My son brought home a copy of the Metro newspaper on Monday, January 26. He picked it up on the T, and the front-page headline was that Mayor Menino has introduced a bill to raise the fine for for bicyclists’ traffic infractions from $20 to $150.
There was a spirited rejoinder by Massbike Executive Director David Watson on page 2, to the effect that Massbike’s efforts have just given police the tools to enforce the law, and why not see whether it works with fines as they are.
The story is online here. I thank isolatecyclist for providing the permanent link.
The bill would be effective statewide.
My two cents on this: having repeatedly witnessed Boston police officers riding on the wrong side of the street, see for example
and for no apparent law-enforcement related reason, and as I have read accounts by Paul Schimek and others of improper police commands based on nonexistent laws, and directly contrary to law, I wonder whether the Mayor understands what a can of worms he has opened.
The timing is exquisite too, shortly before the annual bicycle program update presentation, which will thereby become more interesting.
The best outcome I can see from this development would be that the police will have to learn the law that applies to bicyclists, after repeated embarrassment due to attempts to enforce laws that exist only in the officers’ imagination.
