Have a Problem?
Parking and Theft Prevention
- Lock your bike. Use both a cable lock and a U-lock for maximum protection. Never leave any quick-release parts unsecured (e.g. wheels, seat).
- Register your bike. The Boston Police Department participates in the National Bike Registry. You may register on line
- City bike racks.Contact Boston Bikes to request a bike rack.
- Downtown bicycle parking locations. See Bicycle Parking in Downtown Boston.
Questions and Problems
- Potholes. Call 617-635-4500 with the nearest street address or cross streets. If other than the central area, ask for the district office in the neighborhood where the pothole is located.
- Problem catch basin grates. The Boston Water and Sewer Commission can realign drain grates that are parallel to the flow of traffic or are not flush with the roadway surface. Call 617-989-7000 with the nearest street address or intersection (must be in the City of Boston).
- Missing traffic signs. Call 617-635-4500 with a description.
- Traffic light does not turn green. If there is no one else waiting at a red signal, look for a faint rectangle on the pavement. This is the location of buried loops of wire used to detect vehicles. The sides of the loop are most sensitive. Wait just on the right or left edge of the rectangle. If the light does not change after several minutes, it probably is not sensitive enough to detect bicycles. In this case, or if you can't see any loop, please report the location 617-635-4500.
- Abandoned bicycles. If a bicycle parked on a city sidewalk has been abandoned for at least 30 days, the Public Works Department will remove it. Report the nearest street address by calling, 617-635-4500.
- Charles River Bike Paths, Charles River Bridges, Parkways, and Boulevards. For questions concerning these facilities or to report road and path defects contact the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Urban Parks and Recreation, Community Relations, Christina Doctoroff, 617-722-5501, Christina.Doctoroff@state.ma.us.
- Southwest Corridor Bicycle Path. For questions about this path, contact Alan Morris, MDC Southwest Corridor Park, 617-727-0057.
Complaints About Other Road Users
- Motorists. You can file a complaint of improper operation. Send a letter describing the incident with the license plate number to the Registry of Motor Vehicles "Office of Driver Control, PO Box 199150, Boston, MA 02119-9150"
- Bicycle messengers. For poor conduct, reckless operation, or criminal behavior, give the messenger number, date, time, location, and description of incident to: Sgt. Robert McCarthy, Licensing Unit, 1 Schroeder Plaza, Boston, MA 02120, 617-343-6002 Mccarthyr.bpd2@ci.boston.ma.us
- Taxi drivers. Complete this form on line.
- MBTA bus drivers. Find the correct email address and phone number (based on bus route) from the MBTA's Write to the Top Provide the date and time of the incident, location, four-digit bus number if available, and a description of what happened.
©2009 The City of Boston