Calls upon Mayor to be more transparent about taxpayer costs, which comes at the expense of other needed projects like repairing potholes and sidewalks

BOSTON, MA – This morning, Josh Kraft and supporters gathered in West Roxbury to call out Mayor Wu’s management failures regarding bike and bus lanes throughout Boston. Click here for Josh’s remarks.

Today’s event was held in West Roxbury as an example of one of many communities adversely impacted by the Mayor’s transportation policies. Bike lanes, and the haphazard way they’ve been implemented, are one of the most potent issues facing the city because of the impact on everyday quality of life in Boston – for those stuck in gridlock traffic, for small businesses who’ve lost revenue as a result, for seniors who can’t park easily,, and for communities that have not been part of the planning. 

“Within hours of announcing in my campaign kickoff speech that I would put an immediate pause on the construction of new bike lanes, Mayor Wu announced she was initiating a 30-day review of all street and transportation projects,” said Kraft. “At the time, the mayor said her review would demonstrate the role community input played in ‘shaping’ these projects. But when the audit was released in April, what it actually showed was that there was really no community input at all.

This pattern is also playing out with a proposed center bus lane on Blue Hill Avenue, despite strong objections from community leaders, residents and business owners who want more lanes for general traffic so cars and buses can co-exist, and more public parking for area businesses. 

“As Mayor, I will ensure we have a city government that works for everyone – including cyclists – and will work to make biking in Boston safer. My administration will prioritize bike lanes that are protected, in neighborhoods that need and want them the most, and will be the result of meticulous planning and study. Furthermore, I will ensure that traffic laws are enforced equally and rigorously, especially when it comes to double parking, mopeds and scooters using bike lanes, cars driving or parking in bus lanes, and other unsafe behavior.”

The one thing the mayor’s audit didn’t cover was the taxpayer cost to install the bike lanes, and what it is going to cost going forward. When looking at the city budget, it is also impossible to figure out how much taxpayer money has been spent on bike lanes.

“As we’ve seen with White Stadium, it’s time for the Mayor to be more transparent and give the public a complete accounting on what has been spent on bike lanes,” added Kraft. “Because the spending on these things has come at the expense of money for other needs – like repairing potholes or fixing sidewalks. And if the mayor believes the money used for bike lanes was a wise use of public resources, she should be willing to make that case publicly and transparently.”

The campaign will release a broader transportation plan later this week. 

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Media contact:

Eileen O’Connor: eileen@joshforboston.com

617-806-6999

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