August 14, 2025 • 41 mins
Massachusetts Senator Nick Collins is supporting legislation, An Act Relative to Transportation Safety, a bill aimed at curbing the rising number of dangerous incidents involving mopeds, e-bikes, and motorized scooters, many of which are operated without licenses, registration, or insurance. We heard callers’ thoughts about traffic safety in Boston on Wednesday evening, now we continued the conversation with Senator Collins!
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Night Side, Dan Ray on w b Z, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins, and that team will
bounce back on on Saturday. Those are those A tough
one today, but hey, Saturday is another day. Baseball is
one of those games, one of those days. It just
changes every day, as simple as that. Okay, we are
delighted to be joined by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.
(00:27):
Senator Collins has really been in the forefront of an
effort to make transportation, particularly transportation as it relates to
motorized scooters, motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, and mop heads a
little safer here in Massachusetts. First of all, Nick Collins,
welcome back to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
How are you, sir, Good evening, Dan, I'm well, Thank you,
thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You know, it's always great when we have members of
the Senate or of the House to give us a
quick description of what communities you represent. Obviously, you vote
as a member one of the forty members of the Senate,
so your votes affect everyone in Massachusetts, but you also
represent your constituents.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Give us just an outline of your district.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Sure, I represent one hundred and sixty thousand people in
Boston at South Boston, Dorchester, of the South End, Bay Village, Chinatown,
a little bit of downtown and Roxbury, Back Bay, and
the Hobor Islands.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Okay, so that's that's a wide, big part of the city,
that is for sure. And that's a part of the
city where there's a lot of bicycle traffic and not
just pedal bicycles. We're now talking about these motorized scooters,
motorized bicycles mopeads. I have trouble figuring out what is what,
(01:48):
which is which, and also I was stunned to find
out when I read your piece of legislation, which I
think is sorely needed, that this it's very confusing to
which of these vehicles need to have a license, which
of them need to have any level of insurance, which
of them can be on the road, Which of them
(02:09):
have to be in the bike lane? Or are they
can't be in the bike lane? How are we supposed
to keep this straight? There's more vehicles coming online every day,
and it seems to me like it's tough for the
legislature to keep.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Up with this.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, their need Thanks again for the opportunity to talk
about it. As you know, we've seen some pretty rough
incidents the last few weeks, some near fatal, and we
with respect to public safety, you know, this is a
big issue in addition to the lack of compliance with
the American with Disabilities Act, which our legislation speaks to.
(02:46):
But to your question in point on the gray area
of the wild West, so to speak, of what is
regulated and what's required to have insurance. So under Massachs
General OT Chapter, which governs transportation in the state, a moped,
an electric bike, will scooter do not fall under the
definition of a motor vehicle. Only motor vehicles has defined
(03:11):
need to be insured under this law. So what we
have is, you know, cycles that some may call vehicles
that can get up to over the speed limit and
then some of the miles for hour in Boston limit
which is twenty five, which do not have any requirements
for insurance, which is crazy because as we know, if
(03:32):
someone gets injured, the individual responsible needs to have insurance
for them to be able to get restitution and made whole.
That the impacts to people financially from these actions are
incredible if that's the case. So that's an element here
that I think has gone a little bit unnoticed, but
this legislation would help address and it was really motivated
(03:56):
by constituents who have had this incident like last week.
Take so they would hit so I'm not so severe,
but still, you know what used to be a walk
across the street is now you know, an autobond cycles
that oftentimes are going the wrong way.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Well, I was surprised to find out with your legislation that,
you know, one of the last line of it is
an incredible statement. It says all motorized bicycles, motorized scooters,
electric bicycles, and mopeds used for commercial activity shall be required.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
To have insurance.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So that is a very interesting what's called a negative
pregnant meaning they even even vehicles that are in commercial
activity don't have to have insurance.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
There was a gentleman. I still don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
We were trying to find out yesterday was condition was
a pedestrian who was hit just outside of Copley Square
and badly injured a week eight days ago. I can't
find anything in the newspapers or are anywhere that says
did he recovered, did.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
He get out of the hospital? Is he is he?
You know? Is he a stable nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
It's concerned in the investigation of the continues. And that,
you know, is a great example of why this legislation
is needed. If we have people going on a motorized
vehicle that's going faster than the speed limits in the
in the city, which they all are, they're all going
faster than twenty five miles an hour, and in some
(05:36):
cases in the wrong direction. I mean, it's a recipe
for disaster. And we've seen, you know, some really awful instance.
And we are, you know, a small city by square footage.
We've most of the city has been annexed over time,
where particularly Downtown is crunched. And what that means is
(05:58):
parts of Boston that are not Boston were their own towns,
including South Boston, which was built up on Lanfeld, with Dorchester, Roxbury,
you know, most of the neighborhoods of Boston outside of downtown.
And what we've done downtown without a plan is nuts.
The amount of bike lanes that are trying to be
jammed into downtown streets. Yes they cause congestion, yes they
(06:22):
make it worse for the environment, but they're dangerous and
really dangerous for people with disabilities. And that's another issue here.
We try to affect in this legislation that no bike
lanes should be approved by anybody at the state or
municipal level, one without a hearing, but two without compliance
(06:42):
and approval of the local disabilities or the State Disabilities Commission.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So here's here's my question. You're one member of a
forty member body. You also have to get this through
the House of Representatives, which is two hundred and forty members,
most of them are not from Boston. How difficult, how
heavy a lift is this for you to get this
legislation in front of the Senate and the House, And
(07:09):
how difficult is it going to be for you to
get the Speaker who comes from the from Brockden and
the Senate President who comes from Ashland focused on this.
Because you're right, this may not impact people who live
in I don't know, you know, Southborough or Rowley, but
it's sure it's going to affect people who live impact
(07:31):
people who live in South Boston or Roxbury.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, so that's a great point. I think what we
have in our favor is there isn't issue statewide, no question,
it's different to the towns in particular cities and towns,
but the process issue is the same where they're you know,
being you know, propped up immediately quickly with limited inputs
(07:57):
from impacted stakeholders and other parties, spent using you know,
tax dollars, whether it's federal estate, which means it's tax
dolls that are borrowed on top of it all, and
you know, the product comes out where there are unintended
consequences or you know, an effort to bypass scrutiny along
(08:18):
the way. So what this part of this does is
also allow people across the state to you know, get
that opportunity to weigh in through public hearing. But it
has been such an issue that even last year we
passed a legislation that created what's called the Special Commission
on Micro Mobility, and that's a fancy term for uses
(08:39):
of these vehicles. And you know there's a hearing coming
up on that in a few weeks and we'll be
testifying on it in September. But it was put together
for this purpose that you know, these these these utilization
now of these site goes electric bicycles, mopeds, scooters, not
(09:05):
just as a leisurely exercise in the summertime, you know,
for people who are who you know, want that European
feel when they're driving around the city of Boston or
places around Massachusetts, which for sixty to ninety days a year,
you know, you feel comfortable driving a scooter. You know,
it's not similar to the bicycles. It's not. This isn't
(09:27):
a climate that welcomes itself to daily commuting, which is
why one percent on a good day or on a
day's a lot two percent of people commute into the
into work into the city with with by by bicycle.
I mean for one or two percent, we're doing this
(09:47):
and else without.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
The road a lot of the lanes and a lot
of the road space.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
As well, to a point, yeah, exactly, to a point
where that where missilitas you know, said earlier this year, Well,
we're encouraging emergency vehicles to take the bike lane. I mean,
that's that's where we're at. And you know, I think
we gotta we need to hit reset.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, I joke about it as senator and I
say that pretty soon they'll be putting bike lanes through
people's living rooms. But but I'm being a little sarcastic.
When I get back, I want to find out from
you because you know this better than I do. I
wonder if the scooters and electric bicycles and in mope
(10:32):
heads are they allowed to use the bike lanes. I
don't know the answer to that question, because there's just
this there's too much confusion around it, and that is
what makes it the wild wild West. My guess is
Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins represents a good swath of
the city of Boston, UH and he has proposed an
act relative to transportation safety. It has opened my eyes.
(10:55):
The fact of the matter is that when some you know,
micro vehicle whatever you want to call it, who's rushing
a pizza to someone in a college student at Boston
University and they cut you off in traffic, just be
aware that they do not have any obligation to have
any sort of insurance on that. And if they happen
(11:18):
to run over your mother as she crosses the street,
good luck getting your mom's hospital bills taken care of,
you know, through their insurance company, because if they don't
have insurance, there's no coverage. I'm going to open up
the phone lines here right now six one seven, two,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine three ten thirty
(11:38):
if you'd like to ask Senator Carlins a question or
give them a pat on the back for actually taking
on a huge problem in advance. Believe me, there are
people in this city every day who are injured by
some of these vehicles. I'm not against the vehicles, but
I think they need to be licensed. I think they
need to have insurance, and maybe they need to pay
some excise tax for some of the roads that they're using.
(12:00):
We'll be back on Nightside right after these brief messages.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Joined this evening by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins. Represents
a good section of the city of Boston, one hundred
and sixty thousand constituents. Nick I ended last segment with
the question that I'm going to just rephrase it, and
that is these vehicles that you're concerned about, motorized bicycles,
motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and mopeds.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Are they allowed to use the bike lanes? Are they
required to use the bike lanes?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Or can they basically use whatever road, whatever swath of
asphalt they would like.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Well, that's the problem. I you know, I think most
people would agree they shouldn't be able to use the
bike lanes which are for a travel for what is
it considered a traditional bike and even if you add
these e bikes, but a motor scooter or a moped
(13:09):
that have been around long before bike lanes, and you know,
we're we're on our roads. Should should not all of
a sudden, you know, you know compact vehicles are they
going to be added next? So you know, I think
you know the problem with that too is there they're
viewed as anything goes even in the bike lane, where
(13:32):
if you're on a one way street and you know
everything's going in the same direction, you have people going
up the wrong way or even on the wrong way road.
Even next to the Statehouse, we have people without a
bike lane driving on a moped in the wrong, wrong direction.
And it's largely a scoff law that this this legislation
also seeks to change where we're bringing everyone to the table,
(13:52):
who's in law enforcement, who has to deal with the
enforcement of these roads, And as you talked about the
other night, you know they get you know, a zillion
calls coming in for different things, So how can they
best enforce this and do they need more tools? That's
an element in this here too, So some common sense
items like increase defiance because right now you could you know,
(14:13):
they'll cover lunch for the cost of them and and
you know you're not really paying a price and thinking
about changing behavior, especially if you're doing this for comercial
purposes as well, and that's where that insurance kicks in.
You asked how to get this done, Well, there's a
revenue piece here that's positive and economic peace. Where others
were doing this, you know, in utilizing vehicles and moving
around the city for living, are paying you know, taxes
(14:36):
and paying insurance on this as well. So there's a
fairness component here. As they said, this issue is not
necessarily unique to Boston, even though every town the city
is dealing with a differently. So there's no appetite to
make some change. And I just think there's so many
people who, whether they're coming and visiting the city or
here and living in the city, see the madness and
(14:59):
that has to be stopped.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
So, so the answer to your question, which which was
was very comprehensive, is that they shouldn't be used. These
micro vehicles again, the electric bicycles, the mopeds, the motorized
bikes or the motorized scooters. They shouldn't be using the
bike lanes, They certainly shouldn't be using the sidewalks, and
(15:21):
I don't think that they should be out in the
main road either, because at that point, if you're on
a small motorized vehicle and you have even the slightest
collision with a two thousand pounds audience deal, never mind
a truck, you're going to be in a world of hurt.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Definitely. You know, this is no It's one hundred percent true.
And that's what we're faced with here where we have
these these these accidents that happen where not often people
walking away the same and you know, you have the
major congestion in areas, particularly in around Boston where it
(16:03):
wasn't that way before, which only has a negative impact
on the environment, and people who are trying to get
in and out of the city with a you know,
a hot foot one way or the other. That's who
you find a lot of issues where people are dying
to get out of the traffic, so they're driving, you know,
even worse than they normally do to get away from it.
And so that all these things that are you know,
(16:25):
a domino effect, but just not sensibly planned, and they're
not compliance with everything else that we've been prioritizing with
respect to personal disabilities. And they also, you know, I
think has an impact economically where people who would otherwise
be paying insurance, paying taxes on this stuff are avoiding
(16:47):
all that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, the people who really are the victims in this
and who are the forgotten citizen are people with disabilities
who have to cross the streets somehow, and not only
that they avoid cars. But now you have again the
the as you say. I love the phrase you used,
micro vehicles. You know, the first priority of the guy
(17:08):
who's delivering pizza or sub or sub sandwiches is to
get that food to the person who they're supposed to
deliver the food to so that they can maximize their tip.
That's what their focus is. I don't think their focus
is on the person who's blind who's trying to cross
the street, or the person who's in a wheelchair. Right,
(17:30):
if you're doing something on their behalf, go ahead. I
interrupted you.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
No, No, not at all. Thank you for saying saying that.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
No.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
And you know, if you think about it, we we
find ourselves in issues with the with the ride share
companies who are you know, basically hooked up to ways
or an app that's guiding through the streets. At least
there's some you know, even that doesn't always help because
they zipping through the neighborhoods and zipping through communities. Uh
not always at the speed limit, but at least they're
(17:57):
using roads and they have to stay on the road.
Odes somehow these folks are being guided, you know, I
don't know how through the streets of the city and
other municipalities, you know, without a typical route, and that
wouldn't have your driving the wrong way, that wouldn't have
you on the sidewalk in other places. So I think
(18:19):
there are a lot more things that we can do
to really put this under wraps. So if there's a
positive side this, great, you know, we'd love to you know,
competition and convenience, but not just you know, the wild
wild West, where people are putting people at risk and
people are scoffing our laws as well as scoffing what
would otherwise be insurance requirements that would protect both sides.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I think our traffic patents might might soon look more
like Karachi or Mumbai than Copenhagen.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
And I don't think that's a good situation.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I have packed lines right now, Nick, so I'm going
to step aside here and allow people to ask you
questions or make comments.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We got to take a quick break for news.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
We got about three minute We'll be back in three minutes,
and we're going to start off with Maureen in Winchester,
and we have several other people lined up. We'll get
to everyone. And by the way, if you want to
talk about this as of ten o'clock tonight, I have
a different guest coming in. We're going to talk about
the putin Trump summer tomorrow in Alaska. So we have
about twenty nine minutes to solve this problem, and we
have the one guy in the legislature who is actually
(19:21):
paying full attention to it, Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Back on Night Side right after.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
This Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
All right, we are back with Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins,
and we're talking about a piece of legislation that he
has filed and he is very much behind and act
relative to transportation safety, and it is focusing on how
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, motorized electric bicycles in mopeds.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
He calls it.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
You know, micro vehicles, how all of these vehicles are
basically able to travel in whatever way they want, and
there needs to be some standard regulation throughout the commwalls.
So having said that, we're going to get the phone call.
It's going to start it off with Maureen in Winchester. Maureen,
(20:14):
you first tonight on Nightside with Massachusettstate Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Go right ahead, Maureen.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I Senator Collins and Dan, I am so, so so
glad you have this topic tonight. I was in Boston yesterday.
I lived in a suburb and the are these motorized
vehicles terrorize people? And Dan, you're right, there's no media
follow up on what happened at that horrible Copley Square accident.
(20:45):
But yes, I'm also now a senior and I have
a permanent handicapped parking placard because of my disability, and
we need this everywhere. An electrical bike was going in
front of the Winchester Library as I was trying to
enter my car in my jeep, and by law, we're
(21:08):
supposed to have three feet to open up our doors
to get into our vehicles. Is that right, Senator Collins? Yes, yes, Okay,
so I come around. I'm in within the three feet.
She looks shocked. My face drops, she drops, and then
she swerves back in her electrical bike into the traffic.
So the cars are going along in normal pay. She's
(21:30):
going faster than the cars. What if she hit me?
She can skin me off? And who pays for the bills?
We do? So we really need this. Actually, I called
the Attorney General's office about filing a complaint on something
as well as about these the safety hazards, and they
said that we can file a complaint with the AG's
(21:51):
office as well as a violation of the ADA rights
in terms of I've talked to do you know Michael
day Are a state rep. Yes, okay, so he's passionate
about this as well. I have this ideas called hashtag
share the road, share the load. We need to make
(22:12):
sure that there's an excise tax, like Dan was saying,
a license plate, an annual safety test just like vehicles insurance,
and have people take a class to get a license
and have license and also have stickers on our license
plates on the motor sized vehicles. And I think this
(22:32):
is also maybe part of complete streets, which I think
is a complete disaster in Belmont. An eighty year old
lady left the post office. I heard she was hit
by a vehicle. Might have been it could have been
a bike, or it could have been motorized. Game over
for her. But the kids skinned off on the vehicle.
(22:53):
Canada is removing the bike lanes. My husband is also Canadian.
They are getting rid of the eye claims. I'm sitting
here in Winchester on Main Street. Kids come down. They
do realise they're on electric scooters. I had to go
to CBS and if I get injured, I may never heal.
And if I heal, when I heal is really longer.
(23:16):
And the kids were coming up an electrical bike. They
hit the bikes parked along the wall and it almost
hit and fell on my legs, which doctor Frankie has
treated me for many years. Marie, I want to jump
behind the light pole so I didn't get hit.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Okay, Marie, you should be a witness at the State
house hold on Marine think your passion is is fabulous.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
It's overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I want to get Senator Collins to respond a little
bit to what you said. You you are a walking
testament to why this piece of legislation is so critically needed.
Hold on, not going to cut you off. I want
Senator Collins to react to what you some of what
you've had to say.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Next.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
No, absolutely, and Day is a great state rep. So
you have a great ally there. You know, you've just
crystallized a circumstance that people who you know, it doesn't
help our city either for people going through this experience,
and we're trying to you know, bring people back downtown
to enjoy the city and contributed to economies. It's not
the greatest way to do that. But you know, as
(24:26):
I said, you know different municipalities are also faced with this,
so it's not just downtown Boston, but you're facing it,
and we're interesting in the in the fallout from all that,
I think you know, until you know somebody who has
suffered an accident and that can disrupt their life in
an you know, incredible way physically and even sometimes worse financially,
(24:48):
you know that's what's at risk here. It's not just
chaos in the streets that shouldn't happen, whether you're jammed
in downtown Boston or in suburban communities. It's just, first
of all, it's not right, it's not safe. People are
skirting our laws and putting people at risk. And you know,
I think we have a couple of ways to be
(25:10):
able to change this. In one of them, in addition
to asking you, you know, state representatives and senators to
support S two three four seven, an Act relative to
Transportation Safety. There will be an upcoming commission hearing in September.
September sixteenth, the Transportation Building, ten clock Plaza. We can
get that information out, but have your voice heard. You
(25:31):
have a powerful story we need to hear.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
But I will I guarantee hold on for one second. Marine.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I guarantee you Nick that I'll be happy to do
something in advance of September sixteenth. I would look forward
to doing that for you and with you. Maureene, I
have to ask you that the eighty year old woman
who was hit leaving the post office, you used the
phrase game over.
Speaker 8 (25:56):
I hope.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
Well, I heard she broke her hit, but I don't know.
But when you're that age and you break them tip
at eighty.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Yep, no, absolutely, no question, no question.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
I was in Boston last night, and I'm in Boston
about once a week. I hate driving into Boston. I've
always wanted to move to Boston. I don't want to
put my money in Boston because of what's going on
with the roads. And there was a delivery electrized motor
going in and out of Boston, so I let them
go in and out of the traffic, and it is scary.
(26:26):
So you need we need to do something.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Mauren, you did a lot tonight just by voicing your experience,
and I think that you want to keep September sixteenth
in your calendar. I think you should. You should go
into Boston and testify this hearing. You are a very
powerful witness. Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
Yes, Okay, great, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Good bye, Thank you, Mauren. Let's keep rolling here.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's amazing to listen to the experience of just one person. Nick,
it was compelling, really compelling. Steve is and Quincy. Steve,
you're on with Massachusetts State Senator Collins.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Uh yeah. I live in Quincy Center and it's very
much a problem here and I'm pretty much a pedestrian
all the time. And the experience I have repeatedly is
these scooters coming by me at a very rapid rate
of speed from behind, and I'm just very clear that
(27:26):
if I just moved seconds before them approaching, they would
hit me, you know. And so I think the sidewalk
thing should be a no brainer, but it really seems
to be happening a lot.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yes, and it needs to be you know, fundamentally addressed
from enforcement to find increases as we put in this bill,
and in addition, requirements on the individual. There's a proposal
that the city put forth that tries to go at
it the the the food companies and delivery companies, uh.
(28:06):
And that may be a worthy approach, but if we
don't put any responsibility on the individual you know that
is manning these that own them themselves, or however that
the you know, the utilization of those vehicles are they're
not through the door dash, they're not through those those
those uh.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Contractors nick right.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Yeah, and so that's their own that's their own piece
of equipment. And so you know that. To me though,
these three elements are critical where there's no rules on
the road for them. If you if you don't even
going in the same direction, never mind, is it this
gray area of can you use a bike lane or not?
(28:51):
I mean, because when they're you know, in other settings
they're moving in there about traffic so it's it's almost
like they get, you know, right now, the way it
is set up to get the ability to maneuver in traffic,
use a bike lane, drive on a sidewalk, drive the
wrong way. I mean, nobody's able to do that.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
It's absolutely insane.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Steve, you you need to take care and talk to
your your state rep down there or your state senator
and let them know this is something that's important to you,
because it's important to everyone, and the bike lobby is
very effective. Nick, you want to comment, I mean, the
bike lobby, I'm sure is not contributing a lot of
money to the Nick Collins reelection campaign, but they are
(29:36):
contributing a lot of money to politicians who vote favorably
for them.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Always.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
No, it's true. And so my philosophy is it's not
that I don't think bike lane should be anywhere. They
just can't be everywhere, and you have to plan them appropriately.
So you know that doesn't necessarily you know, align with
We want them everywhere, you know, and anywhere for our
can venience, not just you know everyone's you know convenience. Again,
(30:04):
one to two percent take two on the best day,
and it must be between the months of June and
in September. I can't imagine. I mean, you know, once
in a while you get a good day on the
book ends. But this is New England. It's not you know,
Venice Beach in California, and so I think that is
(30:25):
a factor here too. And they're taking them all day long,
every you know. And then the other part of it
is where they aren't utilized all day. Well, when they
are utilize, it catches everybody by surprise too, because they're
going from zero people in the lane to you know,
thirty five miles an hour. It's it's it's easy to
get caught by surprise.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Well, again, what's going on is that the people who
are really the leaders of this bike theory to turn
Boston into Copenhagen or something, or maybe worse Pakistan, Karachi,
Pakistan or Mumbai. They are so committed they want all
the cars off the roads, and the American Automobile Association
(31:09):
does nothing to support the automobile drivers.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
And that's what's going That is really what's.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Oh no, that's definitely not too But if you think
about it, you talk about two places in particularly Mumbai.
Mumbai Boston has six hundred and seventy five thousand people.
We've lost fifty thousand in the last four to five years. Mumbais.
You know, you know, there's fossa passes us the population.
So even if they're making draconi and efforts to pull
people over the you know, out of their cars in
(31:37):
a warm climate. You know, I'm not saying I subscribe
by that, but you know, there's there's at least some
logic there here. We have a small, you know, city
of population. There's not that that many people that have
taken the bike as a as a daily utilization other
than for commercial purposes and not bicycles. They become more
and more of these scooters and e bikes and what
(32:00):
was done initially to give you know, comfort and safety
to cyclists who were riding their own bike, and now
we have these heavy, clunky e bikes, heavy clunky blue
bikes and scooters that are that are growing as fast
as vehicles that are taking over those you know, benefits
that were for the vulnerable cyclists. That's not what we're
(32:20):
talking about here anymore. And then in the Pulley Plant,
let me take a quick break here.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Steven Quincy, thank you for your call. Stay safe and
you gotta have eyes in the back of your head, buddy.
Speaker 9 (32:30):
Okay, thank you very much, Dan and Senator to Collins, thanks.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Steve, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Right back here on Nightside, I got Glenn, I got Bob,
Tom and Jack.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
We're gonna try to get them all in.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
We'll be back after this with State Senator Nick Collins
of Boston.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
It's Night Side with Ray Boston's news radio Thick.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
We got the lines. We're back. We've tried.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I'm going to ask everybody please to tighten up a
little bit for us here. I'm going to try to
get four or five in real quickly. We'll see Glenn
and Fitzburgh. Glenn, you're next on Night Side with Massachusettstate
Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 10 (33:02):
Go ahead, Glenn, Yeah, I promise to keep this short.
A lot of courage, Senator, to engage the law enforcement community.
They are going to struggle with any kind of enforcement.
Extremely difficult to deal with somebody on a two wheel vehicle,
even when it's registered, insured, and they decide to flee,
(33:25):
It's extremely difficult for police to continue the marche. If
they do, they run the risk of all kinds of disaster.
So it's going to be extremely difficult. One thing that
came to my mind, and i'll close it up here,
is back in the day when bicycle couriers in the
(33:46):
city of New York, they all had almost like referee
shirts with numbers on them, and you could easily identify
a bicycle courier. I think you're onto something. And in
terms of the rental units of the electric bikes that
you do with an app, that should be easy enough
(34:06):
to track and trace electronically with every renter if if
they were involved in an incident, so that there's at
least an ability to maybe follow.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Up a great points. Thank you for you, Thank you
for the concision if your call. Appreciate very much, Thank
you courage all.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Right, Yeah, and to that really important point about enforcement,
and you brought up a couple of shows ago too,
and police most policies in the policies that said that
if there's moving vehicle at a certain speed, they don't pursue,
you know, at wolf speed. So there is a you know,
a limitation of that. But I think if we're able
(34:47):
to identify these vehicles that are commercial in nature, just
like if someone's driving around without a license plate, without
without insurance, you know that that's going to have a
major deterrence, and I think he hittedto that. But understanding
his point that the moving vehicles and moving vessels here
are a big challenge proposed to the police in law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Absolutely, let me go to Bob in New Hampshire. Bob,
you've got to be quick for me. You've been waiting long,
but you go right ahead, Bob.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (35:17):
The other aspect is to remember that there are other
types of mopits too. For example, fifty ccs aren't required
to be licensed. I come down to volunteer for a
couple events, I'd bring down a one twenty five scooter.
Looks like a scooter, but top speeds fifty three. It
(35:39):
requires a motorcycle license, insurance. I'm always staying in outside
in the traffic lanes, et cetera. Being careful on things
by the gentle, and another aspect that they can be
used in a way that people just don't realize.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
All right, great points, Bob, I appreciate it. Again, getting
in the whe's a little bit, but I thank you
very much for making those points.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Let me keep rolling. You're going to go to Jack
in Watertown. Jack liked you in at least one more
and go ahead.
Speaker 12 (36:08):
Jack, just from State Roads, thank you send M. Collins
for looking at this issue. That the problems on state roads,
the problems in town centers and city streets and urban areas.
We're not comfortable on the sidewalk and that's not a
price that we should want to have to pay to simply,
(36:34):
I ask you get something done. Getting anything done, any
regulation is the best way to go about this, and
it can grow from there years, a decade from now beginning.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Jack, that is what he's trying to do. Jack, that's
what he's trying to do. And again, Amen, reach out
to your your representatives as well, because you have some
influence with them as well.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Okay, and they keep out on the sidewalk component that
he talks about, which I think is resonates with everybody,
whether you're with children, older adults, anyone with mobility issues,
like since when are we seating the sidewalk to a
scooter on the sidewalk going in the wrong way? Like
that's just insane. That can't happen. And this is what
(37:20):
we're trying to change. If this was eighty eight compliance,
this would not be happening.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
You bet you.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
I appreciate your called. I wish you could have got
you on longer. Thank you much. Real quickly here, let
me get if I ken Tom and Ohio. Tom, I'm
putting you on, but you don't have a lot of time.
I got one more after you.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Go ahead. Tom.
Speaker 8 (37:37):
I'm in Ohio near Wheeling, West Virginia. And this is
almost comical. But wouldn't you think if there's all these
little scooters running around, maybe the vehicles should slow down
and give them the right way?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Not really, not really, Well, there's a lot of people
who drive their cars into Boston. We live in a city, Tom,
and people drive twenty thirty forty miles in into work
in Boston every day.
Speaker 8 (38:02):
Heck, we drive twenty seven on our backwards. No, no,
it's just kind of funny. I would never never even
thought of this till turned into your show.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Just now, Well, come on, come on up to Boston
and experience it, and then then you won't think it's
so funny. Tom, I gotta run, Thank you much.
Speaker 8 (38:18):
How are there a lot of scooters running around?
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yes, sir, too many, and they're unlicensed and they're unregulated.
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Uh, and it's dangerous to people. As again, you're.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
From Ohio, which is like Grandma, I would not try
to tell you how to run Ohio. Please don't tell
Senator College how how he should run Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Here's how I compare it to. It's like the zipp
laying on the highway. If you get the zippelaine on
the highway in your your abusing that, you know.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Shame on you.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I mean, it's the best deal going trying to trying
to come into the city. And you know we have
that in the urban areas. We have these bike lanes
that are not just used for the folks, are supposed
to use for a lot of people taking advantage of
it as dangerous.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
All right, thanks Tom, appreciate your call. I'm gonna give Rob.
I'm gonna steal thirty seconds. Christian, you called late. I
gave you thirty seconds, go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
All right, go.
Speaker 13 (39:12):
I have seven thousand plus owners with door Dash five
point zero safety safety safety. Door Dash and other entities
do not have anything for the epics cause of the
rules of the road, and if you call in to
complain about it, it's talking to a wall. But the
thing is they do have location, so if anything happens,
(39:33):
the person can tell what time and the date exactly.
Door Dash has the ability to pull that up.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Okay, give Christian, you open up a can of worms
for me with thirty seconds and we've gone beyond it. Yeah,
I got a call earlier and we can have a
much easier conversation.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
But I understand that.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
I do think there's a worthy effort to bring in
those companies to be part of the solution. So thank
you to the tip.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Nick Collins, Thanks, thanks very much. People can reach you
with this state House. I hope they do. We'll have
you on any night you want.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
On this topic. The phones were just blazon hot. Thank you, Nick.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
This is an issue that people are upset Tom on Ohio.
You don't have his vote, Nick, but I wouldn't worry
about that one.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Okay, he great?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Nick, Thanks Nick. Talk soon will we get back.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
We're going to talk about the Trump Putin summit, what
can we expect, what can we hope for? And we
will have an expert to discuss back after the ten.
For more information about contests on WBZ, visit WBZ NewsRadio
dot com, slash.
Speaker 5 (40:33):
Rules, WBZ Boston, w XKSFM HD two Bedford, and iHeartRadio station.
This is WBZ Boston's news radio. We defining local news.
Speaker 14 (40:52):
Seventy one degrees in Boston at ten o'clock. Good evening,
I'm Dan Watkins. Here's what's happening. There was a hearing
today for the North Andover police officer that was shot
by a fellow officer this summer. Kelsey Fitzsimmons is still
in the hospital and she's pushing for release from police custody.
Speaker 15 (41:11):
It started June thirtieth when three officers arrived at the
home to issue a restraining order that had been taken
out by Fitzsimmons. Fyonce worrits she could harm their baby,
born in February and him. Fitzsimmons has admitted to postpartum
depression after the birth, voluntarily undergoing a mental health evaluation.
According to our attorney, who says the condition is not
(41:32):
a permanent one.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
This was a transient episode that was brought on by
an unimaginable confluence of events.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
For
It's Night Side, Dan Ray on w b Z, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Thank you very much, Dan Watkins, and that team will
bounce back on on Saturday. Those are those A tough
one today, but hey, Saturday is another day. Baseball is
one of those games, one of those days. It just
changes every day, as simple as that. Okay, we are
delighted to be joined by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.
(00:27):
Senator Collins has really been in the forefront of an
effort to make transportation, particularly transportation as it relates to
motorized scooters, motorized bicycles, electric bicycles, and mop heads a
little safer here in Massachusetts. First of all, Nick Collins,
welcome back to Nightside.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
How are you, sir, Good evening, Dan, I'm well, Thank you,
thanks for having me my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You know, it's always great when we have members of
the Senate or of the House to give us a
quick description of what communities you represent. Obviously, you vote
as a member one of the forty members of the Senate,
so your votes affect everyone in Massachusetts, but you also
represent your constituents.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
Give us just an outline of your district.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Sure, I represent one hundred and sixty thousand people in
Boston at South Boston, Dorchester, of the South End, Bay Village, Chinatown,
a little bit of downtown and Roxbury, Back Bay, and
the Hobor Islands.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Okay, so that's that's a wide, big part of the city,
that is for sure. And that's a part of the
city where there's a lot of bicycle traffic and not
just pedal bicycles. We're now talking about these motorized scooters,
motorized bicycles mopeads. I have trouble figuring out what is what,
(01:48):
which is which, and also I was stunned to find
out when I read your piece of legislation, which I
think is sorely needed, that this it's very confusing to
which of these vehicles need to have a license, which
of them need to have any level of insurance, which
of them can be on the road, Which of them
(02:09):
have to be in the bike lane? Or are they
can't be in the bike lane? How are we supposed
to keep this straight? There's more vehicles coming online every day,
and it seems to me like it's tough for the
legislature to keep.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Up with this.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Yes, their need Thanks again for the opportunity to talk
about it. As you know, we've seen some pretty rough
incidents the last few weeks, some near fatal, and we
with respect to public safety, you know, this is a
big issue in addition to the lack of compliance with
the American with Disabilities Act, which our legislation speaks to.
(02:46):
But to your question in point on the gray area
of the wild West, so to speak, of what is
regulated and what's required to have insurance. So under Massachs
General OT Chapter, which governs transportation in the state, a moped,
an electric bike, will scooter do not fall under the
definition of a motor vehicle. Only motor vehicles has defined
(03:11):
need to be insured under this law. So what we
have is, you know, cycles that some may call vehicles
that can get up to over the speed limit and
then some of the miles for hour in Boston limit
which is twenty five, which do not have any requirements
for insurance, which is crazy because as we know, if
(03:32):
someone gets injured, the individual responsible needs to have insurance
for them to be able to get restitution and made whole.
That the impacts to people financially from these actions are
incredible if that's the case. So that's an element here
that I think has gone a little bit unnoticed, but
this legislation would help address and it was really motivated
(03:56):
by constituents who have had this incident like last week.
Take so they would hit so I'm not so severe,
but still, you know what used to be a walk
across the street is now you know, an autobond cycles
that oftentimes are going the wrong way.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Well, I was surprised to find out with your legislation that,
you know, one of the last line of it is
an incredible statement. It says all motorized bicycles, motorized scooters,
electric bicycles, and mopeds used for commercial activity shall be required.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
To have insurance.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So that is a very interesting what's called a negative
pregnant meaning they even even vehicles that are in commercial
activity don't have to have insurance.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
There was a gentleman. I still don't know.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
We were trying to find out yesterday was condition was
a pedestrian who was hit just outside of Copley Square
and badly injured a week eight days ago. I can't
find anything in the newspapers or are anywhere that says
did he recovered, did.
Speaker 4 (05:06):
He get out of the hospital? Is he is he?
You know? Is he a stable nothing.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
It's concerned in the investigation of the continues. And that,
you know, is a great example of why this legislation
is needed. If we have people going on a motorized
vehicle that's going faster than the speed limits in the
in the city, which they all are, they're all going
faster than twenty five miles an hour, and in some
(05:36):
cases in the wrong direction. I mean, it's a recipe
for disaster. And we've seen, you know, some really awful instance.
And we are, you know, a small city by square footage.
We've most of the city has been annexed over time,
where particularly Downtown is crunched. And what that means is
(05:58):
parts of Boston that are not Boston were their own towns,
including South Boston, which was built up on Lanfeld, with Dorchester, Roxbury,
you know, most of the neighborhoods of Boston outside of downtown.
And what we've done downtown without a plan is nuts.
The amount of bike lanes that are trying to be
jammed into downtown streets. Yes they cause congestion, yes they
(06:22):
make it worse for the environment, but they're dangerous and
really dangerous for people with disabilities. And that's another issue here.
We try to affect in this legislation that no bike
lanes should be approved by anybody at the state or
municipal level, one without a hearing, but two without compliance
(06:42):
and approval of the local disabilities or the State Disabilities Commission.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
So here's here's my question. You're one member of a
forty member body. You also have to get this through
the House of Representatives, which is two hundred and forty members,
most of them are not from Boston. How difficult, how
heavy a lift is this for you to get this
legislation in front of the Senate and the House, And
(07:09):
how difficult is it going to be for you to
get the Speaker who comes from the from Brockden and
the Senate President who comes from Ashland focused on this.
Because you're right, this may not impact people who live
in I don't know, you know, Southborough or Rowley, but
it's sure it's going to affect people who live impact
(07:31):
people who live in South Boston or Roxbury.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Yeah, so that's a great point. I think what we
have in our favor is there isn't issue statewide, no question,
it's different to the towns in particular cities and towns,
but the process issue is the same where they're you know,
being you know, propped up immediately quickly with limited inputs
(07:57):
from impacted stakeholders and other parties, spent using you know,
tax dollars, whether it's federal estate, which means it's tax
dolls that are borrowed on top of it all, and
you know, the product comes out where there are unintended
consequences or you know, an effort to bypass scrutiny along
(08:18):
the way. So what this part of this does is
also allow people across the state to you know, get
that opportunity to weigh in through public hearing. But it
has been such an issue that even last year we
passed a legislation that created what's called the Special Commission
on Micro Mobility, and that's a fancy term for uses
(08:39):
of these vehicles. And you know there's a hearing coming
up on that in a few weeks and we'll be
testifying on it in September. But it was put together
for this purpose that you know, these these these utilization
now of these site goes electric bicycles, mopeds, scooters, not
(09:05):
just as a leisurely exercise in the summertime, you know,
for people who are who you know, want that European
feel when they're driving around the city of Boston or
places around Massachusetts, which for sixty to ninety days a year,
you know, you feel comfortable driving a scooter. You know,
it's not similar to the bicycles. It's not. This isn't
(09:27):
a climate that welcomes itself to daily commuting, which is
why one percent on a good day or on a
day's a lot two percent of people commute into the
into work into the city with with by by bicycle.
I mean for one or two percent, we're doing this
(09:47):
and else without.
Speaker 4 (09:49):
The road a lot of the lanes and a lot
of the road space.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
As well, to a point, yeah, exactly, to a point
where that where missilitas you know, said earlier this year, Well,
we're encouraging emergency vehicles to take the bike lane. I mean,
that's that's where we're at. And you know, I think
we gotta we need to hit reset.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah, yeah, I joke about it as senator and I
say that pretty soon they'll be putting bike lanes through
people's living rooms. But but I'm being a little sarcastic.
When I get back, I want to find out from
you because you know this better than I do. I
wonder if the scooters and electric bicycles and in mope
(10:32):
heads are they allowed to use the bike lanes. I
don't know the answer to that question, because there's just
this there's too much confusion around it, and that is
what makes it the wild wild West. My guess is
Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins represents a good swath of
the city of Boston, UH and he has proposed an
act relative to transportation safety. It has opened my eyes.
(10:55):
The fact of the matter is that when some you know,
micro vehicle whatever you want to call it, who's rushing
a pizza to someone in a college student at Boston
University and they cut you off in traffic, just be
aware that they do not have any obligation to have
any sort of insurance on that. And if they happen
(11:18):
to run over your mother as she crosses the street,
good luck getting your mom's hospital bills taken care of,
you know, through their insurance company, because if they don't
have insurance, there's no coverage. I'm going to open up
the phone lines here right now six one seven, two,
four ten thirty, six one seven, nine three ten thirty
(11:38):
if you'd like to ask Senator Carlins a question or
give them a pat on the back for actually taking
on a huge problem in advance. Believe me, there are
people in this city every day who are injured by
some of these vehicles. I'm not against the vehicles, but
I think they need to be licensed. I think they
need to have insurance, and maybe they need to pay
some excise tax for some of the roads that they're using.
(12:00):
We'll be back on Nightside right after these brief messages.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on wb Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Joined this evening by Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins. Represents
a good section of the city of Boston, one hundred
and sixty thousand constituents. Nick I ended last segment with
the question that I'm going to just rephrase it, and
that is these vehicles that you're concerned about, motorized bicycles,
motorized scooters, electric bicycles, and mopeds.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Are they allowed to use the bike lanes? Are they
required to use the bike lanes?
Speaker 2 (12:41):
Or can they basically use whatever road, whatever swath of
asphalt they would like.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
Well, that's the problem. I you know, I think most
people would agree they shouldn't be able to use the
bike lanes which are for a travel for what is
it considered a traditional bike and even if you add
these e bikes, but a motor scooter or a moped
(13:09):
that have been around long before bike lanes, and you know,
we're we're on our roads. Should should not all of
a sudden, you know, you know compact vehicles are they
going to be added next? So you know, I think
you know the problem with that too is there they're
viewed as anything goes even in the bike lane, where
(13:32):
if you're on a one way street and you know
everything's going in the same direction, you have people going
up the wrong way or even on the wrong way road.
Even next to the Statehouse, we have people without a
bike lane driving on a moped in the wrong, wrong direction.
And it's largely a scoff law that this this legislation
also seeks to change where we're bringing everyone to the table,
(13:52):
who's in law enforcement, who has to deal with the
enforcement of these roads, And as you talked about the
other night, you know they get you know, a zillion
calls coming in for different things, So how can they
best enforce this and do they need more tools? That's
an element in this here too, So some common sense
items like increase defiance because right now you could you know,
(14:13):
they'll cover lunch for the cost of them and and
you know you're not really paying a price and thinking
about changing behavior, especially if you're doing this for comercial
purposes as well, and that's where that insurance kicks in.
You asked how to get this done, Well, there's a
revenue piece here that's positive and economic peace. Where others
were doing this, you know, in utilizing vehicles and moving
around the city for living, are paying you know, taxes
(14:36):
and paying insurance on this as well. So there's a
fairness component here. As they said, this issue is not
necessarily unique to Boston, even though every town the city
is dealing with a differently. So there's no appetite to
make some change. And I just think there's so many
people who, whether they're coming and visiting the city or
here and living in the city, see the madness and
(14:59):
that has to be stopped.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
So, so the answer to your question, which which was
was very comprehensive, is that they shouldn't be used. These
micro vehicles again, the electric bicycles, the mopeds, the motorized
bikes or the motorized scooters. They shouldn't be using the
bike lanes, They certainly shouldn't be using the sidewalks, and
(15:21):
I don't think that they should be out in the
main road either, because at that point, if you're on
a small motorized vehicle and you have even the slightest
collision with a two thousand pounds audience deal, never mind
a truck, you're going to be in a world of hurt.
Speaker 3 (15:39):
Definitely. You know, this is no It's one hundred percent true.
And that's what we're faced with here where we have
these these these accidents that happen where not often people
walking away the same and you know, you have the
major congestion in areas, particularly in around Boston where it
(16:03):
wasn't that way before, which only has a negative impact
on the environment, and people who are trying to get
in and out of the city with a you know,
a hot foot one way or the other. That's who
you find a lot of issues where people are dying
to get out of the traffic, so they're driving, you know,
even worse than they normally do to get away from it.
And so that all these things that are you know,
(16:25):
a domino effect, but just not sensibly planned, and they're
not compliance with everything else that we've been prioritizing with
respect to personal disabilities. And they also, you know, I
think has an impact economically where people who would otherwise
be paying insurance, paying taxes on this stuff are avoiding
(16:47):
all that.
Speaker 2 (16:47):
Yeah, the people who really are the victims in this
and who are the forgotten citizen are people with disabilities
who have to cross the streets somehow, and not only
that they avoid cars. But now you have again the
the as you say. I love the phrase you used,
micro vehicles. You know, the first priority of the guy
(17:08):
who's delivering pizza or sub or sub sandwiches is to
get that food to the person who they're supposed to
deliver the food to so that they can maximize their tip.
That's what their focus is. I don't think their focus
is on the person who's blind who's trying to cross
the street, or the person who's in a wheelchair. Right,
(17:30):
if you're doing something on their behalf, go ahead. I
interrupted you.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
No, No, not at all. Thank you for saying saying that.
Speaker 4 (17:35):
No.
Speaker 3 (17:35):
And you know, if you think about it, we we
find ourselves in issues with the with the ride share
companies who are you know, basically hooked up to ways
or an app that's guiding through the streets. At least
there's some you know, even that doesn't always help because
they zipping through the neighborhoods and zipping through communities. Uh
not always at the speed limit, but at least they're
(17:57):
using roads and they have to stay on the road.
Odes somehow these folks are being guided, you know, I
don't know how through the streets of the city and
other municipalities, you know, without a typical route, and that
wouldn't have your driving the wrong way, that wouldn't have
you on the sidewalk in other places. So I think
(18:19):
there are a lot more things that we can do
to really put this under wraps. So if there's a
positive side this, great, you know, we'd love to you know,
competition and convenience, but not just you know, the wild
wild West, where people are putting people at risk and
people are scoffing our laws as well as scoffing what
would otherwise be insurance requirements that would protect both sides.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
I think our traffic patents might might soon look more
like Karachi or Mumbai than Copenhagen.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
And I don't think that's a good situation.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
I have packed lines right now, Nick, so I'm going
to step aside here and allow people to ask you
questions or make comments.
Speaker 4 (18:57):
We got to take a quick break for news.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
We got about three minute We'll be back in three minutes,
and we're going to start off with Maureen in Winchester,
and we have several other people lined up. We'll get
to everyone. And by the way, if you want to
talk about this as of ten o'clock tonight, I have
a different guest coming in. We're going to talk about
the putin Trump summer tomorrow in Alaska. So we have
about twenty nine minutes to solve this problem, and we
have the one guy in the legislature who is actually
(19:21):
paying full attention to it, Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Back on Night Side right after.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
This Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
All right, we are back with Massachusetts State Senator Nick Collins,
and we're talking about a piece of legislation that he
has filed and he is very much behind and act
relative to transportation safety, and it is focusing on how
motorized bicycles, motorized scooters, motorized electric bicycles in mopeds.
Speaker 4 (19:52):
He calls it.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
You know, micro vehicles, how all of these vehicles are
basically able to travel in whatever way they want, and
there needs to be some standard regulation throughout the commwalls.
So having said that, we're going to get the phone call.
It's going to start it off with Maureen in Winchester. Maureen,
(20:14):
you first tonight on Nightside with Massachusettstate Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Go right ahead, Maureen.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I Senator Collins and Dan, I am so, so so
glad you have this topic tonight. I was in Boston yesterday.
I lived in a suburb and the are these motorized
vehicles terrorize people? And Dan, you're right, there's no media
follow up on what happened at that horrible Copley Square accident.
(20:45):
But yes, I'm also now a senior and I have
a permanent handicapped parking placard because of my disability, and
we need this everywhere. An electrical bike was going in
front of the Winchester Library as I was trying to
enter my car in my jeep, and by law, we're
(21:08):
supposed to have three feet to open up our doors
to get into our vehicles. Is that right, Senator Collins? Yes, yes, Okay,
so I come around. I'm in within the three feet.
She looks shocked. My face drops, she drops, and then
she swerves back in her electrical bike into the traffic.
So the cars are going along in normal pay. She's
(21:30):
going faster than the cars. What if she hit me?
She can skin me off? And who pays for the bills?
We do? So we really need this. Actually, I called
the Attorney General's office about filing a complaint on something
as well as about these the safety hazards, and they
said that we can file a complaint with the AG's
(21:51):
office as well as a violation of the ADA rights
in terms of I've talked to do you know Michael
day Are a state rep. Yes, okay, so he's passionate
about this as well. I have this ideas called hashtag
share the road, share the load. We need to make
(22:12):
sure that there's an excise tax, like Dan was saying,
a license plate, an annual safety test just like vehicles insurance,
and have people take a class to get a license
and have license and also have stickers on our license
plates on the motor sized vehicles. And I think this
(22:32):
is also maybe part of complete streets, which I think
is a complete disaster in Belmont. An eighty year old
lady left the post office. I heard she was hit
by a vehicle. Might have been it could have been
a bike, or it could have been motorized. Game over
for her. But the kids skinned off on the vehicle.
(22:53):
Canada is removing the bike lanes. My husband is also Canadian.
They are getting rid of the eye claims. I'm sitting
here in Winchester on Main Street. Kids come down. They
do realise they're on electric scooters. I had to go
to CBS and if I get injured, I may never heal.
And if I heal, when I heal is really longer.
(23:16):
And the kids were coming up an electrical bike. They
hit the bikes parked along the wall and it almost
hit and fell on my legs, which doctor Frankie has
treated me for many years. Marie, I want to jump
behind the light pole so I didn't get hit.
Speaker 7 (23:34):
Okay, Marie, you should be a witness at the State
house hold on Marine think your passion is is fabulous.
Speaker 4 (23:44):
It's overwhelming.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
I want to get Senator Collins to respond a little
bit to what you said. You you are a walking
testament to why this piece of legislation is so critically needed.
Hold on, not going to cut you off. I want
Senator Collins to react to what you some of what
you've had to say.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Next.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
No, absolutely, and Day is a great state rep. So
you have a great ally there. You know, you've just
crystallized a circumstance that people who you know, it doesn't
help our city either for people going through this experience,
and we're trying to you know, bring people back downtown
to enjoy the city and contributed to economies. It's not
the greatest way to do that. But you know, as
(24:26):
I said, you know different municipalities are also faced with this,
so it's not just downtown Boston, but you're facing it,
and we're interesting in the in the fallout from all that,
I think you know, until you know somebody who has
suffered an accident and that can disrupt their life in
an you know, incredible way physically and even sometimes worse financially,
(24:48):
you know that's what's at risk here. It's not just
chaos in the streets that shouldn't happen, whether you're jammed
in downtown Boston or in suburban communities. It's just, first
of all, it's not right, it's not safe. People are
skirting our laws and putting people at risk. And you know,
I think we have a couple of ways to be
(25:10):
able to change this. In one of them, in addition
to asking you, you know, state representatives and senators to
support S two three four seven, an Act relative to
Transportation Safety. There will be an upcoming commission hearing in September.
September sixteenth, the Transportation Building, ten clock Plaza. We can
get that information out, but have your voice heard. You
(25:31):
have a powerful story we need to hear.
Speaker 4 (25:34):
But I will I guarantee hold on for one second. Marine.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
I guarantee you Nick that I'll be happy to do
something in advance of September sixteenth. I would look forward
to doing that for you and with you. Maureene, I
have to ask you that the eighty year old woman
who was hit leaving the post office, you used the
phrase game over.
Speaker 8 (25:56):
I hope.
Speaker 6 (25:56):
Well, I heard she broke her hit, but I don't know.
But when you're that age and you break them tip
at eighty.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Yep, no, absolutely, no question, no question.
Speaker 6 (26:05):
I was in Boston last night, and I'm in Boston
about once a week. I hate driving into Boston. I've
always wanted to move to Boston. I don't want to
put my money in Boston because of what's going on
with the roads. And there was a delivery electrized motor
going in and out of Boston, so I let them
go in and out of the traffic, and it is scary.
(26:26):
So you need we need to do something.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
Mauren, you did a lot tonight just by voicing your experience,
and I think that you want to keep September sixteenth
in your calendar. I think you should. You should go
into Boston and testify this hearing. You are a very
powerful witness. Thank you so much.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
Yes, Okay, great, Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (26:46):
Good bye, Thank you, Mauren. Let's keep rolling here.
Speaker 2 (26:48):
It's amazing to listen to the experience of just one person. Nick,
it was compelling, really compelling. Steve is and Quincy. Steve,
you're on with Massachusetts State Senator Collins.
Speaker 4 (27:00):
Go right ahead.
Speaker 9 (27:02):
Uh yeah. I live in Quincy Center and it's very
much a problem here and I'm pretty much a pedestrian
all the time. And the experience I have repeatedly is
these scooters coming by me at a very rapid rate
of speed from behind, and I'm just very clear that
(27:26):
if I just moved seconds before them approaching, they would
hit me, you know. And so I think the sidewalk
thing should be a no brainer, but it really seems
to be happening a lot.
Speaker 3 (27:43):
Yes, and it needs to be you know, fundamentally addressed
from enforcement to find increases as we put in this bill,
and in addition, requirements on the individual. There's a proposal
that the city put forth that tries to go at
it the the the food companies and delivery companies, uh.
(28:06):
And that may be a worthy approach, but if we
don't put any responsibility on the individual you know that
is manning these that own them themselves, or however that
the you know, the utilization of those vehicles are they're
not through the door dash, they're not through those those
those uh.
Speaker 4 (28:29):
Contractors nick right.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Yeah, and so that's their own that's their own piece
of equipment. And so you know that. To me though,
these three elements are critical where there's no rules on
the road for them. If you if you don't even
going in the same direction, never mind, is it this
gray area of can you use a bike lane or not?
(28:51):
I mean, because when they're you know, in other settings
they're moving in there about traffic so it's it's almost
like they get, you know, right now, the way it
is set up to get the ability to maneuver in traffic,
use a bike lane, drive on a sidewalk, drive the
wrong way. I mean, nobody's able to do that.
Speaker 4 (29:11):
It's absolutely insane.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
Steve, you you need to take care and talk to
your your state rep down there or your state senator
and let them know this is something that's important to you,
because it's important to everyone, and the bike lobby is
very effective. Nick, you want to comment, I mean, the
bike lobby, I'm sure is not contributing a lot of
money to the Nick Collins reelection campaign, but they are
(29:36):
contributing a lot of money to politicians who vote favorably
for them.
Speaker 4 (29:40):
Always.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
No, it's true. And so my philosophy is it's not
that I don't think bike lane should be anywhere. They
just can't be everywhere, and you have to plan them appropriately.
So you know that doesn't necessarily you know, align with
We want them everywhere, you know, and anywhere for our
can venience, not just you know everyone's you know convenience. Again,
(30:04):
one to two percent take two on the best day,
and it must be between the months of June and
in September. I can't imagine. I mean, you know, once
in a while you get a good day on the
book ends. But this is New England. It's not you know,
Venice Beach in California, and so I think that is
(30:25):
a factor here too. And they're taking them all day long,
every you know. And then the other part of it
is where they aren't utilized all day. Well, when they
are utilize, it catches everybody by surprise too, because they're
going from zero people in the lane to you know,
thirty five miles an hour. It's it's it's easy to
get caught by surprise.
Speaker 2 (30:45):
Well, again, what's going on is that the people who
are really the leaders of this bike theory to turn
Boston into Copenhagen or something, or maybe worse Pakistan, Karachi,
Pakistan or Mumbai. They are so committed they want all
the cars off the roads, and the American Automobile Association
(31:09):
does nothing to support the automobile drivers.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
And that's what's going That is really what's.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
Oh no, that's definitely not too But if you think
about it, you talk about two places in particularly Mumbai.
Mumbai Boston has six hundred and seventy five thousand people.
We've lost fifty thousand in the last four to five years. Mumbais.
You know, you know, there's fossa passes us the population.
So even if they're making draconi and efforts to pull
people over the you know, out of their cars in
(31:37):
a warm climate. You know, I'm not saying I subscribe
by that, but you know, there's there's at least some
logic there here. We have a small, you know, city
of population. There's not that that many people that have
taken the bike as a as a daily utilization other
than for commercial purposes and not bicycles. They become more
and more of these scooters and e bikes and what
(32:00):
was done initially to give you know, comfort and safety
to cyclists who were riding their own bike, and now
we have these heavy, clunky e bikes, heavy clunky blue
bikes and scooters that are that are growing as fast
as vehicles that are taking over those you know, benefits
that were for the vulnerable cyclists. That's not what we're
(32:20):
talking about here anymore. And then in the Pulley Plant,
let me take a quick break here.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
Steven Quincy, thank you for your call. Stay safe and
you gotta have eyes in the back of your head, buddy.
Speaker 9 (32:30):
Okay, thank you very much, Dan and Senator to Collins, thanks.
Speaker 4 (32:33):
Steve, appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
Right back here on Nightside, I got Glenn, I got Bob,
Tom and Jack.
Speaker 4 (32:38):
We're gonna try to get them all in.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
We'll be back after this with State Senator Nick Collins
of Boston.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
It's Night Side with Ray Boston's news radio Thick.
Speaker 4 (32:49):
We got the lines. We're back. We've tried.
Speaker 2 (32:51):
I'm going to ask everybody please to tighten up a
little bit for us here. I'm going to try to
get four or five in real quickly. We'll see Glenn
and Fitzburgh. Glenn, you're next on Night Side with Massachusettstate
Senator Nick Collins.
Speaker 10 (33:02):
Go ahead, Glenn, Yeah, I promise to keep this short.
A lot of courage, Senator, to engage the law enforcement community.
They are going to struggle with any kind of enforcement.
Extremely difficult to deal with somebody on a two wheel vehicle,
even when it's registered, insured, and they decide to flee,
(33:25):
It's extremely difficult for police to continue the marche. If
they do, they run the risk of all kinds of disaster.
So it's going to be extremely difficult. One thing that
came to my mind, and i'll close it up here,
is back in the day when bicycle couriers in the
(33:46):
city of New York, they all had almost like referee
shirts with numbers on them, and you could easily identify
a bicycle courier. I think you're onto something. And in
terms of the rental units of the electric bikes that
you do with an app, that should be easy enough
(34:06):
to track and trace electronically with every renter if if
they were involved in an incident, so that there's at
least an ability to maybe follow.
Speaker 2 (34:16):
Up a great points. Thank you for you, Thank you
for the concision if your call. Appreciate very much, Thank
you courage all.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
Right, Yeah, and to that really important point about enforcement,
and you brought up a couple of shows ago too,
and police most policies in the policies that said that
if there's moving vehicle at a certain speed, they don't pursue,
you know, at wolf speed. So there is a you know,
a limitation of that. But I think if we're able
(34:47):
to identify these vehicles that are commercial in nature, just
like if someone's driving around without a license plate, without
without insurance, you know that that's going to have a
major deterrence, and I think he hittedto that. But understanding
his point that the moving vehicles and moving vessels here
are a big challenge proposed to the police in law enforcement.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Absolutely, let me go to Bob in New Hampshire. Bob,
you've got to be quick for me. You've been waiting long,
but you go right ahead, Bob.
Speaker 4 (35:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 11 (35:17):
The other aspect is to remember that there are other
types of mopits too. For example, fifty ccs aren't required
to be licensed. I come down to volunteer for a
couple events, I'd bring down a one twenty five scooter.
Looks like a scooter, but top speeds fifty three. It
(35:39):
requires a motorcycle license, insurance. I'm always staying in outside
in the traffic lanes, et cetera. Being careful on things
by the gentle, and another aspect that they can be
used in a way that people just don't realize.
Speaker 2 (35:57):
All right, great points, Bob, I appreciate it. Again, getting
in the whe's a little bit, but I thank you
very much for making those points.
Speaker 4 (36:02):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Let me keep rolling. You're going to go to Jack
in Watertown. Jack liked you in at least one more
and go ahead.
Speaker 12 (36:08):
Jack, just from State Roads, thank you send M. Collins
for looking at this issue. That the problems on state roads,
the problems in town centers and city streets and urban areas.
We're not comfortable on the sidewalk and that's not a
price that we should want to have to pay to simply,
(36:34):
I ask you get something done. Getting anything done, any
regulation is the best way to go about this, and
it can grow from there years, a decade from now beginning.
Speaker 2 (36:48):
Jack, that is what he's trying to do. Jack, that's
what he's trying to do. And again, Amen, reach out
to your your representatives as well, because you have some
influence with them as well.
Speaker 3 (36:59):
Okay, and they keep out on the sidewalk component that
he talks about, which I think is resonates with everybody,
whether you're with children, older adults, anyone with mobility issues,
like since when are we seating the sidewalk to a
scooter on the sidewalk going in the wrong way? Like
that's just insane. That can't happen. And this is what
(37:20):
we're trying to change. If this was eighty eight compliance,
this would not be happening.
Speaker 4 (37:24):
You bet you.
Speaker 2 (37:25):
I appreciate your called. I wish you could have got
you on longer. Thank you much. Real quickly here, let
me get if I ken Tom and Ohio. Tom, I'm
putting you on, but you don't have a lot of time.
I got one more after you.
Speaker 4 (37:36):
Go ahead. Tom.
Speaker 8 (37:37):
I'm in Ohio near Wheeling, West Virginia. And this is
almost comical. But wouldn't you think if there's all these
little scooters running around, maybe the vehicles should slow down
and give them the right way?
Speaker 2 (37:50):
Not really, not really, Well, there's a lot of people
who drive their cars into Boston. We live in a city, Tom,
and people drive twenty thirty forty miles in into work
in Boston every day.
Speaker 8 (38:02):
Heck, we drive twenty seven on our backwards. No, no,
it's just kind of funny. I would never never even
thought of this till turned into your show.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Just now, Well, come on, come on up to Boston
and experience it, and then then you won't think it's
so funny. Tom, I gotta run, Thank you much.
Speaker 8 (38:18):
How are there a lot of scooters running around?
Speaker 2 (38:21):
Yes, sir, too many, and they're unlicensed and they're unregulated.
Speaker 4 (38:25):
Uh, and it's dangerous to people. As again, you're.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
From Ohio, which is like Grandma, I would not try
to tell you how to run Ohio. Please don't tell
Senator College how how he should run Massachusetts.
Speaker 3 (38:37):
Here's how I compare it to. It's like the zipp
laying on the highway. If you get the zippelaine on
the highway in your your abusing that, you know.
Speaker 4 (38:45):
Shame on you.
Speaker 3 (38:46):
I mean, it's the best deal going trying to trying
to come into the city. And you know we have
that in the urban areas. We have these bike lanes
that are not just used for the folks, are supposed
to use for a lot of people taking advantage of
it as dangerous.
Speaker 2 (38:59):
All right, thanks Tom, appreciate your call. I'm gonna give Rob.
I'm gonna steal thirty seconds. Christian, you called late. I
gave you thirty seconds, go right ahead.
Speaker 4 (39:10):
All right, go.
Speaker 13 (39:12):
I have seven thousand plus owners with door Dash five
point zero safety safety safety. Door Dash and other entities
do not have anything for the epics cause of the
rules of the road, and if you call in to
complain about it, it's talking to a wall. But the
thing is they do have location, so if anything happens,
(39:33):
the person can tell what time and the date exactly.
Door Dash has the ability to pull that up.
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Okay, give Christian, you open up a can of worms
for me with thirty seconds and we've gone beyond it. Yeah,
I got a call earlier and we can have a
much easier conversation.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
But I understand that.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
I do think there's a worthy effort to bring in
those companies to be part of the solution. So thank
you to the tip.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Nick Collins, Thanks, thanks very much. People can reach you
with this state House. I hope they do. We'll have
you on any night you want.
Speaker 4 (40:03):
On this topic. The phones were just blazon hot. Thank you, Nick.
Speaker 2 (40:07):
This is an issue that people are upset Tom on Ohio.
You don't have his vote, Nick, but I wouldn't worry
about that one.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Okay, he great?
Speaker 4 (40:15):
Nick, Thanks Nick. Talk soon will we get back.
Speaker 2 (40:18):
We're going to talk about the Trump Putin summit, what
can we expect, what can we hope for? And we
will have an expert to discuss back after the ten.
For more information about contests on WBZ, visit WBZ NewsRadio
dot com, slash.
Speaker 5 (40:33):
Rules, WBZ Boston, w XKSFM HD two Bedford, and iHeartRadio station.
This is WBZ Boston's news radio. We defining local news.
Speaker 14 (40:52):
Seventy one degrees in Boston at ten o'clock. Good evening,
I'm Dan Watkins. Here's what's happening. There was a hearing
today for the North Andover police officer that was shot
by a fellow officer this summer. Kelsey Fitzsimmons is still
in the hospital and she's pushing for release from police custody.
Speaker 15 (41:11):
It started June thirtieth when three officers arrived at the
home to issue a restraining order that had been taken
out by Fitzsimmons. Fyonce worrits she could harm their baby,
born in February and him. Fitzsimmons has admitted to postpartum
depression after the birth, voluntarily undergoing a mental health evaluation.
According to our attorney, who says the condition is not
(41:32):
a permanent one.
Speaker 2 (41:33):
This was a transient episode that was brought on by
an unimaginable confluence of events.
Speaker 5 (41:41):
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