By Andy Dabilis and Matthew Falconer
Boston Globe, January 5,1999
See note below for missing facts
A 54-year-old pedestrian was seriously injured yesterday when he wasstruck by a bicycle being ridden the wrong way down one-way Summer Streetin Boston, police said.
The victim, who was not identified, suffered head injuries and was rushedto Massachusetts General Hospital. He was listed in serious condition lastnight, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Police said the victim stepped out from behind a parked Boston Edisontruck at 58 Summer St., between Arch and Otis, about 1:30 p.m. and washit by the cyclist. The bicyclist told police he was pedaling to work afterdelivering a van for his employer, a courier service. Police did not identifythe company or the bicyclist.
The accident occurred four days after new regulations governing bicyclecourier services went into effect, the aftermath of a 1997 accident inwhich William Spring, a Federal Reserve Bank vice-president, was seriouslyinjured when struck by a bicycle courier as he crossed a Back Bay street.
Boston Police Sergeant Margot Hill said it was unclear whether the newregulations would apply because police were uncertain whether the bicyclistwas working as a courier at the time of the crash or even whether the couriercompany used bicycle messengers.
The regulations require bicycle couriers to be insured, have licenses,wear visible identification numbers, and have license plates on their bikes.
The cyclist and his employer did not have licenses, she said.
Hill said it would not be determined if the bicyclist would be chargeduntil accident reconstruction teams finish their investigation.
''It has to be determined what kind of business this person was doing,if any,'' she said.
The regulations were sponsored by Boston City Councilor Thomas M.KeaneJr. (Back Bay), a neighbor of Spring. Keane said yesterday that while thedetails of the accident are not known, ''it's incredibly ironic and I'msure it's going to cause another outcry.'' But he cautioned against unfairlycriticizing the bicycle courier industry.
''If you have cars racing around it is more dangerous than bicycles,so the courier business performs a valuable function,'' he said. ''Peoplewho are not couriers do not have to be licensed on a bike, so the toughthing we've always known is that anyone... a courier or anyone else, canact crazy on a bike and pose a danger to a pedestrian.''
Since much of the reporting in this accident isselective when it comes to the facts, Messengerville has includedsome. These types of serious accidents involving bike couriers are extremelyrare. The Gladstone/Spring accident occurred when a pedestrian (WilliamSpring) ran across the street against a red light and collided with thecyclist (Gladstone) who was proceeding through a green light.
The bicycle messenger ordinance in effect at the time already requiredbicycle couriers to have licenses, wear visible identification numbers,and have license plates on their bikes. It also required messenger companiesto register with the city. Much to the dismay of the anti-bike types, theonly new requirement is insurance. Automobile couriers face no similarrequirements.
Since the accident took place at an intersection crosswalk Gladstonewas ticketed because, under the law vehicles must yield to pedestriansin the crosswalk - even if the pedestrian is jaywalking. The fines he receivedwere: "$100 for not wearing the vest required under a city ordinance;$100 for not being licensed, and $20 under the state law mandating deferenceto pedestrians in crosswalks. In other words $200 for bureaucratic violationsand $20 for traffic violations.
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