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
324 ideas
2024–25: 157 · 2025–26: 53 · 2026–27: 114
- Speed humps on Corey and Brainerd RoadsResident requests speed humps on Corey Road and Brainerd Road because drivers constantly speed, endangering the many young children and families in the area.2024–25Brighton
- Redesign unsafe crosswalk near Whole FoodsResident asks for a redesigned crosswalk because parked cars block driver sightlines and lighting is poor, causing near-misses with left-turning cars. A safer crossing would help nearby elder care residents.2024–25Brighton
- Murals in crosswalks and intersectionsPaint murals on roadways at crosswalks and intersections to provide public art while improving pedestrian safety.2024–25City-wide
- Protected bike lanes and rat-proof trash cansAdd segregated bike lanes and sidewalks with bike lights on major streets, plus aggressive trash cleanup and sealed bins to reduce rats.2024–25City-wide
- Pedestrian bridge from Meridian Street to MaverickBuild a pedestrian bridge between Meridian Street and Maverick station because people cross mid-street dangerously and more crosswalks would worsen traffic.2024–25City-wide
- Student-designed painted crosswalksPaint vibrant crosswalk designs created with BPS students' art to make crossings more visible, slow drivers, and let students impact their neighborhood.2024–25City-wide
- Signage on redesigned city streetsAdd new signs on every street that has been redesigned so drivers understand the changes, reducing confusion and accidents.2024–25City-wide
- Flashing yellow lights at mid-block crosswalksResident asks for flashing yellow lights at crosswalks not at signaled intersections, since drivers often fail to yield to pedestrians.2024–25City-wide
- 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
- Safer Harrison and Traveler intersectionRedo signals and add traffic calming and raised sidewalks at Harrison and Traveler in the South End to protect pedestrians and cyclists.2024–25South End
- Wide protected bike and bus lanes with treesRemove parked cars to build wide protected bike/bus lanes usable by emergency vehicles, with many trees, to cut injuries, congestion, pollution and heat.2024–25City-wide
- Consistent, safety-focused crosswalk design citywideAdopt a consistent crosswalk design across the city, since current markings vary and some are confusing or prioritize looks over pedestrian safety.2024–25City-wide
- Paint speed bumps yellow for visibilityResident asks the city to paint speed bumps yellow so they are easier to see.2024–25City-wide
- Speed bumps on Warren StreetResident asks for speed bumps on Warren Street because some drivers speed and the area has many children, older adults and a preschool.2024–25Charlestown
- Prioritize cyclists and pedestrians citywideResident asks for bike-friendly signal timing, accessible crossings, and two-way cycling on one-way streets to make the city easier for disabled people and those without cars.2024–25City-wide
- Redesign Kenmore Square for walking and bikingResident asks for a redesign of Kenmore Square prioritizing pedestrian and bike safety and new public spaces, since it is currently dominated by car space.2024–25Fenway
- Make blind path crossing safer with raised crossingResident says a path crossing is blind for west-bound drivers and south-bound bikes, the new speed bump is misplaced, and asks for a raised crossing, possibly one-way Minton, and a mirror.2024–25Jamaica Plain
- 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