Bicycling Information
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 Adam Shulman, 617 635 4004, adam.shulman@cityofboston.gov
- Downtown bicycle parking locations. See Bicycle Parking in Downtown Boston.
Questions and Problems
- Potholes. Call 617-635-7555 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 617-635-4283 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 to Don Burgess, 617 635 4688, don.burgess@cityofboston.gov.
- 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 to the Highway Maintenance Division, 617-635-7560.
- 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", or use the Registry's Driving Complaint Form
. - 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.
Bicycling in Traffic
- Share the roads. Motorists are required by law to treat bicyclists just like other drivers. For more information, see Don't be a Road Hog. Printed versions of this brochure, with Don't be a Road Warrior on the reverse side, are available free and in quantity from BTD.
- Follow the traffic rules. For a brief summary of how the rules apply to bicyclists, see Don't be a Road Warrior. Complete City of Boston traffic rules . The definition of "vehicle" specifically includes "bicycles." Therefore, where the rules refer to "vehicle" they mean both motor vehicles and bicycles, and where they refer to "driver of a vehicle" they mean both motorists and bicyclists. The rules of the road are in Articles V and VI. Massachusetts law states that bicyclists have a right to use the roads and must follow the traffic rules and requires helmets for bicyclists 12 and younger. Here are some reminders:
- Ride with traffic. Many collisions are caused by bicyclists who do not follow the traffic rules. Riding against traffic is one of the leading causes of car-bike collisions. The Bicycle Drivers Manual has detailed information on safe and effective riding in Boston traffic or anywhere. This publication, Bicycling Street Smarts, is also available at your local bicycle shop.
- Use lights. After dark you are required by law to use a white headlight and a rear reflector or rear light. Even if you can see the road ahead, without a headlight you may not be sufficiently visible to traffic that must yield to you. A rear light is strongly recommended, since the reflectors that come with new bicycles are not bright enough to be seen prominently and may be blocked by baggage.
- Keep behind turning trucks. Do not get to the right side of trucks and buses turning right or that could turn right. Stay behind or ahead, but not beside. Fatalities have occurred when bicyclists fall under the right rear wheels of a truck or bus.
- Ride with traffic. Many collisions are caused by bicyclists who do not follow the traffic rules. Riding against traffic is one of the leading causes of car-bike collisions. The Bicycle Drivers Manual
©2008 The City of Boston