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BICYCLING
Free-wheeling councilors
BY DORIE CLARK
On Monday morning at City Hall Plaza, Boston city councilors Brian Honan of Allston-Brighton, Mike Ross of the Fenway, and Paul Scapicchio of the North End greeted commuters with free water bottles to raise awareness about Bike Week 2001. Scapicchio and Ross have championed pro-biking issues on the council, and on Tuesday they learned that their work had paid off. In a surprise announcement at a budget-committee hearing, Transportation Commissioner Andrea D’Amato told councilors that the city will hire a full-time bike coordinator, which city riders have long desired. “I couldn’t believe it,” says Scapicchio. I was ready to wrangle and she said she was going to post [the position] in a few weeks.”
In the meantime, Scapicchio and Ross, who have vowed to ride their bikes to work the entire week, are learning about life on the road. “There are traffic sections of the city that place bikers in perilous situations, and I’m running into those,” Ross wryly noted. But despite the hazards of riding to meetings in a suit and tie, he’s bullish on the experience: “For the majority of routes, you’ll end up getting there faster [by biking], especially during rush hour. I think we need more bikers and less cars.”
The city-sponsored Bike Week will include a festival on City Hall Plaza this Thursday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring speakers, music, prizes, and food. For other events, go to www.cityofboston.gov/transportation, and click on Bike Week 2001.
Issue Date: May 17 - 24, 2001
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