Menino signs bike courier rules

By Anthony Flint

Boston Globe, June 30, 1998

Accompanied by the man whose accident last year highlighted the problemof bike messengers darting aggressively through city streets, Mayor ThomasM. Menino yesterday signed tough new rules requiring all couriers to belicensed, plainly identified, and insured.

The measure, passed by the City Council last week, now goes to the Legislaturefor approval because it covers the use of bikes on public roadways. Themayor said he will ask House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran to take actionon it before the end of the session July 31.

Boston School Committee member William J. Spring, who was struck bya courier while crossing Commonwealth Avenue last fall, thanked Meninofor addressing what he called a ``wild West'' atmosphere on the streetsbecause of the behavior of some bike messengers.

``I was struck by a messenger going 25 or 35 miles per hour. Some peopleat the hospital thought I was hit by a car,'' Spring said, noting thatfast-moving bikes ``are as much responsibile for the safety of pedestriansas automobiles'' and that ``the civility of Boston is at stake.''

Among other things, the new rules require all bike messengers to beindividually licensed and to renew licenses if they change companies; thatthey be identified with a license plate; and that either the messengersor their company be insured.

``This has some teeth to it,'' which should help the messengers be ontheir best behavior, said Councilor at Large Stephen J. Murphy, accompaniedby Councilor at Large Francis M. ``Mickey'' Roache. Councilor Thomas M.Keane Jr. of the Back Bay filed the original bill but could not attendthe signing.

Spring, a Federal Reserve bank president who was in a coma for weeksafter the accident, was accompanied by his wife, Micho Spring, and theirtwo children.

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