, I THINK.
UM, AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M STILL, UM, ONE OF THE SLOWEST RIDERS AROUND, SO IT'S NOT, UM, I'M THE FOOL, NOT THE TOOL.
BUT ANYWAY, I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD, I, I DON'T LIKE BEING BANNED FROM PLACES.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK IT MAKES ANY SENSE.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE DO NEED TO SOMETIMES USE SIDEWALKS.
UM, I GUESS THE OTHER THING IS I TALK TO E-BIKE RIDERS, UM, CONSTANTLY.
I LOVE TALKING TO, TO PEOPLE ABOUT LIKE HOW THEY GET AROUND AND WHY.
AND, UM, AND I ENCOURAGE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE NOT YET E-BIKE RIDERS TO GIVE IT A TRY.
UM, I LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, FIND THEM LIFE CHANGING.
UM, I JUST MET A WOMAN THE OTHER DAY WHO WAS SEEING SO MANY AT HER KIDS' DAYCARE CENTER, AND SHE REALLY WISHED THAT SHE HAD GOTTEN AN E-BIKE SOONER, UM, BECAUSE IT'S GREAT FOR CARRYING HER DAUGHTER TO DAYCARE, AND SHE'S NOT SO ENCUMBERED AS SHE WAS WITH HER SUV.
THEY'RE GREAT FOR CARRYING EQUIPMENT, UM, AND THINGS THAT ARE TOO HEAVY TO WALK WITH.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS CHRISTOPHER CASSA.
CHAIRS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND, AND, UH, MEMBERS OF THE CITY STAFF WHO ARE HERE.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE OVERALL DIRECTION OF THE MICRO MOBILITY
I THINK WE'RE AT A PLACE WHERE THE COMMONWEALTH IS ACTUALLY GRAPPLING, AND ESPECIALLY CAMBRIDGE AND SOMERVILLE AND BOSTON ARE GRAPPLING WITH SO MANY MORE PEOPLE USING THESE DEVICES.
AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANAGE THAT AND EMBRACE THE CHANGE, WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING IT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND DOING IT ALL FAITHFULLY.
UM, I ALSO WANNA MENTION THIS DISCUSSION REALLY ISN'T ABOUT BIKE LANES OR DISMISSING THE VERY REAL TRADE-OFFS THAT COME WITH CHANGING OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND WE'RE GRAPPLING WITH THOSE SORT OF THINGS SEPARATELY.
UM, THOSE ARE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS, BUT THIS IS REALLY ABOUT HOW DO WE EMBRACE THIS TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION AND HELP MORE PEOPLE TAKE TRIPS THAT, UH, THAT DON'T REQUIRE DRIVING AND GIVE THEM THOSE OPTIONS TO DO IT.
SO E-BIKES AND LOW SPEED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ARE WORKING ALREADY.
WE SEE AT DAYCARE AND SCHOOLS AND SOCCER PRACTICE, THERE ARE MANY, MANY E-BIKES AND CARGO BIKES.
SO PEOPLE ARE USING, SENIORS ARE USING METERS, ARE USING GET TO WORK.
AND SO EVERY TRIP THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WE'RE SHIFTING HELPS US CREATE, UH, LESS DEMAND, LESS TRAFFIC AND LESS DEMAND ON PARKING ON A ROAD SYSTEM.
UM, BUT NOT EVERYTHING IS WORKING PERFECTLY WITH SOME OF THESE DEVICES.
WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF REALLY HIGH SPEED DEVICES USED PREDOMINANTLY BY YOUNG CHILDREN, UM, THESE EMOTIVE SCOOTERS THAT ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND EVEN RESULTED IN A FATALITY RECENTLY, AND THE COMMONWEALTH, WHICH IS REALLY SAD.
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UM, WE'VE SEEN LOTS OF OTHER DEVICES, INCLUDING MOPEDS AND GAS POWERED VEHICLES, GO ON OUR BIKE PATHS.NOT TONS OF THEM, BUT IT'S ENOUGH THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE REGULATING THIS.
WE'RE NOT MAKING IT FEEL DANGEROUS AND UNSAFE FOR PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE NEW FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE FOLKS THAT ARE USING THEM WITH THE WRONG EQUIPMENT.
SO MY, UM, MY POINT THAT I WANT TO KIND OF TAKE TODAY IS REALLY ABOUT WHAT THE COMMISSION GOT, RIGHT? IT FUNDAMENTALLY TREATED E-BIKES AND BIKES AS THE SAME, EVEN TIERS ZERO AND ONE.
UM, EVEN BIKES, E-BIKES UP TO 28 MILES AN HOUR ARE ALLOWED TO GO IN BIKE LANES IN THE REPORT.
UM, AND E-BIKES THAT GO UP TO AT LEAST 20 MILES AN HOUR ARE ALLOWED TO GO IN, UM, SHARED USE PATHS.
AND THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THAT SPEED BEING UP TO 20 MILES AN HOUR ON THOSE TYPES OF FACILITIES.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY VALUABLE FRAMING, AS CHRIS SCHMIDT POINTED OUT.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE MOST TANGIBLE THING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE IN TERMS OF USER BEHAVIOR LEAST CAN'T BE EVERYWHERE, ALL AT ONCE, 24 7.
SO EDUCATION HAS TO BE A BIG PART OF THIS COMPONENT, BUT WE'RE ALREADY NOT EFFECTIVE AT GETTING MOPEDS OFF OF LIKE PATHS.
SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION WITH SIGNAGE ABOUT WHAT A REASONABLE SPEED IS AND HOW TO OPERATE ON THOSE PATHS IS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO DO IT.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO EMBRACE THIS CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENING AND, AND MAKE IT POSITIVE.
AND I THINK THAT THE MOBILITY REPORT IS GONNA HELP US DO THAT.
THAT'S ALL I'VE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
SO WE'RE GOING TO, UH, GO TO THE STAFF.
YOU JUST HAVE TO TURN YOUR MIC ON.
WE'RE SPEAK CLOSER TO THE MIC, PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE STAFF FOR THEIR PRESENTATION AND, UH, I GUESS I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMISSIONER AND LET HER DESIGNATE, UH, THE, UH, SEQUENCE OF PRESENTERS.
SO, UH, COMMISSIONER MCKENNA, WELCOME AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PRESENTING.
AND, UM, THANK YOU COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, OR CHAIR FLAHERTY, I SHOULD SAY, AND CHAIR
AND TO ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED US AND FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON, OH, CAN WE BRING THE PRESENTATION UP ALSO? GREAT.
UM, WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE STATE OF MICRO MOBILITY IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, WHICH INCLUDE ELECTRIC BICYCLES, ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, MOPEDS DELIVERY.
AND OTHER SMALL POWER DEVICES HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR, LEADING TO SAFETY CONCERNS AND CONFUSION IN THE REGION AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES TYPICALLY WEIGH LESS THAN 300 POUNDS, BUT AS THE MARKET FOR DEVICES HAS GROWN, WE HAVE SEEN A WIDER RANGE OF LARGER AND FASTER DEVICES AS WELL.
UM, HERE IN CAMBRIDGE, WE'RE WELL POSITIONED, UM, TO BE A STATEWIDE LEADER IN MICRO MOBILITY, AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO TAKING A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE, PROACTIVE AND COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING HOW WE CAN BETTER REGULATE OUR STREETS, ENCOURAGE SAFER BEHAVIOR, WHILE ALSO ENCOURAGING THE USE OF MICRO MOBILITY AS A REALLY GREAT, UM, NEW, NEWER ADDITION TO OUR, UM, MOBILITY CHOICES.
UM, SO TODAY WE'LL SHARE WHAT CAMBRIDGE HAS ALREADY DONE TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE RISE OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
UM, WE'LL DISCUSS THE PENDING STATE LEGISLATION CALLED THE RIDE SAFE ACT, AND THEN WE'LL ASK FOR GUIDANCE ON NEXT STEPS ON HOW WE WANNA, HOW WE WANNA MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I'M GONNA PASS THINGS OVER TO STEPHANIE GROHL, WHO WILL BE DOING, UM, A BIT OF THE PRESENTATION ALONG WITH LIEUTENANT MCT AND EVAN BLAND.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST GONNA START WITH A QUICK OVERVIEW OF CAMBRIDGE'S LONG HISTORY OF ADOPTING POLICIES AND PLANS TO GIVE PEOPLE CHOICES FOR GETTING AROUND.
SO STARTING IN THE NINETIES, UM, WITH THE VEHICLE TRIP REDUCTION ORDINANCE AND OUR GROWTH POLICY AND THE PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE, WE'VE DONE SOME THINKING AROUND CITY COUNCIL'S GOALS OF LIMITING TRAFFIC GROWTH IN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS WHILE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WALK, BIKE AND TAKE TRANSIT MORE.
UH, AND THEN OUR LATER PLANS, UH, AIM TO IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE AND THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE IN THOSE DIFFERENT MODES TO REALLY HELP THEM FEEL LIKE THEY CAN, THEY CAN CHOOSE THOSE MODES RATHER THAN HAVING TO DRIVE ALONE.
AND THEN FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T MAKE THE SHIFT, WE HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP THEM SWITCH FROM GAS VEHICLES TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
AND MORE RECENTLY, WE'VE DONE SOME DEEPER LISTENING TO PEOPLE'S MOBILITY NEEDS, MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE INCLUDE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN UNHEARD, UNDERSERVED, AND HISTORICALLY
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EXCLUDED IN CAMBRIDGE.SO, THANKS TO THIS MORE INCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT, OUR TRANSPORTATION GOALS HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME.
SO WE HAVE A GOAL TO ELIMINATE ALL EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTATION, WHICH WE NEED TO DO, UH, BY 2050, AND ALSO TO CREATE A BETTER, MORE EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE PROCESS.
THESE ARE VERY STANDARD TRANSPORTATION GOALS, BUT WE NOW UNDERSTAND, UM, THAT TO REACH THOSE FIRST TWO GOALS, WE NEEDED TO EXPLICITLY ADD TWO MORE GOALS THAT ARE NOT TRADITIONALLY INCLUDED IN TRANSPORTATION PLANS.
SO WE NEED TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND ADDRESS HISTORIC INJUSTICES AND CREATE A STRONGER AND MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITY IN THE PROCESS.
WE, WE REALIZE THAT WE CAN'T ACCOMPLISH THE FIRST TWO GOALS WITHOUT ALSO WORKING TOWARDS THE SECOND TWO GOALS.
AND MICRO MOBILITY IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE TO HELP US REACH ALL THESE GOALS.
THESE DEVICES OFFER PEOPLE A CONVENIENT, AFFORDABLE, AND LOW EMISSION WAY TO TRAVEL SHORT DIS DISTANCES, AND THEY'RE VERY, VERY POPULAR.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A SEVERE LACK OF CLARITY IN THE STATE LAW THAT HAS LED TO A LOT OF CONFUSION IN THE PUBLIC AND CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE CONVERSATION WITH COUNCIL ON MICRO MOBILITY OVER THE YEARS.
IN 2024, WE REPORTED TO CITY COUNCIL ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IS ALLOWED AND WHERE UNDER CURRENT STATE LAW.
AND THAT LACK OF CLARITY MADE IT AND EXPLAINED HOW THAT LACK OF CLARITY MADE IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE PUBLIC EDUCATION AROUND MICRO MOBILITY.
UM, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE NEEDED CLARITY.
UM, WE NEEDED TO CLARIFY THE CITY'S ABILITY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE CITY HAS AN ABILITY TO REGULATE, UM, ELECTRIC MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ON BIKE PATHS AND PUBLIC WAYS, OR WHETHER SUCH REGULATION IS PREEMPTED BY STATE LAW.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE STATE IS MOVING FORWARD WITH A NEW BILL THAT WILL CLEAR UP MUCH OF THIS CONFUSION, WHICH, UH, EVAN WILL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
CAN I ASK JUST A CLARIFYING QUESTION? CHAIR? YES.
JUST, UM, 'CAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER POLICY ORDER BY, THIS IS COUNCIL ACTION IN SEPTEMBER OF 2025, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE COMMISSION ON MICRO MOBILITY.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY THAT WASN'T MENTIONED AND THERE WAS AN AWAITING REPORT THAT WAS DELIVERED ABOUT THE ACTION.
SO WE SHOULD JUST CLARIFY THAT.
UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR, WE WILL ADD THAT.
UM, UM, BUT BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE LAW, WE'RE JUST GONNA, UM, SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT CAMBRIDGE HAS ALREADY DONE ON MICRO MOBILITY.
AND WE JUST WANNA SAY THAT BY NECESSITY, CAMBRIDGE HAS BEEN THINKING ABOUT MICRO MOBILITY FOR MANY YEARS.
OUR MEDIAN AGE IS 30 AND A HALF YEARS, 30.5 YEARS, AND THE MAJORITY OF RESIDENTS ARE BETWEEN AGES 20 AND 44 YEARS OLD.
AND WE'VE HAD EARLY ADOPTERS IN THE CITY RIDING SMALL ELECTRIC DEVICES ON OUR STREETS SINCE THE EARLY DAYS.
WAY BACK IN 2009, UH, THE MIT SENSIBLE CITY LAB AND SUPER PEDESTRIAN CREATED THE COPENHAGEN WHEEL TO CONVERT ANY BIKE INTO AN E-BIKE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE PICTURES UP THERE.
AND THEN BEFORE THAT, MONTAGUE CORPORATION BUILT AN ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE IN CAMBRIDGE IN THE 1990S.
SO THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, BUT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE YET UNDER STATE LAW, WE STARTED WITH ACTIONS THAT WERE UNDER CITY CONTROL.
SO WE PUT TOGETHER A, AN INTERNAL WORKING GROUP, WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE MORE IN A MINUTE.
UM, AND WE KNEW THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO COORDINATE, UH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY ACROSS TOWN BOUNDARIES.
UM, SO WE JOINED WITH A RE REGIONAL SCOOTER WORKING GROUP, UH, THAT MAPC HOSTED FOR BOSTON, CAMBRIDGE, SOMERVILLE, AND BROOKLINE, BECAUSE WE WERE THE CITIES THAT BIRD FIRST DROPPED THEIR SCOOTERS IN, IN, IN 2019.
UM, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, COVID STOPPED THAT EFFORT, BUT WE MOVED ON TO OTHER COORDINATION ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE BLUE BIKES REGIONAL PUBLIC BIKE SHARE SYSTEM.
BLUE BIKES ADDED E-BIKES IN 2024, WHICH WE DECIDED TO SET THE MAXIMUM SPEED AT 18 MILES AN HOUR TO HELP MANAGE SPEEDING ON OUR STREETS.
THE BLUE BIKES E-BIKES ARE WILDLY POPULAR.
UM, E-BIKES ACCOUNTED FOR ALL OF OUR TRIP GROWTH THAT YEAR, AND WE'VE INCLUDED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES IN OUR BIENNIAL BIKE COUNTS, SO EVERY TWO YEARS.
UM, SO WE CAN TRACK RIDERSHIP GROWTH AND THROUGH THE, UH, RESIDENT BIKE LOTTERY, WE PROVIDE A PRELIMINARY E-BIKE INFORMATION TO APPLICANTS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AS WELL AS, UM, OF COURSE WITH OUR CYCLING SAFETY OR CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE.
UM, INSTALLING ABOUT 25 MILES OF SEPARATED BIKE LANES, WHICH MAKES
[00:25:01]
FOR SAFER TRAVEL FOR PEOPLE USING MICRO MOBILITY.SO THE, UM, INTERNAL NEW MOBILITY WORKING GROUP THAT WE MENTIONED IN THE LAST SLIDE IS IT'S REALLY THE ENGINE FOR THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TOGETHER, UM, ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE COORDINATE ON REGULATIONS, ENFORCEMENT AND ANYTHING THAT'S RELATED TO NEW MOBILITY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE FOCUSING ON MICRO MOBILITY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY HOT, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE AS OTHER THINGS COME UP.
SO WE COULD SHIFT TO AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, RIDE HAIL SERVICES, SIDEWALK ROBOTS AND DELIVERY DRONES.
REALLY ANYTHING THAT IS, IM IMPORTANT FOR US IN THE MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, AND SO HAVING THIS STRUCTURE FOR ONGOING CONVERSATIONS SET US UP TO BE MORE NIMBLE WHEN MICRO MOBILITY CAME ON THE SCENE.
MANY OF THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE, ALL OF THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE ARE IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF THE GROUP IS FOR ALL THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE SOMEHOW INVOLVED IN MICRO MOBILITY TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND ADVANCE POLICIES, UM, WITH THE GUIDANCE OF THE, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
SO MEMBERS INCLUDE TRANSPORTATION, LAW, UH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, COMMISSION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, POLICE PUBLIC WORKS, UM, PUBLIC HEALTH SCHOOL AND SCHOOLS.
JUST WANNA SAY A FEW MORE THINGS THAT WE, UM, HAVE BEEN DOING TO ADDRESS MICRO MOBILITY.
SO, UH, DOT PROVIDES OUTREACH AND EDUCATION IN A FEW WAYS.
SO WE OFFER A RULES OF THE ROAD AND E-BIKE SAFETY WORKSHOP, UM, TWO SEPARATE WORKSHOPS THAT INCLUDE SAFETY AND ETIQUETTE FOR PEOPLE RIDING ON MICRO MOBILITY.
WE ALSO HAVE A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS RESOURCE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, WE HAVE THE STREET CODE, WHICH IS ON ONE OF THESE PICTURES HERE, WHICH IS A, A ROAD RULES BOOKLET.
AND WE'LL UPDATE THAT, THAT AS SOON AS THE LAW CHANGES, WE JUST LAUNCHED A NEW ADULT LEARN TRIP BIKE PROGRAM, UM, WHICH WE WILL EXPAND TO INCORPORATE MICRO MOBILITY EDUCATION FOR ALL.
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE LEARNING TO RIDE A BIKE, UM, AND WE SHARE INFORMATION ON HOW TO RECYCLE E-BIKE BATTERIES ON OUR WEBSITE THROUGH CAMBRIDGE RECYCLING CENTER.
AND, UM, LOCAL BIKE SHOPS OFTEN AT NO COST THROUGH CALL TO RECYCLE.
WE ALSO, IN 2022, JOINED WITH MAPC AND 16 MUNICIPALITIES, UM, IN A LETTER CALLING ON THE LEGISLATURE TO PASS AN ACT RELATIVE TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES.
UM, AND AS YOU'LL HEAR IN JUST A MINUTE, THE POLICE, UH, COLLECT VERY COMPREHENSIVE CRASH DATA AND, UM, ABOUT MICRO MOBILITY, INCLUDING MICRO MOBILITY.
AND, UM, WE'LL SPEND THE REST OF OUR PRESENTATION GETTING INTO DETAILS ON HOW MAS DOT, UM, HOW WE'VE HELPED SHAPE THE CONVERSATION WITH MAS.AT STATE LEVEL CHANGES.
LIEUTENANT MCT, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
UH, CONCERNING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, UH, CURRENTLY TRAFFIC INFRACTIONS ARE CITED BY THE DEVICE VERSUS THE OFFENSE.
SO ANY, SO IF A BICYCLE STOPS TO FAIL FOR A RED LIGHT OR IT TAKES A TURN ON RED, OR IT DOESN'T YIELD TO OB CROSSWALK, IT'S ALL CITED UNDER 85 11 B, WHICH JUST IS KEPT IN-HOUSE AS A BICYCLE VIOLATION.
SAME THING FOR MOPEDS AND FOR SCOOTERS.
SO WE DO GET REQUESTS FROM INFORMATION ABOUT HOW MANY MOPEDS ARE STOPPED FOR SPEEDING, OR HOW MANY SCOTERS ARE STOPPED FOR BEING ON THE SIDEWALK.
THAT'S NOT HOW THE DATA IS STORED.
WE JUST HAVE HOW MANY OF THE DEVICES WE'VE STOPPED AND ISSUED CITATIONS TO.
UH, CAN I, JUST TO CLARIFY, SO YOU, YOU ONLY KNOW THIS NUMBER OF BICYCLE VIOLATIONS, THIS NUMBER OF MOPED, THIS NUMBER OF SCOTER, YOU CAN'T SAY OF THE BICYCLE.
THIS NUMBER WERE RED LIGHT THIS NUMBER WERE CORRECT.
SO WITH MOTOR VEHICLES, YOU HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL PLATE AND THE OFFENSE, AND WE CAN COORDINATE IT THAT WAY, LIKE HOW MANY CARS WERE STOPPED FOR MOTOR FOR THAT OFFENSE.
BUT MOTOR VEHICLES ARE SUBJECT TO FAR MORE DIFFERENT VIOLATIONS.
LIKE THERE'S A DIFFERENT CHAPTER IN SECTION FOR SPEEDING WITH A MOTOR VEHICLE FOR AN INSPECTION STICKER FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY WRITTEN FOR BICYCLES, E-BIKES, ELECTRIC SCOOTERS, AND MOPEDS, EVERYTHING FALLS UNDER ONE CHAPTER IN SECTION.
SO YOU GET THE SAME FINE FOR GOING THROUGH A RED LIGHT ON A MOPED AS YOU DO FOR BEING UNLICENSED ON IT.
UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY TO DISAGGREGATE THAT DATA BASED ON THE CITATION CURRENTLY? NO.
SORRY, JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.
I, I UNDERSTAND WE GET A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR
[00:30:01]
IT AS WELL.AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO KIND OF START THE PRESENTA MY END OF THE PRESENTATION WITH THAT.
UM, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA GUESS THAT PROBABLY WIPED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS OFF THE BOARD.
UM, BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS AND SPEAKING WITH THE OFFICERS IN THE TRAFFIC UNIT, THE MOST COMMON FRACTIONS WE SEE COMMITTED BY THESE DEVICES ARE GOING THROUGH RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS RIDING ON THE SIDEWALK AND TRAVELING THE WRONG WAY DOWN ONE WAY STREETS.
UM, AS WE HAVE SEEN A RISE IN THESE DEVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UH, CAMBRIDGE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DECIDED THAT WE WOULD DOCUMENT THE CRASHES INVOLVED WITH THEM EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T MEET THE STATE REQUIREMENT.
CERTAINLY CURRENTLY YOU HAVE TO FILE A CRASH REPORT WITH THE STATE IF IT INVOLVES A MOTOR VEHICLE.
UM, WITH INJURY, DEATH OR AN EXCESS OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
MOPEDS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE REGISTRATIONS AND LICENSE PLATES.
ANY CRASH INVOLVING THEM CAN BE TAKEN ON THE STATE FORM.
IF IT DOESN'T MEET THAT CRITERIA, WE WILL DO AN IN-HOUSE INCIDENT REPORT WITH IT.
SCOTERS HAVE NO REGISTRATION, CANNOT BE DOCUMENTED ON A STATE FORM.
THEY ACTUALLY CAN YOU PUT THEM DOWN AS PEDESTRIANS? IT'S OVERLY COMPLICATED, BUT WE HOUSE IT AS WELL IN AN INCIDENT REPORT.
OUR CRIME ANALYSIS UNIT GOES THROUGH THE REPORTS AND KEEPS THE DATA, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN A SLIDE LATER ON.
BUT, UM, THIS WAS SINGLED OUT ON THE STATE COMMISSION'S REPORT AS SOMETHING THAT WE WERE DOING, AND IT COULD BE A MODEL TO OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS IN THE FUTURE.
COUNSELOR, UH, CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? SO IF SOMEONE IS, UM, HIT ON THEIR BICYCLE AND THE AMBULANCE TAKES 'EM TO THE HOSPITAL, IS THAT AUTOMATICALLY REPORTED THEN TO THE POLICE? SO NOT NECESSARILY, YOU WOULD THINK PRO AMBULANCE WOULD CALL US AND SAY, HEY, SOMEONE GOT HIT.
I'M ASSUMING YOUR SITUATION, IT'S A CAR HIT A BICYCLIST.
YEAH, ACTUALLY A NEW NEIGHBOR WAS HIT ON MEMORIAL DRIVE AT NIGHT.
HE WAS RIDING IN THE MEMORIAL DRIVE, BUT IT, APPARENTLY IT WASN'T REPORTED TO THE POLICE.
MEMORIAL DRIVE IS STATE POLICE JURISDICTION.
I'D STILL BE SURPRISED IF WHEN THEY ACTIVATED THE NEED FOR AN AMBULANCE SOMEBODY WASN'T AND SENT, THERE'S A THOUSAND SITUATIONS THAT COULD OCCUR.
I CAN JUST TELL YOU IN REGARDS TO CAMBRIDGE, USUALLY WE GET MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS WHEN A BICYCLIST OUR PEDESTRIAN IS STRUCK.
AND WE, YEAH, I'M JUST, I'M THINKING, UM, WITH LIKE DOG BITES, IF YOU'RE BITTEN, I WAS, IF YOU'RE BITTEN BY A DOG, THE DOCTOR HAS TO, YOU KNOW, HAS TO REPORT BACK TO THE OWNER OF THE DOG.
SO IT'D BE NICE IF THAT WAS AUTOMATICALLY REPORTED TO THE POLICE.
WOULDN'T THAT BE A GOOD IDEA? SURE.
I MEAN, AND JUST THINKING ABOUT, UM, RULES RELATING, WE DO HAVE COMMUTERS THAT DO CALL US SOMETIMES SAYING, I WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AT THIS STREET AT THIS TIME, AND THERE'S NO RECORD OF IT.
UM, THE ONLY SITUATIONS I CAN GET OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD IS SOMETIMES IT'S JUST LIGHT ACCIDENTS.
NO ONE'S HURT, AND PEOPLE DECIDE TO GO ON THEIR SEPARATE WAYS AND THEN THEY CALL US AFTER THE FACT.
WE DO RESPOND TO A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF 'EM.
I WOULD SAY THERE'S A FEAR OF UNDERREPORTING WITH CERTAIN THINGS.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE BASED ON THE DATA THAT WE HAVE THAT CRASHES INVOLVING MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ARE UNDER REPORTED IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THE DATA PROVIDED FROM THIS SLIDE IS LAST YEAR, UH, LAST YEAR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ISSUED 912, UH, CITATIONS TO MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
OUT OF THOSE 812 WERE WRITTEN WARNINGS.
WE ARE STILL HEAVILY IN THE EDUCATION ASPECT WITH THESE DEVICES.
UM, CURRENTLY UNDER THE LAW, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SCOTERS, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE 16 WITH AT LEAST A LEARNER'S PERMIT.
AND WE HAVE A LOT OF WARNINGS THAT ARE NOT KITTEN HERE, THAT ARE VERBAL, WHERE WE'RE STOPPING KIDS ON THESE THINGS WITH NO HELMETS.
BUT THEY WERE GIVEN THE GIFT THEY WERE GIVEN AS A GIFT FROM AN ADULT AND THEY SINCERELY BELIEVE THEY COULD BE ON IT.
SO THIS IS PART OF THIS COMMITTEE'S JOB, IS GETTING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION OUT THERE AS FAR AS WHAT THE REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR THESE SCOOTERS.
UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND CONCERNING THE ACTUAL CRASH DATA FROM 2025 INVOLVING MICRO MOBILITY COMMUTERS, UH, THE DATA SHOWS THE MAJORITY OF THE CRASHES INVOLVE, THE MAJORITY OF THESE CRASHES INVOLVE MOTOR VEHICLES TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY BETWEEN FIVE AND 6:00 PM UM, THIS IS ON PAR WITH THE OTHER CRASH DATA INVOLVING NON MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES AS WELL.
THEY FALL WITHIN THE SAME TIMEFRAME, JUST THE NON MICRO MOBILITY CRASHES.
THEIR GREATEST TIMEFRAME IS BETWEEN 8:00 AM AND 8:00 PM AT
[00:35:01]
THAT POINT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS DONE WITH THEIR PART OF THE PRESENTATION.UNLESS THERE'S MORE QUESTIONS, IF SURE, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
JUST A QUESTION OF HOW IS THIS, IS ALL THE CRASH DATA, IT'S GREAT.
IS, UM, FAULT EVER ASSESSED AND NOTED? SO IF AN OFFICER CAN DETERMINE FAULT, THEY SHOULD ISSUE A CITATION.
SO YES, FAULT IS DETERMINED AT CRASHES, BUT AS FAR AS BREAKING DOWN THE DATA FURTHER TO SAYING OUT OF THE 166 MOTOR VEHICLE BICYCLE, HOW MANY TIMES WAS FAULT DETERMINED AND WHO WAS AT FAULT, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE WOULD HAVE THAT DATA IN HOUSE, BUT I DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THAT DATA WITH ME.
I JUST, MY HUSBAND NOTED ON THE WAY HERE, I HAVE SEEN THESE SEVEN DIFFERENT THINGS JUST IN THE LAST TWO DAYS.
YOU KNOW, WHY AREN'T YOU DOING MORE? SO THIS IS, AND IT'S BOTH CARS AND ALSO PARTICULARLY WRONG WAY.
SCOOTERS ON A ONE WAY STREET AROUND HARVARD SQUARE HAS BEEN PRETTY CHALLENGING.
AND I'M SURE ON ARMOUR STREET IN PARTICULAR IS A LARGE STRETCH.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN OUT THERE ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC AND INFORMING THEM OF THE RULES OF THE ROAD.
SO CAN I ASK ONE QUESTION AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY, COUNSEL.
IS, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE TRACK A NUMBER OF WARNINGS? SO YOU, YOU CAN IDENTIFY WHETHER AN OPERATOR IS A FIRST TIME WARNING RECIPIENT, SECOND TIME WARNING RECIPIENT? SO IT'S A CONVERSATION MOOSE AND I HAD, UH, IT'S A COMPLICATED ANSWER.
IN A PERFECT WORLD, SO THE CITATION DATA IS PUT INTO OUR QED IN-HOUSE SYSTEM.
FOR THAT SYSTEM TO WORK, WE WOULD HAVE TO STOP THE PERSON, HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET ON THE MOTOR VEHICLE STOP, WHICH SOMETIMES WE DO RUN THEM THROUGH THE IN-HOUSE SYSTEM, FIND THEM AND SEE WHAT THE SITUATION WAS.
THE THAT SYSTEM IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE TO THE OFFICERS.
BUT IF YOU'RE IN A WALKING UNIT OR IF YOU'RE ON A MOTORCYCLE, SOMETIMES YOU WANNA HAVE ACCESS TO THAT STUFF.
THE OTHER ISSUE IS YOU COULD HAVE A SITUATION WHERE THE CITATIONS DIDN'T GET PUT IN UNTIL A MONTH LATER.
USUALLY THEY PUT THEM IN AFTER THE MONTH HAS HAPPENED.
SO WHEN YOU DID CHECK THAT PRO, THAT INFORMATION HAD BEEN SENT THERE.
SO THAT IS A SYSTEM THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY USE WAS ACTUALLY DISCUSSED AS PART OF THIS.
UM, BUT TO SAY THAT EVERY POLICE OFFICER'S DOING IT WHEN THEY'RE DOING THIS ENFORCEMENT, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE.
AND OF THE, I FORGET WHAT THE NUMBER WAS, 900 AND 912, UH, TOTAL CITATIONS THEY WERE ISSUED.
THAT'S, THAT'S IN TOTAL BICYCLE E-BIKES.
AND 812, UH, WERE WRITTEN WARNINGS.
AND DOES THAT PRESUME THAT EACH ONE OF THE OPERATORS OF THOSE DEVICES HAD A, A LICENSE OR SOME IDENTIFICATION ON THEM OR JUST VOLUNTEERED THEIR INFORMATION? I SUPPOSE SO THEY NEED TO, TO OPERATE THE MOPEDS AND THE SCOOTERS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE IT, UH, AT LEAST A PERMIT OR THEY CAN BE GIVEN A FINE.
BUT YES, IT MEANS THE PERSON IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AND WE WERE ABLE TO DOCUMENT THE STOP AND INTERACTION.
AND THE LAST QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU, THE, THERE'S NO, UM, INDEPENDENT SECTION FOR EACH TYPE OF VIOLATION.
THE VIOLATION FOR BICYCLE E-BIKES, SCOOTERS, ALL JUST FALLS UNDER THAT ONE SECTION OF VIOLATION.
IS THAT RIGHT? LIKE YOU DON'T IDENTIFY IT AS A RED LIGHT OR A ONE WAY, YOU JUST IDENTIFY IT AS A, UH, AS A VIOLATION? CORRECT.
THE ONLY, I DIDN'T GET TOO INTO THE MINUTIA.
BICYCLES FALL UNDER 85, 11 B, WE DISCUSS IN THE COMMITTEE HOW OVERLY REGULATED AND CONFUSING THIS IS.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A STATUTE CALLED 85 11 B AND THREE QUARTERS, AND THAT IS SPECIFIC TO VIOLATIONS FOR EBIS.
WE JUST HOUSE IT IN THE DEPARTMENT.
EVERYTHING IS 85 11 B, EVEN IF IT'S AN E-BIKE, IT'S THE SAME FINE, IT'S THE SAME REGULATION.
THE ONLY TRUE 85 11 B AND THREE QUARTER VIOLATION THAT 85 11 B WOULDN'T BE SUBJECT TO IS THAT BY STATE LAW.
E-BIKES ARE ALL BANNED FROM THE SIDEWALKS IN CAMBRIDGE.
WE BANNED THEM IN THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS IN AREAS OF MASS AVE.
BUT SOME RESIDENTIAL AREAS YOU CAN LEGALLY RIDE A BIKE ON A SIDEWALK E-BIKES BY THAT 85 11 B THREE QUARTERS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THAT FINE.
I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLICATED THIS CAN GET WHEN YOU REALLY GET INTO IT WITH THAT EXPLANATION.
AND SO NOW I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY TIME WE HAVE ISSUED AN 85 11 BEING THREE QUARTER TICKET TO ANYBODY RIDING ON A SIDEWALK IN A RESIDENTIAL
[00:40:01]
AREA WHERE IT WOULD BE ALLOWED BY THE CITY ORDINANCE.SO IT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF STATE LAW.
BUT I DON'T BELIEVE ANYONE FROM MY DEPARTMENT HAS EVER, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY KNOW IT EXISTS.
I THINK PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE AS I PREPPED FOR THIS, FOUND THIS AND PEOPLE IN MY UNIT, WE KNOW IT EXISTS, BUT THAT'S HOW, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THEY MADE 85, 11 B AND A HALF BECAUSE THEY HAD TO GET TO THREE QUARTERS AFTER THAT.
SO IS IT TRUE TO SAY THAT, IS IT TRUE TO SAY THAT GENERALLY SPEAKING, MOST OF THE ENFORCEMENT THAT HAPPENS HAPPENS IN THE BUSIER PARTS OF THE CITY WHERE RIDING BIKES ON THE SIDEWALK IS ALSO ALREADY PROHIBITED? SO THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS ARE WHERE WE RECEIVE THE MOST COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT.
BY FAR, THAT AND THAT STRETCH OF MASS AVE BY, UH, IAN, UH, WHERE BAGEL SOURCES PEOPLE WAITING FOR THEIR BAGELS COMPLAIN ABOUT BICYCLES ZIPPING BY THEM ON THE SIDEWALK AND IT'S PROHIBITED THERE AS WELL.
SO YES, THE BUSINESS DISTRICTS IN THAT STRETCH OF MASS AV ARE WHERE WE BASICALLY EXCLUSIVELY HAVE BEEN DOING THIS TYPE OF, UH, EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT.
AND THAT BEGS THE QUESTION, I WASN'T GONNA GET INTO THIS 'CAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT THE PRESENTATION, BUT ON THE, UM, THE BIKE CRASH MAP DIAGRAM, YOU SEE THE, UH, YELLOW SHADED AREAS.
DO YOU ATTRIBUTE ANY SIGNIFICANCE TO, UM, THOSE LOCATIONS WHERE THE BIKE CRASHES, UH, HAVE BEEN NOTED AS BEING MORE, UH, PREVALENT? SO I ACTUALLY HAVE TO STUDY THESE MAPS AS PART OF GETTING GRANT FUNDING AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S THE INTERSECTIONS REALLY ALONG YOUR MAJOR ROADWAYS, HAMPSHIRE, CAMBRIDGE STREET, MASS AVE.
AND, AND DUE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE, WE IN A GOOD WAY ATTRACT A LOT OF NON-MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
BUT WITH THAT COMES AN INCREASED AT THESE MAJOR INTERSECTIONS FOR RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR BY BOTH VEHICLES THAT GET FRUSTRATED BEING STUCK.
THEY CAN'T TAKE A TURN 'CAUSE THE BICYCLISTS AREPAS THEM, AND ALSO RISK TAKING BEHAVIOR BY THE MICRO MOBILITY AS WELL.
SO WE, IF WE COULD DETERMINE ONE FACTOR AT THESE HOTSPOTS THAT WAS CAUSING IT, IT'D BE LIKE A NATIONAL LEADER IN THAT THING THAT WE FOUND THE THING TO STOP IT.
BUT IT, I THINK THE GUY ACTUALLY MADE A GOOD THING ABOUT THE, THE, THE TOOL AND THE FOOL, YOU KNOW, IT'S A PERFECT STORM IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY ON BOTH THINGS, NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND THERE'S JUST SO MANY FACTORS.
BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE WORK WITH DOT ON WITH THE CRASH DATA, IS TRYING TO VISION ZERO PROOF THESE INTERSECTIONS, UM, TO ADDRESS THESE HOTSPOTS.
SO IT'S A VERY LONG WAY OF SAYING THERE'S NO ONE FACTOR WE CAN REALLY POINT TO UNLESS NO, I, I DEFINITELY AGREE, BUT I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TARGET, THESE ARE THE AREAS WHERE WE'RE TARGETING THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.
AND SO PART OF WHAT WE LOOK FOR WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES IS BETTER BEHAVIOR, UM, BOTH, YOU KNOW, FROM CYCLISTS AND MICRO MOBILITY USERS AND FROM DRIVERS ONCE WE HAVE BETTER, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.
SO THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE HOPE IS THAT THESE WILL CHANGE, WILL GO AWAY OVER TIME, GET BETTER OVER TIME, UM, AND WE'LL SEE LESS OF THOSE CRASHES EVEN AS WE SEE MORE AND MORE RIDERS.
UM, THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES, WHILE WE STILL RECEIVE COMPLAINTS OF SPEEDING, WHEN WE'RE PUTTING OUT THE SPEED TRAILER OR DOTS GETTING DATA, WE'RE NOT SEEING THE SPEEDING IN THESE LOCATIONS GETTING THE COMPLAINTS FOR.
UM, SO IN A GOOD WAY, I DO BELIEVE THESE CHANGES, INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES ARE AT LEAST SLOWING PEOPLE DOWN SO WHEN THE CRASHES DO HAPPEN, THEY'RE NOT AS SEVERE.
SO THAT WOULD BE ONE THING THAT I WOULD SAY THE DATA IS DEFINITELY SHOWING, UM, THAT WE'RE NOT SEEING THE SPEEDING AS PEOPLE ARE PERCEIVING IT AND THE CRASHES, WHILE THEY DO HAVE TO BE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE, THE INJURIES AREN'T FATAL, WHICH IS PART OF WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH VISION ZERO, NO SERIOUS INJURIES OR FATALITIES.
CAN I ASK ONE MORE QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY.
I HATE TO INTERRUPT THE PRESENTATION.
DOES THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRACK, UM, WARNINGS, ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS WITH BLUE BIKES AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE COM COMMUTER BIKES? I, AND IS THERE A CORRELATION BETWEEN, UM, BLUE BIKES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SIGNALING INTERSECTIONS THAT SHOWS THAT USERS OF BLUE BIKES ARE LESS ASTUTE, UM, OF, OF THE, UH, ROADWAYS IN CAMBRIDGE AS AS OPPOSED TO COMMUTER BICYCLISTS? I DON'T BELIEVE WE STORED THE DATA THAT WAY.
COUNSELOR, UM, SORRY, ONE MORE INTERRUPTION.
AND THIS IS REALLY FOR, UH, COMMISSIONER MCKENNA.
SO, UM, I WAS SO EXCITED THAT THE CITY IS FOCUSING ON ADDRESSING THESE DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS, BUT SO DO YOU THINK ALL OF THESE INTERSECTIONS
[00:45:01]
WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE NEXT ONE YEAR, THREE YEARS, FIVE YEARS? WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TIMEFRAME IS? UM, I THINK WE'RE STILL KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THAT.UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING AT THE TOP AT THE HIGHEST CRASH LOCATIONS AND MOVING OUR WAY DOWN, I THINK WE'RE HOPING TO GET SOLIDLY THROUGH KIND OF FULL WORK ON THE FIRST FIVE, UM, AND SOME ADDITIONAL WORK ON, ON BEYOND THE FIRST FIVE, UM, IN THE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR AND EARLY NEXT YEAR PROBABLY.
AND THEN WE WILL JUST CONTINUE TO MAKE OUR WAY DOWN THROUGH, AND AS WE MAKE THESE CHANGES AND AS TIME PASSES ON SOME OF THE EARLIER INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE RANKINGS WILL CHANGE.
SO IT WILL BE A CONSTANT REEVALUATION EACH YEAR OF WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST LOCATIONS.
LIKE IMAN SQUARE STILL SHOWS UP AS A HIGHER CRASH LOCATION, BUT WE'RE HOPING, AND MAYBE IT'S SO COMPLEX EVEN WITH THE NEW CONFIGURATION THAT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE A CHALLENGE, BUT WE HOPE TO SEE ONES THAT WE'VE ALREADY TREATED FALL OFF THE LIST, AND THEN THERE WILL BE OTHER ONES THAT THAT WILL TAKE ITS PLACE.
AND SO WE'LL JUST SHIFT DOWN THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE LIST.
BACK TO THE PRESENTATION, BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING.
SO NOW YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, THE EXCELLENT NEWS, AS I MENTIONED, IS THAT THE STATE ESTABLISHED THE SPECIAL COMMISSION ON MICRO MOBILITY IN 2024.
AND THE COMMISSION'S CENTRAL TASK WAS TO REVIEW EXISTING LAWS ON MICRO MOBILITY AND ADDRESS HOW TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH OF MICRO MOBILITY, UM, WHILE ALSO ENSURING SAFETY, REGULATORY CLARITY AND EQUITABLE ACCESS ACROSS THE STATE.
THIS COMMISSION WAS A MULTI-AGENCY, MULTI-STAKEHOLDER TRANSPORTATION POLICY, MA POLICY MAKING BODY, UM, THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER PEOPLE, REPRESENTATIVES FROM MULTIPLE, UM, SECRETARY OFFICES, THE LEGISLATURE, MUNICIPALITIES, BUSINESSES, TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS AND ACADEMICS.
AND IT WAS CONVENED BY THE LAB@MAS.IN 2025 AND STAFF FROM MAS DOT FACILITATED THE COMMISSION'S MEETINGS AND COORDINATED PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
SO BECAUSE THE CITY WAS TAKING ALL THE ACTIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO BE EXTREMELY NIMBLE IN RESPONSE TO THE STATE'S WORK.
AND WE PULLED TOGETHER A LETTER, UM, TO THE COMMISSION ON MICRO MOBILITY, ASKING THEM TO ADDRESS AREAS OF THE LAW THAT CAMBRIDGE SPECIFICALLY NEEDED C CLARIFICATION ON, UM, SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE BETTER EDUCATION AND AWARENESS IN, UM, ON MICRO MOBILITY.
AND THE COMMISSION RECENTLY RELEASED THEIR REPORT, THEY HAVE 16 RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, THE REPORT CAME OUT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AND OUR TEAM HAS REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AND FOUND THAT THEY DID ADDRESS MANY OF OUR CONCERNS.
AND, UM, LAST MONTH, UH, THE GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR HEALY FILED LEGISLATION MOVING, UM, FORWARD SEVERAL KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPECIAL COMMISSION'S REPORT AND THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION HELD A HEARING FOR THE BILL AND CAMBRIDGE SUBMITTED TESTIMONY, UM, IN SUPPORT OF THE LEGISLATION WITH REQUESTS FOR SOME FURTHER CLARITY FROM THE LEGISLATURE.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S JUST TAKE A BREAK.
THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION.
UM, NOW IT'S TIME FOR A LITTLE QUIZ.
UM, AND THIS IS REALLY TO ILLUSTRATE, UH, JUST HOW COMPLICATED THE LAW IS AND HOW MUCH WE NEED CLARITY.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THESE TWO DEVICES, UM, WELL, THE ANSWER ISN'T GREEN, SO THERE YOU GO.
BUT
WHO THINKS IT'S BOTH? YEAH,
UM, THE ANSWER IS NOT OBVIOUS.
AND THE TERM MOTORIZED SCOOTER IS LANGUAGE THAT'S USED IN MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAW, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD TO GET CLARITY, BECAUSE THE ANSWER ACTUALLY IS NUMBER TWO, THAT'S DEFINED AS A MOTORIZED BICYCLE, YES, UNDER STATE LAW.
AND THEY HAVE PEOPLE RIDING THIS, HAVE, HAVE STRICTER REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING A DRIVER'S LICENSE, UH, WEARING A HELMET AND TIME OF DAY RESTRICTIONS.
BUT THE STATE, STATE LAW DOES NOT CLEARLY DEFINE REQUIREMENTS FOR DEVICES THAT LOOK LIKE NUMBER ONE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT TO EVAN TO TALK THROUGH THE NEW LAW.
I MEAN, BILL, THANK YOU THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UM, THAT'S PERFECT FOR THAT SLIDE.
SO I'M GONNA DO A, A VERY BRIEF SLIDE HERE, UM, ON DESCRIBING HOW
[00:50:01]
CHAOTIC AND HOW OUT OF LINE, UH, THE STATE LAWS AND REGULATIONS ARE RIGHT NOW, SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY MOVE ON TO THAT AND, AND GO INTO THE RIDE, UH, UH, UH, SAFE ACT, UM, TO GO INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS OF HOW THE STATE IS TRYING TO ADDRESS, UH, AND, AND GIVE CLARITY, UH, WHERE IT'S LACKING.UM, THE CURRENT REGULATORY LANDSCAPE FOR MICRO MOBILITY, AS WE DISCUSSED IN OUR LAST MEETING IN 2024, MANY OF THEIR DEFINITIONS ARE OUTDATED AND EVEN, UH, CONTRADICTORY WHEN IT COMES TO MICRO MOBILITY.
UH, WE HAD DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY AND AS, UM, UH, STEPHANIE HAD JUST MENTIONED THE MOTORIZED SCOOTER LAW, WHICH WAS PASSED IN 2004.
IF WE LOOK AT THOSE ACTUAL DEVICES, THEY DON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE ELECTRIC OR MOTORIZED SCOOTERS THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY BELIEVE ARE MOTORIZED SCOOTERS.
UM, WE ALSO HAD ON THE BOOKS THE 2022 E-BIKE LAW, UM, WHICH SPECIFICALLY OUTLINED, UH, PARTICULAR CLASSES OF SPEEDS OF WHAT THOSE DEVICES COULD DO.
UH, BUT IT WAS REALLY NOT IN LINE WITH OTHER STATES AND OTHER FEDERAL LAW THAT WOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE SUPERFAST VEHICLES, THE CLASS THREE DEVICES.
SO NOT ONLY DID WE NOT HAVE, UM, UH, STATE LAWS THAT COVERED OTHER DEVICES SUCH AS HOVERBOARDS AND UNICYCLES AND QUADRICYCLES, UM, THE LAWS THAT WE DID HAVE WERE CONTRADICTORY AND NARROW IN SCOPE AND FRANKLY, UH, NOT NECESSARILY COMPLETE.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT WE, UH, SORT OF STRUGGLE WITH RIGHT NOW ARE THE DEFINITIONS FOR, UH, AND THE LACK THEREOF OF DEFINITIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THERE WAS NO DEFINITION FOR SHARED USE PATHS, WHEREAS THAT'S NOW GONNA BE ADDRESSED, UM, UNDER THE STATE LAW.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO, AS WE SAY ON THE SLIDE HERE, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT IF YOU TAKE YOUR E-BIKE OR ANY OF YOUR MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE THROUGHOUT CAMBRIDGE FROM POINT A TO POINT B, YOU MAY BE TRANSITIONING FROM A BIKE LANE TO A BIKE PATH TO A SHARED PATH.
AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE USER AND WHAT DEVICE WE CAN UTILIZE, UM, ON THOSE AREAS, JUST THE ACTUAL GEOGRAPHY THAT WILL CHANGE THROUGHOUT THAT TIME PERIOD.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, TAKE POINT TAKEAWAY IS, UH, WE NOT VERY CLEAR ON WHICH DEVICES ARE PERMITTED WHERE.
AND, AND ALSO MORE PARTICULARLY AS WE MENTIONED IN OUR POLICY ORDER RESPONSE, VERY UNCLEAR ON WHERE MUNICIPALITIES CAN REGULATE.
AND BY THAT I MEAN EITHER PROHIBIT, UH, LIMIT USE BY SPEED, UM, O OTHER FACTORS OR, UM, UH, ACTUALLY PROHIBIT OR, OR, YOU KNOW, NARROWLY USE OR WHERE WE ARE PREEMPTED FROM, UH, ACTUALLY, UM, UH, PROVIDING ANY REGULATION.
UH, LIEUTENANT MCDOT HAD MENTIONED, UH, THE E UM, UH, BIKES ARE PROHIBITED FROM THE SIDEWALK, SO I WOULD THINK THAT WE'D PROBABLY BE PREEMPTED FROM CHANGING THAT.
UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY CLEAR AT THIS POINT.
SO ENTER, UH, THE, UH, RIDE SAFE ACT.
UM, AS WE HAD MENTIONED, THE SPECIAL COMMISSION ON MICRO MOBILITY, UH, VERY SPECIAL COMMISSION THAT FRANKLY, I, I'VE NEVER REALLY SEEN, UH, UH, PULLED TOGETHER AS MANY RESOURCES AS MANY MUNICIPALITIES, PUBLIC ENTITIES, POLICE, RMV MAS, DOT, UM, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH, UH, THE QUESTION OF MICRO MOBILITY.
UM, AND, AND, AND SORT OF DETERMINING WHAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AND HOW WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT, UH, HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE SOME BRIEF POINTS ON WHAT THE RIDE SAFE ACT DOES, AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO SPECIFIC DETAIL, UM, OF THE VARIOUS DEVICES.
AND, AND REALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, THE FACT THAT WE'RE NOW GONNA BE BREAKING DOWN, UM, UH, UH, REGULATION AND, UH, HANDLING OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES BY SPEED.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTERS MENTIONED THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S REALLY THE BEST FACTOR THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY AND WHAT FEATURES NEED TO BE ON THERE, WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE WEARING WHILE THEY'RE ON THERE, UH, WHATEVER THAT DEVICE MAY BE.
UM, SO AS WE MENTIONED, IF WE'RE THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO HAVE A SPEED BASED CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR MICRO MOBILITY, WE HAVE NEW DEVICE DEFINITIONS THAT FRANKLY DO PROVIDE MORE CLARITY AND WILL, UM, TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE FULL CORNUCOPIA OF DEVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE CURRENTLY.
AND ALSO, UH, THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN INVENTED YET AND WILL ALLOW, UM, WITHOUT THE CHANGE OF LEGISLATION, UH, REGULATORY UPDATES TO ACCOUNT FOR REGULATION OF DEVICES THAT, FRANKLY I CAN'T EVEN THINK OF.
'CAUSE WE'VE LISTED, UH, THE UNICYCLES AND THE QUADRIC CYCLES AND ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS.
BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THERE ARE OTHER DEVICES THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING, UH, DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE HAVEN'T TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.
THERE IS, UNDER THE STATE LAW, UH, PROPOSED STATE LAWS RESTRICTIONS ON MOPEDS FROM BIKE LANES, UM, REMOVING, UH, DEVICES, UM, FROM
[00:55:01]
SHARED USE PASS IF THEY GO OVER 20 MILES PER HOUR, REQUIRING HELMETS FOR HIGH SPEED DEVICES AND PLACING AGE RESTRICTIONS FOR HIGHER SPEED DEVICES, UH, DEPENDING ON THE ACTUAL TIER THAT THEY'RE IN.I THINK THE TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT, UH, WHILE WE HAVE TRIED TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF SAFETY AND REGULATION, AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DON'T WANNA LIMIT ACCESSIBILITY TO THESE DEVICES.
UH, FOR A LOT OF FOLKS THIS IS, UM, UH, THE ONLY WAY TO GET AROUND OR THE BEST WAY TO GET AROUND.
AND SO I THINK, UH, WE NEED TO BALANCE THOSE INTERESTS OF SAFETY AND REGULATION AND ALSO, UH, ACCESSIBILITY AND ALLOWABILITY OF WHERE PEOPLE CAN, UH, HAVE THESE DEVICES AND WHERE THEY CAN OPERATE 'EM.
UH, I THINK THE OTHER PIECE OF THE RIDE SAFE ACT THAT'S GREAT IS THAT IT IS PROVIDING CLARITY BY SORT OF STRIPPING AWAY THE DEVICE MONIKER AND THAT DIDN'T FULLY ACCOUNT FOR THE DEVICES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND INSTEAD IS NOW LOOKING AT HOW FAST THAT VEHICLE CAN GO, AND THEREFORE, WHAT DOES IT NEED TO HAVE? UH, THE MORE SPEED THAT IT GOES, THE MORE PROTECTIONS THAT ARE ULTIMATELY ADDED.
AND THAT'S THE SORT OF THOUGHT PROCESS HERE.
UM, AND THEN AS I'D MENTIONED, FLEXIBILITY AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE HAD THE MOTORIZED SCOOTER LAW IN 2004, THE E-BIKE LAW IN 2022.
UH, THINGS WERE A LOT DIFFERENT IN THOSE TWO TIMES PERIODS, AND IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO BE DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO, UM, UH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE, UM, AND THEIR INFINITE WISDOM HERE, AND IN THIS CASE, ABSOLUTELY, UM, HAVE SORT OF BUILT IN, UM, A FLEXIBILITY FOR THE RV TO DRAFT AND CREATE REGULATIONS AND HAVE WORKING GROUPS TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FULLY FLESHED OUT, UM, BY THIS LAW.
SO I WOULD SAY THE THREE BIG BUCKETS.
I, I, I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE THE TOP THREE IS AN IMPORTANT WAY TO, TO THINK ABOUT THINGS, UM, OF THESE LEGAL AND REGULATORY CHANGES, THE NUMBER ONE, UH, PIECE IS, UM, UH, AGAIN, WE'VE TRIED TO CREATE THIS SPEED TIER BASED SYSTEM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE, AS CEFI HAD MENTIONED, UH, A MOTORIZED BICYCLE, MOTORIZED SCOOTER LAWS, UM, THAT ARE CALLING SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD KNOW.
AND SO THAT'S ADDING TO A LOT OF THE CONFUSION.
AND IN ORDER TO ALLEVIATE THAT, WHILE IT IS, IS A SPEAR, UH, A SPEED TIER BASED SYSTEM, UH, THERE WAS A LOT OF GAPS ON, UH, THE DEFINITIONS.
AND SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE NEW STATE LAW, UH, PROPOSED STATE LAW BRINGS IN DEFINITIONS SUCH AS MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, MOBILITY AID DEVICES, AND POWERED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
UM, AND, AND THOSE WILL DEPEND ON THE ACTUAL SPEED TIER.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UH, THE INITIAL DEFINITION OF, UH, POWER MOTOR MOBILITY DEVICES WOULD INCLUDE CERTAIN SCOTERS, UNICYCLES, HOVERBOARDS AND ECAP SKATEBOARDS THAT DON'T GO OVER, UH, A CERTAIN SPEED LIMIT.
AND SO THEY'LL ALL BE COMBINED IN THAT AND WE'LL LOOK AT THEM TOGETHER AND THEY'LL ALL BE ABLE TO BE, UH, ADDRESSED UNDER THE LAW IN THE SAME WAY.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE SECOND BIG LAW, UH, PIECE HERE IS THE SPEED TIERS.
UM, THIS IS NOVEL IN THIS STATE.
UM, UH, I THINK BASED ON THE DATA AND BASED ON, UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, THE REALITIES OF, UH, THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRASHES AND HOW MUCH, UH, DEVICE AND REGULATION NEEDS TO BE TO THE USER OR WHAT THEY'RE WEARING OR WHAT THE DEVICE ACTUALLY HAS, UH, IS BASED ON THE SPEED TIERS.
AND THAT'S PRECISELY WHAT THE LAW DOES, AND WE'LL GO INTO THE SPECIFICS OF HOW THOSE TIERS ARE BROKEN DOWN.
AND THEN I WOULD SAY LASTLY, UM, THE STATE LAW ATTEMPTS TO, UH, UH, TACKLE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN TRYING TO DO, UH, AND HAVE BEEN GENERALLY UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE'RE UNCLEAR WHERE THE STATE LAW STANDS, WHETHER WE MAY BE PREEMPTED ON THAT, UH, IS TRYING TO ADDRESS, UH, DEVICE REGISTRATION IN A LOT OF THOSE CASES FOR, UM, THE, THE FASTER THE TIER ONE, TIER TWO, TIER THREE DEVICES.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT LIMITING PEOPLE THAT ARE USING SLOWER DEVICES, UM, UH, BUT WE'RE STILL ADDING THOSE PROTECTIONS OF, UH, UH, DEVICE REGISTRATION FOR THOSE QUICKER AND FASTER DEVICES.
UM, THE LAW ALSO PROPOSES THAT AN RMV CHAIRED WORKING GROUP, UM, TO, UM, UH, PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A REGULATORY SCHEME AND ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION FOR THE OPERATION OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS WITHOUT GOING BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE.
YOU DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE GONNA GET THE APPROVAL, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ULTIMATE LAW IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND SO I THINK THE LEGISLATURE HAS TRIED TO, UH, GRANT THE AUTHORITY OF THE RMV, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROMULGATE THOSE REGULATIONS.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, PIECE OF THE STATE LAW IS, UM,
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THAT THIS WORKING GROUP WILL WORK ON, AND THESE ARE THE VARIOUS IMPORTANT TOPICS THAT AGAIN, I THINK WE'VE BEEN GRAPPLING WITH, WHICH IS REGISTRATION, IDENTIFICATION, LICENSING, CLARIFYING THE ROLES OF THE DEALERS AND THE MANUFACTURERS SO THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE OF WHAT THESE DEVICES ARE AND WHETHER THEY FIT IN THE PARTICULAR TIERS, EDUCATION, SPEED RESTRICTIONS, SIGNAGE, INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS, FINES AND PENALTIES AND SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS.AND SO, UH, THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH MINOR CHANGES ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO GET TOGETHER, UM, AFTER THIS STATE LAW IS IDEALLY PASSED, WHICH WE BELIEVE IT ULTIMATELY WILL BE.
THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE CO-CHAIRS.
THEY HAD BOTH, UH, SPOKEN FAVORABLY IN THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES THERE'S QUESTIONS OF WHETHER A GOVERNOR'S BILL WILL GO THROUGH.
UM, WE, WE DON'T KNOW THAT FOR A GUARANTEE, BUT WE THINK THAT IN THIS CASE, UH, THERE'S A VERY HIGH LIKELIHOOD, UM, THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL, UM, GO FORWARD.
SO YOU CAN JUST STAY ON THIS SLIDE ACTUALLY.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE'LL GO INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFICS.
WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A, NOW FROM A DEVICE SPECIFIC, UM, UH, RULES AND REGULATIONS, UH, AND STATE LAWS TO A SPEED BASED CLASSIFICATION TIER, AS YOU SEE AND ARE LINED OUT HERE.
SO IN THE ZERO TIER, UM, UH, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE CLASS ONE AND CLASS TWO E-BIKES, UH, THOSE ARE DEVICES THAT CAN TRAVEL UP TO 20 MILES PER HOUR.
TIER ONE, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE, UH, CLASS THREE E-BIKES, WHICH AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, OUR STATE LAW DOESN'T ACCOUNT FOR CURRENTLY, UM, TYPE THREE, UH, EXCUSE ME, CLASS THREE E-BIKES, BUT NOW IT WILL, UM, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH FOR TIER TWO AND TIER THREE RELATIVE TO THE ACTUAL, UM, SPEED THAT, UM, UH, THESE DEVICES, UM, WILL OBTAIN.
AND SO I THINK THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS IS, UM, EACH TIER GETS PROGRESSIVELY STRICTER WITH REQUIREMENTS AND FEWER, UH, PERMITTED LOCATIONS THAT THEY CAN OPERATE ON, RIGHT? AND SO THE FASTER THEY GO, THE LESS PLACES THEY CAN GO, THE FASTER THEY GO, MORE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, UM, THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE SEE HERE THE SAME BREAKDOWN OF THE ZERO TIER ONE, TIER TWO TIER AND THREE TIER.
UH, AND UP TOP WE CAN SEE, UH, DEVICE ACTUAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO THESE ARE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE MENTIONED.
UH, UH, THE FASTER THAT THE DEVICES GO, THE MORE COMPLEX THAT THEY ARE THERE WILL ATTACH THE REQUIREMENTS OF, UH, LIGHTS AND BRAKES AND HORNS, UM, SPEEDOMETERS AND STOP AND TURN SIGNALS.
AND SO, AGAIN, RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT A UNICYCLE GETS, UH, VERSUS WHAT AN EESS SCOOTER GETS VERSUS WHAT AN E-BIKE GETS, UH, DEPENDING ON THEIR SPEEDS AND HOW THEY FIT IN THIS CATEGORY, WE'LL OUTLINE FOR THE MANUFACTURERS, FOR THE POLICE, UH, FOR THE REGULATORS, FOR THE EDUCATORS, UM, HOW THOSE SPECIFIC DEVICES, UM, UH, SHOULD BE, UM, BUILT.
UM, THERE'S OTHER THINGS, AND I WON'T GO INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL AS FAR AS BATTERY SAFETY STANDARDS THAT ALL APPLY TO ALL DEVICES THAT HAVE BATTERIES.
SO THOSE ARE THE OTHER THINGS THAT, UH, THE COMMISSION THOUGHT ABOUT AND ADDRESSED AND ARE, UM, UH, REFERENCED IN, UM, IN THE PROPOSED LAW.
SO AS WE FOCUS ON THE DEVICE REQUIREMENTS, THERE'S ALSO, UH, USER OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, THE, THE MORE SERIOUS, THE MORE ROBUST THE DEVICE, UM, UH, THE MORE REQUIREMENTS AROUND LICENSURE, UM, AGE OF USE, RIGHT? WE HAD TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE.
I THINK, UH, AGE OF USES AND INTERESTING PIECE.
I THINK FROM A BLUE BIKE PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS AN AGE LIMIT BASED ON THAT ANYWAYS.
BUT FOR OTHER NON E UH, AND NON BLUE BIKES, UM, THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT, UM, FOR THOSE TIER ONES.
BUT FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, FOR THERE ARE AGE LIMITS.
UM, SAME GOES FOR THE EDUCATION COMPONENT AND LICENSURE.
UM, I THINK INSURANCE IS GONNA BE A BIG QUESTION OF WHERE ARE THEY DRAWING THE LINE FROM THE INSURANCE PERSPECTIVE.
THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
LIKE THERE ARE, FROM A REGISTRATION PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S ACCESSIBILITY QUESTIONS, UH, THERE'S BARRIER QUESTIONS THAT ARE ADDRESSED ON THAT.
BUT I THINK, UM, FROM THE FACT THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS NOW HOPING TO, UH, LIMIT MOPEDS FROM, UH, BIKE LANES AND THEY'RE GONNA BE ON THE STREETS AND ANYTHING FASTER THAN THAT, UH, IT APPEARS THERE ARE GONNA BE, UM, SOME INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, AND I ALSO MENTIONED, I'LL TALK ABOUT LATER, SOME OF THE STATE MICRO ID DECALS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN DEVICES WHERE THAT'S THE CASE.
AND SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, EVEN THOUGH I'VE MENTIONED, THE MORE ROBUST, THE
[01:05:01]
MORE SEARS THE DEVICE, THE MORE REGULATIONS THERE ARE IN THE REQUIREMENTS.THE REALITY IS A LOT OF THESE OTHER DEVICES, INCLUDING THE MOTORCYCLES, ARE ALREADY BEING COUNTED FOR FROM THE LICENSING PERSPECTIVE.
AND SO, UH, AS FAR AS US IMPLEMENTING A MICRO ID DECAL, UH, IT WOULD SERVE THE SAME PURPOSE AS TO THE WAY THAT THEY'RE BEING CONTEMPLATED UNDER STATE LAW AS IS.
SO THE TERM TRAVEL ALLOWANCES, THE SPECIAL COMMISSION UTILIZES THIS.
YOU MAY BE SCRATCHING YOUR HEAD, UH, WHAT THAT IS, AND IT'S NOT A DOLLAR AMOUNT, IT'S JUST, AS WE HAD MENTIONED, UM, EARLIER ON, THE CONFUSION WAS NOT AROUND THE DEVICES AND THE LACK OF CLARITY AND THE LACK OF SCOPE FROM STATE LAW AND REGULATIONS, BUT ALSO, UH, THE DEVICES THAT THEY TRAVEL ON.
RIGHT? I MEAN, I THINK, AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, THESE, UH, AREAS THAT THEY MAY TRAVERSE OVER MAY CHANGE OVER TIME, AND FRANKLY, JUST THE STATE LAW.
AND ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE, UH, TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS TO CLARIFY, UM, UH, WHERE E-BIKES CAN BE REGULATED ON THAT STILL.
UH, THE STATE LAW DIDN'T FULLY ADDRESS THAT QUESTION, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE MADE COMMENTS ON.
UH, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE'RE TRYING TO CLARIFY, UM, WHERE THESE DEVICES ACTUALLY CAN TRAVEL, WHERE THEY SHOULD BE PRO BE PROHIBITED FROM.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT, UH, MORE CLARITY IN THE SCHEMA HERE OF WHERE THOSE DEVICES CAN GO.
AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME, UH, WITH THE EDUCATION COMPONENT, WITH THE CLARITY PIECE, THERE MAY BE MORE OPTIONS FOR, UH, REGULATION, UM, AND, UH, UH, TICKETING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, OR AT LEAST BEING ADDRESSED IN THE EDUCATION COMPONENTS.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS ON THE SAME PAGE, UH, AS US AND THE POLICE AND EVERYONE AND THE MANUFACTURERS AS TO WHERE THESE DEVICES CAN GO.
AND THIS IS JUST ONE SLIDE HERE ON THE, UM, MICRO ID APPROACH.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, I, I, I THINK THAT THE COMMISSION TRIED TO TACKLE THE QUESTIONS OF, UM, UH, UH, THE DEVICES REGULATION WHERE THEY TRAVERSE OVER, BUT ALSO REALLY, UM, UH, TRYING TO FIND SOME WAY WHERE WE CAN RECONCILE THE FACT THAT, UH, THERE ARE DEVICES OUT THERE THAT MAY BE NOT BE COMPLIANT WITH STATE, UH, LAW AS CURRENTLY, UH, DRAFTED.
UM, THERE'S LACKING IN, UH, HOW WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, CAPTURING THE DATA.
AND SO SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE WORKING GROUP AND FOR THE FUTURE RMV REGULATIONS IS THIS MICRO ID PROCESS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY NOT BE EXTREMELY ONEROUS ON, ON USERS AND THE RMV, UM, BUT WILL ALLOW, UM, THE STATE AND LOCALITIES TO HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THESE DEVICES ARE, HOW WE'RE GONNA REGULATE 'EM, HOW WE CAN HAND TICKETS DOWN, UH, AND SORT OF GAINING AND GARNERING THAT DATA THAT WE WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE FUTURE DECISIONS EITHER LEGISLATIVELY, UM, OR REGULATORILY.
UM, AS LIEUTENANT MC DAVITT MENTIONED, WE'RE IN HERE IN CAMBRIDGE, UH, AND WAS, UH, IT'S IN THE SPECIAL COMMISSION REPORT, PROBABLY DO A BETTER AND MORE ROBUST AND FULL JOB OF CAPTURING THIS DATA.
BUT SOME OF THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO HAVE A MORE UNIFIED STATE FORM FOR CAPTURING DATA FOR THE ACCIDENTS.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S A MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE, UH, AND AN INDIVIDUAL OR A MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE AND ANOTHER MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE, UH, RATHER THAN JUST WHAT THE STATE FORM, WHAT, WHAT ADDRESS, WHILE WE'RE DOING IT BETTER, I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE CLARITY.
UM, UH, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA WORK REGIONALLY, WE WANT TO TRY TO ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS REGIONALLY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S, UH, WHAT THE STATE LAW IS MOVING TOWARDS.
ANY QUESTIONS? A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE ONE MORE SLIDE.
UM, SO WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS COULD POSSIBLY BE AND WANTED TO COME AND, UM, HAVE SOME GUIDANCE FROM YOU ALL AND WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, SO A FEW IDEAS ARE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH MAS DOT AROUND THE RIDE SAFE ACT, AND AS THEY CREATE THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE RMV REGULATIONS, UH, CAMBRIDGE WILL ALIGN WITH WHAT THE STATE DOES.
WE WON'T BE DOING BESPOKE CAMBRIDGE REGULATIONS FOR THIS, UM, PURPOSE.
UH, WE ARE ALSO CONTINUING TO IMPLEMENT STREET SAFETY DESIGN, UM, IMPRO IMPROVEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO WALK AND RIDE AND ROLL IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, WE ARE ALSO DEVELOPING, UM, AS THE COMMISSIONER MENTIONED, THE INTERCEPT INTERSECTION SAFETY PROGRAM, UM, TO CONTINUE IMPLEMENTING, UM, MEASURES FOR REDUCING SAFETY IN HIGH RISK AREAS.
AND, UM, WE'RE EXPLORING ADDITIONAL BLUE BIKE SAFETY EDUCATION AND THINKING THROUGH HOW TO PROVIDE MICRO MOBILITY AND HELMET EDUCATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH BLUE BIKES.
[01:10:01]
AND LASTLY, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE BIKE SHOPS AWARE OF THE STATE STANDARDS, UH, FOR DEVICES TO HELP REDUCE FALSE ADVERTISING OF DEVICES SO THAT, UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MORE DEVICES ON OUR STREETS THAT ARE UP TO CODE.UM, AND THE LAST THING IS THAT WE'RE, UM, STARTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE WILL DO EXPANDED OUTREACH EFFORTS WHEN THERE ARE CHANGES TO THE STATE REG REGULATIONS.
SO WE INVITE YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE COUNCIL NOLAN MAY HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, THANKS FOR THINKING THIS THROUGH AND WORKING WITH THE STATE.
I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I DO REMEMBER THAT MEETING WHEN WE HAD THIS CHART THAT WAS, EVEN AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T, A LOT OF ANALYSIS CAN ABSORB A LOT OF DATA, IT WAS TOTALLY CONFUSING AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
SO IF SOMEONE ASKED ME, WELL, AM I ALLOWED HERE WITH THIS DEVICE? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
MAYBE I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE CHART.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS WILL HELP WITH THAT AND CLARIFY IT.
UM, IS IT ALSO RIGHT THAT THE DEFINITION THEN OF MICRO MOBILITY POWERED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES MEANS THAT ANYTHING NEW THAT COMES ALONG? SO IN TWO YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE MANY OF THE SCOOTERS, WHICH I THINK OF NOT AS THE MOPED SCOOTERS, BUT OF THE LITTLE SCOOTERS.
WE ALSO HAVE MOTORIZED SKATEBOARDS.
WE ALSO HAVE, WE, WE JUST HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT DEVICES, MANY OF WHICH ARE TERRIFIC BECAUSE ANYONE WHO IS DOING THAT INSTEAD OF TAKING A CAR IS GREAT.
HOWEVER, WITH THE ADVENT OF THOSE, I CERTAINLY, AS YOU ALL KNOW, PROBABLY I RIDE MY BIKE OFF IN BETWEEN AROUND TOWN AS I KNOW COUNCILORS, AS HE DOES TOO.
AND I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, AND WE ARE ALWAYS SEEING PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY RIDING THE WRONG WAY IN BIKE LANES WHEN THEY'RE, BUT WE ALSO SEE CARS WHO ARE NOW DEALING WITH A WHOLE RANGE OF NEW DEVICES THAT MAKES IT CHALLENGING FOR THOSE CARS.
AND THE NUMBER, THIS SHOWS PRETTY CLEARLY, IT'S THE MOTOR VEHICLES HITTING A MICRO MOBILITY, THAT IS THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF THE CRASHES THAT WE SEE.
SO IS, I GUESS ONE OF THE CLARIFYING QUESTIONS THAT MEANS ANY NEW DEVICE THAT COMES ALONG IS THIS, AND IS IT DEFINED BY WEIGHT? SO THERE'S A REAL BIG DIFFERENCE.
IF I'M HIT BY A BICYCLE GOING REALLY FAST, NOT AS FAST AS I RIDE, BUT A LOT FASTER, 17 OR 18 MILES AN HOUR, I AM DEFINITELY GONNA GET HURT, BUT I'M GONNA GET WAY MORE HURT IF IT'S AN E-BIKE THAT IS 200 POUNDS AND EVEN MORE HURT IF IT'S A MOPED.
SO, SO ARE THESE, IS THERE ANY DISTINCTION ON THE POWERED MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, NOT JUST ON THE SPEED THAT CAN GO ACTUALLY TWO QUESTIONS, BUT ALSO THE WEIGHT OR SOME OTHER ATTRIBUTE THAT FRANKLY AFFECTS SAFETY? AND ALSO IS THE SPEED THE TOP LIMITED SPEED OF THE DEVICE, OR IS IT THE SPEED THAT IS BEING USED? FOR INSTANCE, IF I HAVE AN E-BIKE THAT IS CAPABLE OF 25 MILES AN HOUR, BUT I'M ON A, A BIKE LANE OR BIKE PATH, BUT I'M ONLY GOING 18 MILES AN HOUR, IS THAT ALLOWED? IF THAT MAKES SENSE AS A QUESTION THROUGH YOU CHAIR? UM, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO GRAPPLE THOSE AND I MAY HAVE TO COME BACK AND GET SOME CLARITY ON SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, THAT, THAT VERY, I'LL START WITH THE LAST QUESTION I THINK CAME UP AT, UH, FROM OTHER, UH, UH, FOLKS THAT WERE TESTIFYING OF, WELL, THIS IS A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE I MAY NOT GO THE SPEED THAT THE TOP SPEED, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, UM, FROM JUST A LOGICAL STANDPOINT, UM, THEY HAVE TO UTILIZE THE SPEED TIER SYSTEM AS TO THE TOP SPEED.
AND I THINK THAT PLAYS INTO YOUR QUESTION AROUND, I THINK THAT THERE IS A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF THAT THE FASTER THE DEVICE GOES, UH, AND BECAUSE OF THE BATTERY OR BECAUSE OF THE, UM, UH, MOTOR THAT'S IN IT, IT IS GOING TO WEIGH MORE OVERALL.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHY THEY WERE LOOKING AT IT FROM A SPEED TIER SYSTEM.
THE BIGGER THE DEVICE, THE MORE CHANCES ARE THE BATTERY AND THE WEIGHT IS GOING TO BE MORE.
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE STATE LAW THROUGH THE QUESTION OF, UH, UH, MOTORIZED OR MICRO MOBILITY POWERED DEVICES DOES TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE QUESTION OF, UH, THE UNICYCLES, THE E SKATEBOARDS, THOSE TYPES OF, UH, DEVICES THAT WEREN'T, UH, ADDRESSED PREVIOUSLY.
AND I THINK REALLY THE BIGGEST PIECE HERE IS THAT, UM, THE MOTORIZED SCOOTER LAW DEFINITION IS NOW BEING REMOVED AND BEING REPLACED WITH WHAT WE TYPICALLY, UH, ADDRESS AND WOULD UNDERSTAND AS A MOTORIZED OR AN ELECTRIC SCOOTER, RIGHT? A STAND ON WHERE YOU'RE HOLDING THE TWO THINGS.
WHEREAS BEFORE IT LOOKED MORE LIKE THAT, UH, UH, RIDE DELIVERY, UM, UH, DEVICE.
AND SO, YES, I, I THINK TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THERE'S A LOT MORE CLARITY.
AND, AND AGAIN, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY HERE, THE FLEXIBILITY FOR, UH, THE GROUP TO COME TOGETHER AND UM, UH, HAVE REGULATIONS THAT ARE GONNA
[01:15:01]
ALTER THIS IS, IS A LOT BETTER THAN WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.WHERE WE WERE WAS, UM, EVEN IF WE HAD IT DOWN THERE, WERE STILL CONTRADICTIONS AND QUESTIONS WHERE WE DIDN'T KNOW.
UM, BUT BY UTILIZING THE SPEED TIER SYSTEM, I THINK IT'S A MUCH BETTER START TO WHERE WE'RE GOING.
THIS DOESN'T RESOLVE EVERYTHING WITH REGARD TO REGULATION OR ANY DEVICE THAT MAY COME, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
BUT, UH, IT'S CERTAINLY, I WOULD SAY LIKE AN A MINUS ADDRESSING ALL THAT.
AND, AND HOPEFULLY WITH THE FLEXIBILITY THAT, UM, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CAN, UH, UM, SUGGEST NEW LEGISLATION IF THAT'S NEEDED, UH, BUT IS REALLY GONNA TACKLE THE REGULATIONS IN THOSE MULTIPLE AREAS THAT I MENTIONED, I THINK WE'RE IN A LOT BETTER SPOT THAN WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
CAN I JUST, CAN I ADD ONE TO THAT OF, UM, THE ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD AROUND USING THE UPPER LIMIT OF A GIVEN DEVICE VERSUS THE ACTUAL OPERATING SPEED? I THINK PART OF WHAT'S REALLY POWERFUL ABOUT THE SPEED BASED, UM, FRAMEWORK FOR THIS IS THAT IT DOESN'T BUILD IN THE NEED FOR A VERY HEAVY RELIANCE ON ENFORCEMENT.
AND IF YOU WERE TO RELY ON THE ACTUAL OPERATION VERSUS THE UPPER, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THEM INTO CATEGORIES BY THEIR UPPER SPEED, THAT REALLY DOES PUT US BACK IN A POSITION WHERE YOU JUST HAVE TO FALL BACK ON ENFORCEMENT ALL THE TIME.
SO WHILE ENFORCEMENT IS ALWAYS GONNA BE A KEY PART OF THINGS, THE MORE WE CAN SET UP THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO NOT SOLELY RELY ON ENFORCEMENT, IT, IT'S GONNA END UP WITH A BETTER END PRODUCT.
YOU, UH, MR. CHAIR, AND THEN I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE TO RUN BEFORE I MISS THE RIDE.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT, UH, AND EVAN CAN ALSO SPEAK TO THIS, THAT THIS TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF A PAGE FROM THE ACCESSIBILITY WORLD WHERE SUDDENLY WE HAD TO COME UP WITH STANDARDS FOR THINGS THAT HADN'T BEEN INVENTED YET.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE STARTED COMING.
I SAY WE, LIKE, I WROTE THEM, BUT, UH, I DID NOT.
BUT, UH, LIKE WHEN WE HAD TO START COMING UP WITH, UH, STANDARDS FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY, UM, WHICH THE LAWS WERE, WHICH DIDN'T EXIST AT THE TIME THAT THE LAWS WERE WRITTEN, AND NOW THEY HAD TO COME UP WITH STANDARDS THAT WOULD COVER THINGS THAT THEY COULDN'T IMAGINE YET.
AND THE SOLUTION TO THAT IS GENERALLY TO WRITE FUNCTION BASED, UH, UH, FUN FUNCTION BASED REQUIREMENTS RATHER THAN IT IS THIS THING.
AND IT DOES, UH, AND IT DOES, YOU KNOW, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS, AND IT DOES, AS OPPOSED TO THE PERSON USING IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO DO BLAH, THE PERSON USING IT HAS TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, NO MATTER WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, IT IS A THING THAT ACHIEVES THE FOLLOWING ENDS.
AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT VIA THE FOLLOWING MEANS.
AND WE DON'T CARE IF IT'S LIKE PURPLE AND TRAPEZOIDAL, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T CARE IF IT FLIES.
BUT WHAT WE CARE ABOUT IS THAT IF IT CARRIES OUT THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE FOLLOWING.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING KINDS OF SITUATIONS.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO INPUT INFORMATION WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, THERE IS ANY KIND OF THING THAT YOU MIGHT IMAGINE OR INVENT THAT CAN STILL APPLY AND NOT BE OBSOLETE.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD PAGE TO TAKE, UH, TO, TO TAKE A, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNCTIONALLY HOW THINGS WORK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT LIKE, IF TOMORROW THEY INVENT SOME MAGICAL THING THAT WE NEVER HEARD ABOUT BEFORE, I MEAN, REMEMBER IN 1999, NOBODY'D HEARD OF LIKE AN IPAD, RIGHT? AND NOW THEY'RE EVERYWHERE.
AND SO LIKE THAT KIND OF THING, LIKE IN 20 YEARS WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION WE DIDN'T EVEN IMAGINE.
NOW, OKAY, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE TO REWRITE THIS STUFF IN, UH, EVERY, EVERY FEW YEARS, RIGHT? THE IDEA IS TO TRY TO MAKE THINGS AS APPLICABLE NO MATTER WHAT THEY COME UP WITH.
AND I'M SO SORRY, I HAVE TO VANISH.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UH, WELL, I'VE SOME QUESTIONS AND SOME COMMENTS.
I THOUGHT YOUR NEXT STEPS ARE REALLY GREAT.
THANK YOU FOR AN EXCELLENT REPORT.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UH, ALL YOUR WORK AND IT'S GREAT.
WE'RE GONNA ALIGN WITH THE STATE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT, SO WHEN DID, DO WE THINK THE RIDE SAFE ACT MIGHT ACTUALLY PASS AND BECOME LAW? DO WE HAVE A SENSE FOR THAT, UM, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS, I, I, I CAN'T, I BELIEVE IT'S 60 DAYS FROM WHEN THE BILL WAS FIRST PROPOSED THAT THE BILL NEEDS TO GO INTO SECOND READING.
AND I, I, I BELIEVE IT'S TOUGH TO KNOW WHETHER THAT'S ON TRACK.
AND, AND I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT WE DO KNOW CONCRETELY,
[01:20:01]
UH, AS I HAD MENTIONED THAT THE CO-CHAIRS OF, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE, UM, WERE IN THE PRESS RELEASE FOR THIS BILL.AND SO, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THAT.
SOME OF THOSE CO, AT LEAST ONE OF THE CO-CHAIRS WAS ON THE STATE COMMISSION.
UH, AND SO I, I THINK LOOKING AT ALL THOSE PIECES, AND AGAIN, MENTIONING THAT, I WOULD SAY BY AND LARGE, A LOT OF GOVERNOR BILLS GO THROUGH, IF THEY'RE NOT CONTROVERSIAL, UM, THAT, UM, WE COULD SEE THIS GOING, UM, TO SECOND READING AND THEN FINAL READING, UH, PROBABLY IN, IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS IS WHAT I WOULD THINK.
I, I CAN JUST SPEAK VERY BRIEFLY TO IT.
MY INFORMATION'S LIMITED, BUT I DID HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH REPRESENTATIVE OWENS WHO REPRESENTS A PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAMBRIDGE.
AND, UH, HE TOLD ME THE BILL IS, UH, IN THE SENATE NOW, AND IT WILL BE DISCUSSED.
HE THINKS THAT THERE'S A CHANCE IT COULD BE DONE THIS SESSION, WHICH CONCLUDES THAT JULY, UH, JULY 31.
NOW THERE'S AN ENERGY BILL IN THE SENATE THAT IS, UH, DISTRACTING EVERYONE'S ATTENTION.
SO THAT'S JUST A, UM, A WILD GUESS I WOULD SAY FROM HIS, HIS PERSPECTIVE.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT JUST TO THINK AND PLAN, UH, ALONG THOSE TIMELINES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE EVERYONE MUCH MORE SAFE.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF IT PASSES BY, UH, THE END OF THE SESSION.
UM, I KNOW WITH, UH, ADDITIONAL BLUE BIKE SAFETY INFORMATION ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.
I KNOW, UM, BOB SIMHA HAS ALWAYS ASKED, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO FOR BLUE BIKES, IS THERE SOME WAY IT'S AN ELECTRONIC SIGNUP? IS THAT THERE SOME WAY THAT THEY COULD REQUIRE YOU TO AT LEAST SAY THAT YOU READ THE RULES OF THE ROAD? UH, WHEN YOU SIGN UP TO DO BLUE BIKES? CAN THAT BECOME PART OF THE PROCESS? UH, IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA AND IT MIGHT MAKE EVERYONE SAFER ON THE ROAD.
YEAH, SO BLUE BIKE'S SYSTEM ACTUALLY DOES HAVE KIND OF LIKE A RUN THROUGH FOR FIRST TIME USERS.
AND IT, UM, IT OUTLINES HOW TO USE THE APP, HOW TO PARK, AND HOW TO TAKE OUT THE BIKE.
UM, BUT IT ALSO OUTLINES, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT RIDING ON THE SIDEWALK, WEARING A HELMET, UM, AND ALWAYS YIELDING TO PEDESTRIANS.
SO, UM, ALL FIRST TIME USERS WHEN SETTING UP THE APP OR USING BLUE BIKE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UH, DO YOU HAVE TO SCROLL THROUGH THOSE SLIDES ONE BY ONE, UM, UH, BEFORE USING, UM, THE APP.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT EVERY TIME, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IT IS IN PLACE.
UH, I'M SO HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THAT'S FAN, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT, I, THESE AGAIN, ARE GREAT NEXT STEPS CONNECTING WITH BIKE SHOPS.
I KNOW I'M GONNA GET A HORN FOR MY BIKE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE ALL THOSE BELLS AND HORNS, EVERYBODY'S GONNA, THERE'S GONNA BE A RUSH FOR THEM RIGHT AT THE END OF JULY, EARLY AUGUST.
UM, AND I THINK THE OUTREACH WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, I ARE YOU PLAN, I PRESUMABLY YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THAT OUTREACH.
I'D LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN I THOUGHT YOUR LETTER WAS GREAT.
UM, AND I, AGAIN, I LIKED THE BIT ABOUT RETAIL COMPLIANCE, AND, UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, SO MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN ABOUT GAPS FOR EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF THE, UM, REGISTRATION.
UM, SO I WONDERED IN THE, THE MICRO ID, AND I WONDERED IF YOU COULD SPEAK, SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ENFORCEMENT, HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT BETTER.
AND THEN ABOUT, UH, YEAH, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I'LL TAKE THE FIRST GO AT THIS THROUGH YOU CHAIR.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY FOR THE GAPS FROM THE MICRO DEVICE, I, I THINK THAT FOR THE SAME REASONS WE HAD MENTIONED FROM AN ACCESSIBILITY STANDPOINT, UH, AN AGE USE, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE LIMITATIONS IN THE ZERO SPEED TIER, UH, CATEGORY.
UM, THERE'S, OUR DEVICES ARE PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE, UH, REGISTERED.
BUT A, AGAIN, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF, UM, UH, THE FASTER, MORE HEAVIER ULTIMATELY, UH, DEVICES, UM, THERE'S THIS GAP BETWEEN THE MOPEDS AND THE MOTOR AND THE MOTORCYCLES AND THE DEVICES THAT, UM, ARE MOTOR VEHICLES OR OTHERWISE, UH, REGULATED BY THE STATE.
THERE'S THIS MIDDLE AREA WHERE, UM, UH, THESE DEVICES CAN GO VERY FAST.
THEY'RE VERY, THEY, SOME OF 'EM MAY BE VERY NEW AND THERE'S NO, UM, UH, INSURANCE AND THERE'S NO, UM, WAY TO REGULATE, UH, THOSE DEVICES.
AND AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MANUFACTURING SIDE OF THINGS, FROM
[01:25:01]
THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE.UH, AND ALSO, UM, FROM THE USER PIECE, I REALLY DO THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE TOP THREE QUESTIONS THAT ARE GONNA BE TACKLED IN THIS WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS, HEY, LET'S GET THIS STATE LAW PASSED.
UH, LET'S GET THE, LET'S GET THAT B PLUS A MINUS CLARITY.
AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A, A PROPOSED STATE LAW THAT CONTEMPLATES, UM, US CONTINUING TO THINK ABOUT, UM, UH, HOW THIS WORKS AND HOW THIS GET, UH, PLAYS OUT.
AND SO, UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THIS AND, AND DOES THE R AND V HAVE THE APPETITE TO DO THIS? AND IF NOT, IS IT MASS DOT AND, UH, WHAT SORT OF WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH LOCALITIES AND MANUFACTURERS AND EDUCATION? UM, SO I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS ARE, UM, STILL AROUND, BUT I, BUT I THINK THE GENERAL PREMISE OF, UM, TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT MIDDLE GROUND, UM, IS, IS PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT REPORT HAS THAT PIECE.
AND FINALLY, SO ARE, ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT OUTREACH? IF THIS COULD PASS AS EARLY AS JULY, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? WE ARE THINKING ABOUT OUTREACH.
WE DON'T HAVE A PRO AN OUTREACH PROGRAM OR STRATEGY TO SHARE TODAY, BUT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT WHEN, UM, WHEN IT'S AVAILABLE.
UM, ONE THING I'LL JUST SAY ABOUT THAT IS CULTURE IS REALLY HARD TO CHANGE OVERNIGHT, UM, ESPECIALLY AS WE HAVE PEOPLE PASSING THROUGH OUR CITY.
UM, SO WE WILL CERTAINLY BE LOOKING TO DO WIDESPREAD OUTREACH ON SAFETY AND ETIQUETTE FOR PEOPLE RIDING ON MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
AND, UM, THIS IS A RECOGNIZED ISSUE ACROSS CITY BOUNDARIES, ACROSS STATE BOUNDARIES.
SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES ACROSS THE WORLD FOR HOW, HOW OTHER PLACES HAVE DEALT WITH THIS.
AND WE WILL COME BACK TO SHARE WITH YOU WHEN WE HAVE SOMETHING.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE SHOULD REALLY PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITIES.
'CAUSE IF I WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT, I'D BE USING A MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE.
SO I, I THINK THEY WOULD BE A BIG GROUP.
ON, UM, FOLLOWING UP ON SOME OF THESE CHALLENGING ISSUES OF NO ID, HOW MUCH OF AN ISSUE IS IT WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT THERE? THEY DON'T HAVE ID, THEY DON'T, THEY AREN'T REQUIRED NECESS SORT OF ID, AND FROM AN ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT A FEW TIMES IS CARS ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING.
AND YET THERE'S SOMETIMES I KNOW OF ONE CYCLIST WHO WAS HIT BY A MOTORIZED SCOOTER ENDED UP IN THE HOSPITAL, BUT THERE WAS, I TALKED TO THE POLICE ABOUT IT.
THERE WAS KIND OF NO WAY, WELL, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A GRAY AREA BECAUSE OF THE ACTION.
IS THAT SOMETHING THIS BILL WILL HELP ADDRESS, THAT IT WILL NOT BE A GRAY AREA ANYMORE.
AND I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE MOTORIZED SCOOTERS THAT WASN'T QUITE DEFINED IN THE SAME WAY, RIGHT? WE JUST HAD E-BIKES AND BIKES AND NOT OTHERS.
IS THAT THE KIND OF THING THAT THIS WILL THEN HELP OUR OFFICERS DO MORE ENFORCEMENT AND ON THE EDUCATION? I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS THE HELMETS AND THE LIGHTS.
I ALWAYS SEE OTHER CYCLISTS WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR LIGHTS ON.
AND I AM NOW AT THE POINT WHERE I'M AWARE THAT, OH MY GOSH, MY LIGHT IS LIKE FADING BECAUSE I HAVEN'T CHARGED IT UP.
BUT, BUT THAT IS THE, ESPECIALLY AT DUSK AND AT NIGHT, IT IS SO DANGEROUS TO BE ANYWHERE ON, EVEN IN A BIKE LANE WITHOUT A LIGHT.
SO THAT CAR, BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY WAY A CAR WOULD KNOW IT.
I'M SURE COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY HAS SEEN THIS IN OUR AREA OF, ON BRATTLE STREET AND ON HURON, THAT YOU SEE BIKES GOING DOWN AT NIGHT AND YOU LITERALLY CANNOT SEE THEM IF THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR LIGHT.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON, ON EDUCATION? 'CAUSE IT WAS NOT LISTED AS ONE OF THE COMMON INFRACTIONS, BUT I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO MORE EDUCATION.
AND I KNOW WE'RE ALWAYS GIVING OUT FREE LIGHTS.
WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A STACK AT HOME THAT I USED TO GIVE OUT TO MY KIDS' FRIENDS EVERY TIME THEY CAME OVER.
IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A LIGHT, I HAD A STACK THAT I WOULD RUN THROUGH.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THAT.
SO ADDRESS THE FIRST PART OF IT, WE HOPE, WE HOPE THAT THESE NEW REGULATIONS MAKE ENFORCEMENT EASIER WITH THE IDENTIFICATION STUFF.
BUT, UM, COUNCIL ZUI ALSO TOUCHED ON IT AS FAR AS THE REGISTRATION, THE MICRO ID WILL IT WORK? IT SAYS RIGHT ON A CONCEPT, THE CONCEPT'S GREAT.
YOU WALK UP, YOU ZIP IT AND IT TELLS YOU EVERYTHING ABOUT IT, AND YOU KNOW WHERE IT FALLS IN.
IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT, HOPEFULLY IT WORKS.
SAME THING WITH THE OTHER STUFF.
UM, COUNCILOR DUCEY ALSO TOUCHED ON PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITIES.
UH, THIS YEAR WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH MIT, THEY HAVE A PERSONAL FE SAFETY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THEY CAME TO US ASKING IDEAS.
WE WORK WITH DOT ABOUT TRYING TO DO BICYCLE EDUCATION WITH SOME OF THE STUDENTS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT INTERSECTION OF MASS AM VASSAR IS BUSY,
[01:30:01]
LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MIT HAD ALL THESE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY WERE GONNA DO FOR EDUCATION, KRYPTONITE, LOCKS, BIKE HELMETS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE ISSUE WAS THAT THEY WERE HAVING.
UM, SO LIKE YOU WERE SAYING, WE GIVE THE STUFF AWAY.
HOW DO WE GET BUY-IN FROM THE COMMUNITY AND HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IS SOMETHING THAT EVERY COMMUNITY IS DEALING WITH, WITH ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THE UNIVERSITIES AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE A CONNECTION TO HARVARD POLICE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE DISCUSSING, PUTTING A PAMPHLET OUT, SOMETHING TO GIVE TO THE STUDENTS, TELLING THEM, WHEN YOU'RE ON THESE E SCOOTERS, YOU GOTTA STAY OFF THE SIDEWALK, YOU GOTTA GO THE RIGHT WAY.
BECAUSE THAT'S BASICALLY FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS IT'S A MIX OF DELIVERY PERSONNEL AND STUDENTS, PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE AND STUDENTS IN THE AREA.
AND, UH, STEPHANIE TOUCHED ON IT, THEY HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE AREA.
MOST OF 'EM, THEY DON'T KNOW THE ROADS, AND THEY'RE ONLY HERE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THE SHORTEST WAY TO PUT IT IS WE HOPE SO.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS IS, THAT THE LIGHTS ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF A CORNERSTONE OF THE EDUCATION.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE, UM, FOR SURE.
AND, AND WORKING WITH, UM, THE SCHOOLS IS ALWAYS REALLY IMPORTANT.
COUNCILOR ZUI, WELL, I WANNA GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO SPEAK COUNCILOR FLAHERTY.
I, I DO HAVE TWO OTHER QUICK THINGS.
OKAY, WELL ONE IS, UM, SO I SEE WHY MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES COULD BE VERY USEFUL AND ARE PART OF THE FUTURE GOING FORWARD.
SO WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT STORING THEM? AND, UM, I WAS JUST, I WAS ON, UM, ELLERY THE OTHER DAY AND THERE WAS A CARGO BIKE, WHICH WAS LIKE THE SIZE OF A SMALL CAR PARKED ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO ARE WE, I I KNOW IN NEW DEVELOPMENTS WE'RE REQUIRING PARKING IN AT THE BASEMENT LEVEL OR THE FIRST FLOOR LEVEL, BUT THAT'S REALLY FOR BICYCLES, LIKE REGULAR BICYCLES, NOT CARGO BIKES.
SO HOW ARE WE THINKING ABOUT, UM, STORING THESE DEVICES AND MAKE SURE, MAKE, MAKE, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR THEM TO BE PUT SAFELY? THANK YOU.
UM, OUR CURRENT BIKE PARKING, UH, ZONING REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE A CERTAIN PERCENT, I BELIEVE IT'S 10% OF SPACES TO BE LARGER SO THAT THEY COULD ACCOMMODATE THESE LARGER FORMAT BICYCLES.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AS, AS USE CHANGES, WE CAN LOOK AT CHANGES OVER TIME, BUT FOR NOW WE ARE REQUIRING ALL, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT TRIGGER THE BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS TO INCLUDE SOME PERCENT OF SPACES THAT ARE LARGER.
AND SO THE SCOOT SCOOTERS AND THE HOVERCRAFT AND THE QUADRICYCLES, ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY WILL FIT WITHIN THE PARKING THAT WE'RE DESIGNING.
AND THEN JUST A, A PLUG FOR MY IDEA.
I, I REALLY THINK EMT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPORT ACCIDENTS TO THE CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SEEMS LIKE THAT THAT SHOULD BE DOABLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD BE DOING IT, BUT I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE KEEP TRACK OF THESE ACCIDENTS, HOW THEY HAPPEN, WHERE THEY HAPPEN.
UH, AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
AND AGAIN, IF YOU CAN DO IT WITH DOG BITES, WHY CAN'T YOU DO IT WITH, UM, UH, MICRO MOBILITY AND BICYCLE ACCIDENTS? IT'S IMPORTANT DATA THAT SHOULD BE TRACKED.
THE SPECIFIC INSTANCE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT INVOLVED MEMORIAL DRIVE, I DON'T KNOW WHO WOULD'VE DISPATCHED IT.
'CAUSE IT COMES FROM THE STATE POLICE, THE CAMBRIDGE POLICE DISPATCHERS.
I BELIEVE IT IS THEIR PROTOCOL THAT IF THEY ARE SENDING AN AMBULANCE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEY WILL SEND THE CAMBRIDGE POLICE AS WELL.
UM, SPEAKING OF WHICH, AND, UM, I, I BELIEVE IT IS PART OF THE PROTOCOL FOR OUR DISPATCHERS WHEN IT'S CAMBRIDGE JURISDICTION AND CAMBRIDGE DISPATCHERS THAT WE ARE SENT.
I WOULD JUST SAY I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY, AND, AND I THINK LIEUTENANT MCT MENTIONED IT, YOU KNOW, TIMES WHEN A, WHEN A SLIGHT CRASH MIGHT HAPPEN, NO ONE'S REALLY INJURED AND THE TWO PARTIES MIGHT OPT NOT TO REPORT THAT.
AND EVEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS, SOMETIMES LATER A CYCLIST OR A MICRO MOBILITY OPERATOR NOT HAS SECOND THOUGHTS, BUT THINKS, OKAY, I WASN'T INJURED, BUT I'D STILL LIKE TO HAVE A RECORD THAT THIS HAPPENED.
AND THEY DO CONTACT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT SOMETIMES IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY A SMALL NUMBER, UM, OF, OF FAR LESS SERIOUS CRASHES THAT PROBABLY GO UNREPORTED.
BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE ASSUMPTION EVEN FOR, FOR
[01:35:01]
VEHICLE ON VEHICLE CRASHES AS WELL.OKAY, SO I'VE, I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION.
I MEAN, I'VE GOT A LOT OF QUESTIONS, AND WE COULD TALK ABOUT THIS FOR, UH, A VERY LONG TIME, WHICH IS NOT WHAT I SUGGEST WE DO.
UM, I'M, I'M INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MICRO ID.
I'M NOT SURE IF TODAY IS THE, UM, TIME AND PLACE TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY INTERESTING CONCEPT AND ONE THAT'S NEEDED.
THIS IS A, THIS IS A GIGANTIC LIFT FOR THE COMMONWEALTH.
AND I'VE GONE THROUGH THE MICRO MOBILITY REPORT AND I'VE READ THE, UM, THE NEW ACT.
UM, AND I THINK THE ACT DOES ALLOW MUNICIPALITIES TO, BY ORDINANCE, MAYBE, UH, CREATE MORE, UH, RIGID OR STRICTER REGULATIONS.
LET'S SEE WHAT THE FINAL, UH, RESULT IS.
WHAT, WHAT COMES OUT OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND WHAT GETS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT ARE CONCERNING TO ME, OBVIOUSLY THE, I THINK THE SPEED TIER, UH, TIERS IS, UH, IS VERY GOOD.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA HAVE AFTERMARKET MODIFICATIONS THAT, AND ENFORCEMENT'S GONNA BE VERY IMPORTANT.
THE, UM, AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE THERE'S A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POTENTIAL SEIZURE OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES, IF THERE IS A, UM, MULTIPLE INFRACTIONS OR EXCESSIVE INFRACTIONS, BECAUSE I THINK THE SAFETY ISSUES THAT WE'RE ENCOUNTERING ARE EXCESSIVE.
UM, WE'VE ALL SEEN ANECDOTALLY ACCIDENTS AND WE'VE SEEN, UM, CULTURE AND RECKLESS AND RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALL SEEN, UH, SCOOTERS AND E-BIKES, UM, RACING THROUGH THE CAMBRIDGE CARMEN RIGHT NEXT TO THE TOT LOT WITH LITTLE KIDS THERE.
AND IT'S, WE'RE JUST LUCKY THAT NOTHING BAD HAS HAPPENED.
UH, AND WE'VE ALL SEEN, WE'VE SEEN IT ALL OVER THE CITY.
IT'S JUST, AND WE'RE A CITY THAT IS HOME TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND VISITORS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD THAT MIGHT GET ON A BLUE BIKE THAT REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND, UH, THE RULES OF THE ROAD, NOT FAMILIAR WITH OUR STREETS, AND DON'T UNDERSTAND REALLY THE DIFFERENT SIGNALS AND DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS AND UNUSUAL PLACES HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHETHER THERE'S A WAY TO KIND OF TRACK DATA, UM, ON BLUE BIKE USERS AS OPPOSED TO REGULAR CYCLING COMMUTERS, UH, PASSING THROUGH THE CITY.
BUT I MEAN, IT, THERE, THERE'S A LOT HERE.
AND I THINK THIS IS A GOOD START.
I THINK, UH, THE GOVERNOR'S LEGISLATION IS A, IS A GREAT PLACE TO START.
AND I THINK MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THE WORKING GROUP BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT, UH, TO BE FIGURED OUT HERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, I MEAN, WE ALL SEE, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE IN CAMBRIDGE.
THERE ARE GOING TO BE NEW MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, UH, PROBABLY BY THE TIME THE LIGHTS GET SHUT OFF IN THIS COUNCIL CHAMBER TONIGHT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE REGULATED.
BUT I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT, BECAUSE WE'RE SUCH A INTERNATIONAL CITY, WE'VE GOTTA THINK ABOUT, UH, OUTREACH.
AND I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO OUTREACH IN THE SHORT TERM, UM, IS HAVING THE, UM, HE HEIGHTENED ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE A, UM, WHATEVER THAT IS THE, UH, IRON FIST AND A VELVET GLOVE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, IT NE IT NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED THAT, UM, RISK-TAKING BEHAVIOR.
THERE'S GONNA BE A CULTURE SHIFT IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS IN THE CITY OF CAMBRIDGE, AND WE'VE IMPLEMENTED, UM, LOTS OF, UH, SEPARATED BIKE LANES EVERYWHERE THAT IN SOME RESPECTS MAKES INTERSECTIONS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS, UH, IN OTHER RESPECTS, LESS DANGEROUS.
AND THEN THE PHYSICAL SEPARATION DOESN'T ALWAYS, UM, WELL, IT CAN'T, IT, IT CAN'T CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR OF SOME OPERATORS, BOTH AUTOMOBILE, MICRO MOBILITY, E-BIKES, MOPEDS, VESPERS, THERE'S SO MANY DEVICES.
AND IT'S, I MEAN, WHEN WE WE'RE SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT ALL THIS, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, CHAPTER 90 VIOLATIONS, 24 D OPERATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE.
AND WE'RE A CITY WITH, UH, STUDENTS.
I MEAN, OF COURSE THEY'RE GONNA DRINK, OF COURSE THEY'RE GONNA, UH, BE ON A, A MICRO MOBILITY DEVICE AFTER HAVING DRINKING.
[01:40:01]
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE, THE SAFETY CONCERNS ARE, UM, ALMOST ENDLESS.AND WE'VE GOT A BIG LIFT HERE IN THIS CITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE USERS OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ARE SAFE, OUR RESIDENTS ARE SAFE.
BUT WHAT REALLY, UH, STRIKES ME IN ALL OF THIS IS WE'VE GOT, AND YOU, YOU FOLKS FROM, UH, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROBABLY KNOW THIS, UH, MUCH MORE THAN MY ANECDOTAL SORT OF, UM, GUESS.
BUT THERE'S PROBABLY A THOUSAND HIGH SCHOOL KIDS THAT, UH, TRAVEL BY BICYCLE TO AND FROM RANGE AND LATIN EVERY SINGLE DAY.
THERE'S BIKES ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND THESE KIDS ARE COMING FROM ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S INHERENT DANGER.
UM, AND THAT'S HONESTLY WHAT MAKES ME MOST CONCERNED IS MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL, OKAY.
OKAY? THERE'S LOTS OF ADULTS THAT COMMUTE ON BICYCLES WHO ARE VERY SAFE, UM, BICYCLISTS, UH, AND THEN THERE'S OTHERS ON BLUE BIKES.
WE SEE IT ALL THE TIME WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THE CITY JUMP ON A BLUE, BLUE BIKE, YOU KNOW, VISITING AND THEY GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE RED LIGHT THEY ENCOUNTER.
IT'S JUST, UH, IT'S HUMAN NATURE.
SO I THINK THE ANSWER REALLY COULD BE ENFORCEMENT.
AND WE'VE GOT LIEUTENANT, UH, MC DEV TELLS US 912, UM, UM, OCCASIONS FOR CITATIONS AND 812 WARNINGS AS WE GO FORWARD WITH THESE, WITH THE EXPANSION OF MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES.
MAYBE THERE'S A CHANGE ON THAT.
MAYBE THERE'S A CHANGE WITH, UM, ENFORCEMENT AND BEING RIGID AND BEING STRICT.
AND MAYBE THAT WILL GO A, A FEW PERCENTAGE POINTS TOWARDS, UH, CHANGING THE CULTURE.
BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL SEE THE, THE SAFETY CONCERNS AND WE'RE CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR OUR FRIENDS, FOR OUR NEIGHBORS, FOR OUR STUDENTS, MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE.
I MEAN, LOOK, THIS, THIS IS JUST THE ADVENTURES ARE GOING TO CONTINUE AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BECOME MORE COMPLICATED.
AND OUR STREETSCAPE WAS DEVELOPED WHEN IN THE 1640S.
UM, IT'S NOT MADE FOR ALL OF THIS.
UH, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADAPT AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SHARE.
UH, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, EVERYONE'S SAFE.
SO, LU LIEUTENANT MCDEVITT, WE WISH YOU THE VERY BEST, UH, AS YOU, AS YOU TACKLE THIS, UM, UH, VERY SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY AND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU, UH, WE WILL.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT COUNCIL NOLAN HAS TALKED ABOUT, UH, CAMERAS TO ENFORCE, UH, TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS IS PROBABLY A GOOD IDEA.
UH, MICRO IDS, GREAT IDEA INSURANCE REGISTRATION.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT PROHIBITING OR MAKING ACCESSIBILITY MORE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE.
BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT WHOEVER PARTICIPATES, UH, IN ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION DOES SO SAFETY WITH, WITH SAFETY AS THEIR PARAMOUNT CONCERN.
YEAH, WELL, LET, PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT IT IS.
WELL, THE QUESTION IS, 'CAUSE I DID ALSO, AND LIKE I APPRECIATE THE LETTER YOU ALL SENT.
IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME PRETTY IMPORTANT POINTS IN THE LETTER.
HAVE THESE BEEN ADDRESSED IN THE BILL OR ARE THEY BEING ADDRESSED ON THE FLOOR IN THE HOUSE? BECAUSE THEY SEEM PARTICULARLY THE, UH, UH, ABOUT JUST THE CONFUSION, THE REGULATORY, UH, WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS TO PASS THIS BILL AND THEN HAVE THE CONFUSION IN SOME OF THESE AREAS CONTINUE.
'CAUSE IT WILL JUST MAKE ENFORCEMENT MORE CHALLENGING.
IT'LL MAKE EVERY, SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THAT, UM, THROUGH YOUR CHAIR.
SO THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE AFTER SEEING THE DRAFT OF THE BILL.
AND SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT THERE WERE SOME AREAS WHERE, UH, SPECIFICALLY TO THAT ISSUE OF REGULATING E-BIKES AND THE DEFINITION OF BIKEWAYS AND WHAT DOES THAT STATUTE ACTUALLY MEAN? I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE IN REGULATION, THERE COULD BE SOME CLARITY OR THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP, THERE COULD BE CLARITY AROUND THAT.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THE COMMISSION'S REPORT PROBABLY BETTER DEALS WITH THAT QUESTION.
DEFINITELY BETTER DEALS WITH THAT.
UM, THEN THE BILL DOES, AND IT VERY WELL MAY JUST BE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO GET HASHED OUT IN THIRD READING WITH LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL TO SAY, OH, THIS IS WHAT THE COMMISSION MEANT HERE AND THIS IS HOW WE'RE GONNA CHANGE THE TEXT OF THE LAW TO ADDRESS THAT.
UM, I, I THINK MORE THAN TYPICAL, AND I THINK I'D MENTIONED BEFORE, THE WAY THAT THE BILL IS CURRENTLY DRAFTED AND THE SECTIONS AND THE ORBS THAT, UM, IT DESIGNATES AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ALLOWS THE RMV TO BE ABLE TO HAVE AUTHORITY TO ACT IN THOSE
[01:45:01]
AREAS IS GREAT.AND ULTIMATELY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THE MAJORITY OF THESE QUESTIONS CAN BE ADDRESSED EITHER THROUGH REGULATION, IF NOT ADDRESSED APPROPRIATELY THROUGH, UH, UH, DRAFT CHANGES TO THE BILL.
NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS SENT AFTER THE BILL AND THE WHOLE, RIGHT NOW, EVERY TIME A BILL IS SENT, IT THEN GOES THROUGH SEVERAL READINGS AND AT EACH STEP IT CAN BE AMENDED.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHETHER WE HAVE HEARD THAT THE AMENDMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE AS OPPOSED TO CAN BE HANDLED THROUGH REGULATION ARE BEING MADE.
AND IF NOT, ARE WE IN TOUCH WITH OUR STATE DELEGATION WHO WOULD BE WORKING ON THIS? WE ARE, WE ARE IN TOUCH WITH OUR, UH, STATE DELEGATION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE GET TO SEE THE SECOND AND THIRD READING AND THE EDITS TO THOSE BILLS.
UM, BUT TO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH MAS DOT AND WORKING WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE ON THIS, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE GRAPPLING WITH AND HOPEFULLY BEING ADDRESSED IN THE BILL, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
IF WE CAN GET IT ALL RIGHT NOW, LET'S DO IT.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE WAY THAT STEPHANIE AND I PITCHED IT WHEN WE WENT THERE, WHICH WAS, WE THINK THAT YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF AREAS THERE MAY BE SOME UNINTENDED, UM, SORT OF HANGUPS HERE AND LOOSE ENDS, UM, THAT WE WANT TO ADDRESS RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, YES, YES, WE'RE IN TOUCH AND WE THINK THAT THEY'RE GONNA ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
NO, HAVING BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT ANOTHER HOME RULE THAT'S STILL PENDING 'CAUSE THERE WERE CHANGES MADE AT THE, UH, FOR THE, UM, THE, UH, PARKING VIOLATION, UM, RULE THAT, AND THAT THE LANGUAGE WAS CHANGED, WHICH IS WHY IT'S STILL NOT PASSED, BUT IT'S IN THE THIRD READING.
SO I'M, THAT PROCESS CAN BE CHALLENGING AND EVERY TIME THERE'S A CHANGE, IT THEN HAS TO GO BACK AND BACK AND FORTH.
SO I JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE VERY VIGILANT ON TO ENSURE THAT IT'S EASY.
I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A RELATED QUESTION.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO ANSWER IT, BUT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND THINKING ABOUT THE RETAILER, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES AND PRODUCT MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITIES, HAS THERE BEEN A PUSHBACK OR A LOBBYING EFFORT, UM, FROM, UH, THE DEVELOPERS OF THESE DEVICES AS TO THE REGULATIONS? HAVE WE SEEN ANY OF THAT YET, UH, THROUGH YOU CHAIR? I THINK STEPHANIE AND I, DID WE STAY FOR THE WHOLE PIECE AFTER WE SPOKE? NO, THE END, UM, I THINK MAYBE ONE MANUFACTURER WE HEARD FROM, OR A BIKE SHOP, BUT OUTSIDE OF THAT I'VE NOT SEEN, UH, AGAIN, DID NOT STAY FOR THE ENTIRETY OF ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, UH, BUT WHEN WE WERE THERE, I DIDN'T SEE ANYONE PUSH BACK FROM THE REGULATION STANDPOINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE QUESTIONS OF, UM, THE TIERING OF HOW THESE DEVICES GET CHANGED AND HOW MANUFACTURERS ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY GENERAL PUSHBACK, UM, FROM, FROM EITHER THE RETAILERS OR THE MANUFACTURERS.
I WAS JUST REMINDED OF AN OLD LAW SCHOOL CLASS, UH, WHETHER IT WAS TALK ABOUT THE AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURERS, UM, MAKING A, UH, CONCERTED LOBBYING EFFORT, UH, AGAINST THE REQUIREMENT TO INSTALL SEAT BELTS IN AUTOMOBILES.
SO WE'VE GOT NEW INVENTIONS AFOOT.
SO, CONS, ZUI, YOU HAVE THE FINAL WORD.
WELL, I JUST WANTED, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, UH, PUT AN EXCLAMATION MARK BESIDE YOUR PREVIOUS REMARKS.
UM, COUNCILOR FLAHERTY, BECAUSE, UM, I REACHED OUT TO THE BICYCLE COMMUNITY IN ADVANCE OF THIS MEETING.
'CAUSE I WANTED TO HEAR HOW THEY FELT ABOUT SHARING THE LANES AND WHO THEY WANTED TO SHARE THE SEPARATED BIKE LANES WITH.
BUT I DIDN'T SHARE, I DIDN'T REACH OUT TO THE ELDERLY NEIGHBORS.
AND I THINK IN CANVASSING A LONG TIME AGO NOW, THE MOST COMMON REFRAIN WE, I HEARD CAMPAIGNING WAS THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T FEEL SAFE ON THE STREETS CROSSING THE STREET.
SO I, I DO THINK, I, I FEEL LIKE THE MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ARE AN EXCITING, UH, PART OF OUR FUTURE, BUT I DO THINK ENFORCING, UM, THEIR USE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT IT'S SAFE FOR ALL OF OUR PEDESTRIANS IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
'CAUSE THE, THE, OUR ELDERLY ARE THE VOICE THAT ISN'T IN THE ROOM, RIGHT? WE NEED TO KEEP THE YOUNG SAFE, BUT WE NEED TO KEEP THE OLDER SAFE TOO.
AND MANY DON'T FEEL SAFE LEAVING THEIR HOMES AT NIGHT, NOT BECAUSE CAMBRIDGE IS A DANGEROUS PLACE, BUT BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE A VEHICLE'S GONNA COME FROM.
SO, UM, AGAIN, LIEUTENANT, UM, MCDIVITT, I, I, I, I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND I THINK THE ENFORCEMENT PIECE WILL BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I THINK WE'LL CONCLUDE THE MEETING AND THANK MOVE
[01:50:01]
ADJOURN.WE WILL MOVE TO, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY LINE OVER THERE THAT NEEDS TO SPEAK? NO.
SO, UM, WITH THAT I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN AND SEEING, UH, THE MOTION FROM COUNCILOR NOLAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, A WELL THEN WE'RE ADJOURNED.