Your Voice Matters: Help BSCB Push Bike Safety Forward

Senate Bill S.2347, currently before the Transportation Committee, would create a task force to strengthen enforcement of rules for motorized bicycles, scooters, electric bicycles, and mopeds, including fines for violations. It requires that bike lanes planned or built with state funds involve public hearings and consultation with disability commissions before approval. The bill also mandates insurance for vehicles used for commercial purposes and directs agencies to update regulations to ensure safer use of these vehicles.

Help the Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB) advocate for S.2347 by sending a message to state Senators serving on the Joint Transportation Committee using the form below.

Dear [Lawmaker],

I am writing as your constituent and a member/supporter of the Bay State Council of the Blind to urge you to support S.2347, currently before the Transportation Committee.

S.2347 establishes a task force to strengthen enforcement of laws governing motorized bicycles, scooters, e-bikes, and mopeds. It requires consultation with state and local disability commissions before bike lanes funded under Chapter 90 are approved or constructed, ensuring that accessibility is built into the design process. By clarifying fines for violations and improving accountability, the bill advances both public safety and inclusion.

In recent years, bike lane expansion across Massachusetts has moved quickly, often without meaningful consultation with disability commissions or residents with disabilities. This has resulted in infrastructure that, while well intentioned, can create hazards for vulnerable pedestrians, particularly those who are blind or have low vision.

Floating bus stops are a prime example: to reach the bus, a pedestrian must cross a bike lane used by fast, quiet, and sometimes unpredictable micromobility devices (such as e-bikes, scooters, and motorized bicycles). For someone who cannot see or hear an approaching rider in time, this can be a frightening and dangerous experience.

S.2347 takes an important step toward correcting this oversight. By requiring disability input before certain bike lane projects are approved and by fostering stronger safety measures for micromobility use, the bill ensures that accessibility and safety are not an afterthought.

I respectfully ask that you support this bill and help ensure that the voices of people with disabilities are included in future transportation planning. Our streets and sidewalks should serve everyone, safely, equitably, and with dignity.

Thank you for your time and for your service to our community.

Sincerely,
______

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