Frequently Asked
Questions

We are a grassroots coalition of Boston residents founded in 2024, dedicated to holding the city accountable for its promises on street safety. We track stalled projects, document dangerous conditions, and advocate for safer streets for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders.

The Boston Better Streets Coalition was founded in 2024 in response to growing frustration with the city's failure to deliver on promised street safety improvements, particularly after the tragic death of Glenn Inghram at Forest Hills in October 2024.

Our petition for Hyde Park Avenue improvements has over 700 signatures, and our community continues to grow. We welcome all Boston residents who share our vision for safer streets.

No. We are a non-partisan organization focused solely on street safety and transportation equity. We hold all elected officials accountable regardless of party affiliation.

Our three primary goals are: (1) Track projects that have stalled, documenting the delays and broken promises; (2) Crowd-source a map of dangerous locations across Boston; and (3) Communicate updates on city progress (or lack thereof) to keep residents informed and engaged.

The city often announces ambitious safety plans but fails to follow through. By documenting these stalled projects with timelines and evidence, we prevent the city from claiming progress while nothing actually changes on our streets.

Pain points are locations that residents have identified as dangerous or problematic—dangerous crossings, missing sidewalks, speeding zones, blocked accessibility, bus stop hazards, and more. Our crowd-sourced map helps visualize where these problems exist across the city.

We advocate for all Boston residents, but especially those most vulnerable on our streets: families with children, seniors, people with disabilities, cyclists, and transit riders. Everyone deserves to move safely through our city.

Hyde Park Avenue is a five-mile corridor connecting Readville to Forest Hills. It's one of Boston's most dangerous streets, with a tragic history including the death of Glenn Inghram in 2024. Despite planning that began in 2019, meaningful safety improvements have been repeatedly delayed.

Multiple factors contribute: election-year political caution, prioritizing suburban commuter traffic over local safety, fear of backlash from anti-bike-lane activists, and a lack of sustained political will. Our goal is to change this calculus by making inaction politically costly.

Vision Zero is a commitment to eliminate all traffic fatalities. Boston adopted Vision Zero in 2015, but deaths have not decreased significantly. The city's slow pace of implementing safety infrastructure shows that Vision Zero remains more aspiration than reality.

Opposition typically centers on parking removal and concerns about traffic flow. However, research shows protected bike lanes improve safety for everyone, including drivers. Political opposition often comes from a vocal minority, while the silent majority supports safer streets.

There are many ways to get involved: Report pain points on our map, attend city council meetings and public hearings, sign our petitions, share our content on social media, and talk to your neighbors about street safety. Every voice matters.

Visit our Pain Point Map and click 'Report a Pain Point.' Provide as much detail as possible about the location, type of hazard, and any incidents you've witnessed. Your reports help build the case for change.

Yes, we organize safety walks, attend city hearings, and host community gatherings. Follow us on social media or sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about upcoming events.

Visit boston.gov/city-council to find your district councilor. We also track which councilors have been supportive of street safety and which have not. Contact information and sample messages are available on our Take Action page.

We review reports for accuracy and combine them with official crash data, media reports, and community feedback. Verified reports are marked as such on the map.

All our timeline information is sourced from official city documents, news reports, and public meetings. We link to sources wherever possible and update information as new developments occur.

Yes, we present our findings at public hearings and submit formal comments on city proposals. Our data has been cited in city council discussions and media coverage.