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
37 ideas
2024–25: 24 · 2025–26: 4 · 2026–27: 9 (of 324 in this theme)
- Speed bumps on Norwell StreetInstall speed bumps at the top of Norwell Street because speeding drivers have repeatedly hit parked cars, including the resident's.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed bumps on Norwell StreetAsks for speed bumps on Norwell Street in Dorchester because it has become dangerous and hard to cross.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed bumps on Norwell Street, DorchesterRequests speed bumps on Norwell Street because of years of crashes from speeding that endanger cars and children on the sidewalks.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed bumps to slow speeding carsRequests speed bumps on the resident's street because speeding cars have nearly hit them while crossing with their daughters.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed bumps on Norwell Street near Washington StreetResident asks for speed bumps on the top section of Norwell Street because the street is narrow and parked cars are frequently hit in hit-and-run accidents.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed bumps on street with hit parked carsResident asks for speed bumps on their street because parked cars have been hit repeatedly and a child lives there.2024–25Dorchester
- Pedestrian bridge to the beachResident asks for a pedestrian bridge connecting people to the beach so everyone has access to waterways.2024–25Dorchester
- Safe pedestrian crossing at roundabout and I-93 rampsResident asks for pedestrian signals or a footbridge at the roundabout and 93 ramps linking Columbia Rd and William J Day Blvd, so Dorchester residents can safely reach South Boston parks and beaches.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed humps at start of Norwell StreetResident proposes speed humps at the beginning of Norwell Street because of frequent accidents, to benefit the local community.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed humps on Norwell StreetResident asks for speed humps at the start of Norwell Street because of repeated crashes, unsafe crossing, and their parked car being hit several times.2024–25Dorchester
- Add safe pedestrian crossing at marked spotResident asks the City to find a safe way to add a pedestrian crossing at the marked location.2024–25Dorchester
- Underpass from Norwood Street to Tenean BeachResident asks for a pedestrian underpass connecting Norwood Street and Tenean Beach.2024–25Dorchester
- Pedestrian overpass from Dewar Street to McConnell ParkResident asks for a pedestrian overpass connecting Dewar Street to McConnell Park.2024–25Dorchester
- Pedestrian overpass from Sydney Street to Morrissey BoulevardResident asks for a pedestrian overpass connecting Sydney Street to Morrissey Boulevard.2024–25Dorchester
- Pedestrian underpasses from Locust Street to Old Colony AvenueResident asks for pedestrian underpasses connecting Locust Street to Old Colony Avenue.2024–25Dorchester
- Speed humps on Fuller StreetResident asks for speed humps on Fuller Street because drivers speed, parked cars are hit, and children and elders are endangered.2024–25Dorchester
- Redesign damaged median at Algonquin and Bradley StreetsResident asks to redesign and rebuild a dangerous, poorly maintained median between Algonquin and Bradley Streets in Dorchester that trucks repeatedly damage.2024–25Dorchester