Pedestrian & bike safety
Consistent prioritySafer streets for people walking and biking through traffic calming, crossings, signals and protected bike lanes.
Residents consistently ask for physically protected bike lanes, safer crossings and signals, slower residential streets, and more space for people walking.
Theme grouped and summary written with AI from this theme's resident ideas.
324 ideas across three cycles
| Cycle | Ideas | Share of all ideas | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 157 | 12.9% | 1 of 20 |
| 2025–26 | 53 | 4.4% | 10 of 20 |
| 2026–27 | 114 | 8.6% | 3 of 20 |
Needs that keep coming back
Protected, separated bike lanes
Residents want bike lanes with real barriers or physical separation, on specific corridors and as a connected citywide network, instead of paint alone.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Safer crossings and better-timed signals
People ask for raised, well-marked or signalized crosswalks, longer walk times, and fixes at dangerous intersections such as Cleveland Circle and Union Square.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Speed bumps and traffic calming on local streets
Residents on residential streets report speeding, crashes and hit parked cars, and ask for speed humps, raised crosswalks and similar measures, often citing children and seniors.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Enforcement and safety education
Residents ask for enforcement against red-light running, texting and blocked lanes, plus campaigns teaching drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to share streets safely.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
Pedestrian-priority streets and plazas
People ask to close or pedestrianize streets such as Newbury Street and Hanover Street, or give them more space for walking and gathering.
Raised in 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026–27
2024–25
The largest and most varied set of ideas, with many hyper-local speed bump requests (especially Norwell Street), many pedestrian overpass and underpass proposals across Hyde Park, Roslindale and Dorchester, and requests for bike connections.
2025–26
A smaller set of ideas focused on protected or raised bike lanes, longer pedestrian signal times and crosswalk fixes, with an equity framing about residents without cars and Black and brown neighborhoods.
2026–27
Dominated by requests for raised, concrete-protected bike lanes (especially in Allston-Brighton) and physical barriers in place of paint or flexposts, along with signal retiming and protection against illegal parking in bike lanes.
New in 2026–27
Newly prominent are requests for sidewalk-height raised bike lanes with concrete barriers, enforcement and 311 reporting of lane-blocking cars, more crossing guards, and quick-build temporary curb extensions and planters.
Funding so far
No winning resident-vote projects relate to this theme, so every recurring ask (protected bike lanes, safer crossings and signals, traffic calming, enforcement and education, pedestrian-priority streets) has yet to be addressed by a winning project.
Projects are linked to themes by matching each project's description to the themes; this is not an official City classification.
No winning project has addressed this theme yet.
Departments that often lead this work
- Boston Transportation Department
- Public Works
Suggested with AI; not an official assignment of responsibility.
Ideas in Pedestrian & bike safety
34 ideas
2024–25: 21 · 2025–26: 8 · 2026–27: 5 (of 324 in this theme)
- Close Market and Washington lip lane, add plazaResident asks to permanently close the lip lane at Market and Washington, turn the traffic island into a mini plaza, and improve the pedestrian signal to cut wait times and help Brighton Center businesses.2026–27Brighton
- Raised separated bike lanes on Faneuil StreetResident asks for sidewalk-height bike lanes separated by a cement barrier on Faneuil Street in Brighton.2026–27Brighton
- Raised bike lanes on busy Allston-Brighton streetsResident asks for raised bike lanes on busy Allston-Brighton streets, listing Washington St, Warren Ave, Cambridge St, Commonwealth Ave, Beacon St and others.2026–27Brighton
- Raised two-way bike lanes with concrete barriersResident asks for two-lane raised bike lanes separated by cement barriers in Allston and Brighton.2026–27Brighton
- Protected raised bike lane on Brooks StreetResident asks for a protected, raised bike lane on Brooks Street in Brighton.2026–27Brighton
- Better bike access to river and Watertown bridgeResident asks for improved bike access to the river and to the bridge to Watertown.2025–26Brighton
- Raised bike lanes on Western AveInstall raised bike lanes on Western Ave because traffic and deliveries make the current bike lanes ineffective, so people can move safely without driving.2025–26Brighton
- Signals and raised crosswalks at Brooks and FaneuilAdd lights and raised crosswalks on Brooks and Faneuil streets because drivers do not stop for pedestrians and a car has driven into a home there.2025–26Brighton
- Raised bike lanes on Brooks Street, BrightonInstall raised bike lanes on Brooks Street in Brighton, which is dangerous for cyclists, to make it safer for both pedestrians and cyclists.2025–26Brighton
- Pedestrian walkway at Cleveland CircleResident asks for a pedestrian walkway at Cleveland Circle to improve safety at a very busy and dangerous intersection.2025–26Brighton
- Sidewalk on street with heavy navigation-app trafficResident asks for a sidewalk or pedestrian walkway on a side street where map apps send many cars, making it dangerous for residents.2025–26Brighton
- Bike paths linking Charles River and Brighton CenterBuild bike paths connecting the Charles River to Brighton Center.2025–26Brighton
- Diagonal crosswalks in Brighton CenterInstall diagonal crosswalks at Washington St, Chestnut Hill Ave and Market St in Brighton Center to make walking safer.2025–26Brighton
- Build the Winship St bike laneResident says signs for a Winship St bike lane went up about a year ago with no progress since, and asks for it to be built.2024–25Brighton
- Paint stop line at end of blockResident asks for a painted stop line at the end of a block to show drivers where to stop.2024–25Brighton
- Pedestrian median at high-speed curveResident asks for a median to make crossing safer at a high-speed curve.2024–25Brighton
- Crosswalk at Foster St FootpathResident requests a pedestrian crosswalk where the Foster St Footpath meets Foster St, also improving safe access to the nearby Edison school.2024–25Brighton
- Contra-flow bike lane on Colborne RoadResident asks for a contra-flow bike lane on Colborne Road between Comm Ave and Euston.2024–25Brighton
- Bike routes from Brighton Center to Charles RiverResident asks for improved, stress-free bike connections from Brighton Center and Oak Square to the Charles River path, as current lanes are narrow and on busy streets.2024–25Brighton
- Crosswalk to Charles River Park from Everett StResident asks for a crosswalk and proper signaling at the existing stoplight to give safe pedestrian access to Charles River Park.2024–25Brighton