August 13, 2024 • 40 mins
Many streets in Boston have now accommodated cyclists by implementing bike lanes. Are bike lanes really needed on every major roadway in Boston though? As one Boston Globe columnist expressed in a recent piece, “you can be pro-bike and advocate for bike lanes without feeling compelled to cram them onto every imaginable thoroughfare.”
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All Kyle, thank you very much. We are talking about
bike lanes in Boston, specifically referring to an interesting column
in Yesterday's Boston Atte written by old friend Brian McGrory.
Brian wrote a piece entitled is the Boylston Street bike
lane really necessary? Well, the answer I think is clear
(00:28):
in the question the once grand thoroughfare now feels like
a crowded, unkempt, chaotic mess. Yes it does, and that
can apply to a lot of other areas. Now, Brian
is no anti bike lane person, per se. I am
fit that description much more because I think that city
(00:50):
streets are for automobiles. They are not for bicycles in
my opinion. But obviously there is a new sheriff in town.
We have a Czar of Streets in Boston, and they
are committed to putting bike lanes everywhere I have been
in recently, been over in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxford area, and
(01:11):
a lot of places where they have bike lanes just
absolutely unnecessary. Brian McGrory writes specifically specifically about Boylston Street,
which is such a great, great street. It is one
of Boston's grand You know, grand commercial thoroughfare. So if
(01:32):
you've been in Boston lately, love to know how I
feel about bike lanes. If you're in other parts of
the country, whether you're in a rural town in Ohio
or you're in a major city in Michigan. We have
a lot of listeners in a lot of different places
around the country. I'd love to know also what you
think about bike lanes. They are a huge problem in
(01:56):
Boston in my opinion and in the opinion of many
of our callers. Six one seven six. Let's go to
a Boston caller and Joeanne is in East Boston. Joe Anne, welcome,
How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Good Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I'm doing just great. So you're in East Boston. You
get some bike lanes over there.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
The bike lanes are on the sidewalk because no one
wants to drive in the street, so they go flying down.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I live on Bennington Street and it's a great you
know family. Most of the people that live in the
houses have been here for years, but also there are
new people with babies and carriages and dogs, and I
think the worst part is that there's no room for
all of this. So we were sitting out the other day.
(02:50):
Let's just tell you quickly that this neighbor of mine
had her dog and her baby in the carriage and
this scooter. The scooters are another thing we have to
contend with, drying down the street forty miles an hour
and did not slow down, and you know, we yelled
at him slow down, and he came back and he
(03:12):
gave us the you know, flipped us off.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, basically one.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:19):
No, he came back a.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Classic guy, A classy guy.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Yeah, really, classic kid. It's a kid.
Speaker 8 (03:26):
It was a kid.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
So it's these kids. And he came back in front
of my house four or five times. So not only
are they intimidating when they are on these wheels, but
you tell them to slow down and they're in and
they're furious that who do you think you are? But
the other problem here is I work on Comass and
(03:49):
I drive to work because I work at MGH, and
to contend with number one bike riders that can't ride
bikes and one and number two is that when there's
a sign that says that they have the right to
the full lane, that means in and out, weaving in
and out. There is a red bike signal to stop,
(04:14):
rarely ever ever obeyed. And you know right where mass
av and Newberry Street and that new building are. The
light goes on for the pedestrians to cross, for the
cars coming from mass Ave to cut over to the
mass Pike, and for the bikes to go. And I'm
(04:36):
sitting there watching this, and I mean, no one's paying attention,
no one. And if you tell, if I tell the
bike lane, if I tell the bikes, you have a
red light. Oh my god, you think.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
They believe that they owed many of the bikes on
the road.
Speaker 9 (04:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Literally, they don't pay for the roads, the insurance on
their viehicle, They don't pay sort of any sort of
like gas taxes to support the roads. But they feel
that they have a right to do whatever they want
and they don't comply. Many of them do not comply
with red lights. And some of them find themselves in situations,
sadly where they get injured on bikes because they have
(05:18):
been ready to believe that they are impervious and they
can do whatever they want. And it's sad every time
I hear a story about some bicyclist who has been
hit by a truck taking away. Yeah, yeah, you were
you thinking? Were you aware of what was going on?
And I mean, I don't want to say so.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
They're changing Dan, they're changing the signals so you can't
turn right on red anymore. But that's that's for cars,
because bikes don't follow that. The other point is, you
know what's wrong with taking taking some lessons on learning
how to ride a bike or get a license if
you want to ride in the street. And I know
(05:57):
that's not popular amongst any bike but although.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
The bike, the bike riders, the bicyclists want to be
free to use whatever road they want. They do not
feel they have to pay anything insurance, any sort of registration.
And if a bike bike, it has happened to people,
happens to impact your car, scratch your car, or God forbid,
take out the mirror on your car, you're in the hook.
(06:22):
And if you have a two hundred and fifty dollars
five hundred dollars deductible in your automobile insurance, you're gonna
you're gonna pay for them, and they're just gonna merely
drive away and you have no way of identified them,
and I identify them. They have become a very powerful
political lobby, and they show their strength in Boston and
in different parts of the city. What I don't understand
(06:44):
is how people in West Roxbury have allowed Semistry to
be taken over by bike lanes.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Well because they need the mayor. So, I mean, the
mayor would never allow half the things that she's allowing
in Boston next to her house. So we all say,
you know, do you want a twenty twenty condo building
next to your house? N answer would be no. Do
you want to pop up restaurant next to your house?
Speaker 6 (07:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
So I mean it's it's just ironic that we continue
to have to suffer for these kind of innovations that
go great somewhere else but not in Boston.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, they might be great in the city like Phoenix,
which has big, wide streets and weather, you know, eleven
months out of the air at sunny and Phoenix and
you have a few rainstorms at at different times, but
it's not Boston, right, not Boston. But guess when someone
gets elected mayor, they have four years to do whatever
the heck they want, and she certainly has in terms
of bikelines.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I'll tell you, but one more thing. Do you see
wheelchairs now have any right to the road because they
can't even get through. And I think that was brought
up in the Globe, and I think it was on
your show when you have Flynn on a couple of
weeks ago, where they were talking about there's no advocacy
(08:07):
for anybody that's disabled in a wheelchair. Now it's by
reserve to bike lanes, but where the wheelchairs.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Go nowhere, Nowhere. Again, you do not have a wheelchair lobby.
You have a bike lobby and politicians right lobby to
political lobbies. That's it's simple. It's as simple as that, Joey.
Look at what's happened to the restaurant owners in the
North End. They basically be rolled over by the mayor's
They said, you don't want to participate, you don't want
(08:36):
to play and do what we say we will. We
just roll over you. This mayor's made a lot of
a lot of different constituencies mad whether or not someone's
going to step up, we will have we will have
to see. I certainly hope that the mayor does not
have a free ride because that will only embolden her
(08:56):
to put bike lanes through people's living rooms. Run.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
I hope I help Flynn runs I hope Flynn runs
because I'll vote and work on his campaign.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
All right, Well, if that's listening a situation.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Dan, Dan, if you want to talk about East Boston,
you call me anytime, because I'm an advocate here and
I'm constantly, you know, trying to bring attention to not
blaming people. But let's take responsibility as shared responsibility, that
we're working together and it's not one section pitted against another.
(09:33):
But that's what's happening. And I love your show.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
By the way, so well, Joey, thank.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You so much. Please call more often. I love your calls.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I will do that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Take a care to tell your neighbors about night Side.
You know, you don't have to sit in front of
the boob tube and just watch. They can participate.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I just put it on Facebook. I just call them.
Than take care, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Good night, We'll keep rolling here. The only well, I
got one line hoping that Joeanne was on six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty and two lines at six one, seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. I got Bill and Lexington Paul and
need him coming up in this room for you. We're
talking about bikes in Boston. And when The Boston Globe
former editor Brian McGrory agrees with me, he's not an
(10:19):
anti bike person. I'm not an anti bike person either,
but I think it's way out of control. And Brian
McGrory and Yesterday's Globe on b one above the fold says,
is the Boylston Street bike lane really necessary? They will
kill the city of Boston. They will kill the city
of Boston with bike lanes and all of these people
who want more and more bikes. There's some bicyclists out there,
(10:41):
but they are way out numbered by drivers. Unfortunately, the
car car drivers don't have the lobby that bike lanes do.
We'll continue the conversation. If you think that Boston needs
more bike lanes, I'd love to hear from you. We're
coming back on Nightside. If you're from West Roxbury, way
in you people have been rolled in rest wa wes
Roxbury because frankly you don't have any representation in city
(11:03):
council anymore that represents West Roxbury. Got you basically get
outnumbered by the progressives in Jamaica. Plane We'll be back
on Nightside six one, seven, nine thirty only lines available
Back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
to night side studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It's funny tonight all of our calls have been from Massachusetts.
Very rarely do we have a program without any out
of state calls. We have stuck with local issues tonight,
primarily these the Steward healthcare crisis here in Massachusetts and
now bike lanes in downtown Austin. But if you want
to weigh in from another region of the country, love
(11:48):
to know if you are infested with the number of
bike lanes or infected. I'm not sure which word you
want to use. As we are here in Boston, it
is incredible ount of pavement in a relatively small city
like Boston. Physically geographically we're big city, but it's a
small area. It's only a city that's about five or
(12:10):
six seven eight miles wide and maybe about ten or
eleven miles from East Boston down to the lower tip
of Hyde Park in Readville, and yet bike lanes are everywhere.
Let's go next to Bill and Lexington. He wants to
talk about bikes as well. Hey Bill, how are you, sir?
Speaker 10 (12:29):
I'm okay, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
We're just great. I don't know if you get a
chance to get into Boston, but Lifton on what you
think about Boston's desire for more and more bike lanes.
Speaker 10 (12:38):
I am more all over Boston in the metro area.
I've been driving for thirty plus years. I've never once
been like, huh, we need bike lanes. There's so many
bikes out here, there's between.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, that's the point, you know, when you think about
the amount of asphalt or or city streets that are
given to bike lanes and compare that. I mean if
we were Amsterdam where everybody was in a bike, fine,
get rid of cars and go to bikes. That's eight
(13:14):
percent of the vehicles on the road in Boston, and
an ave given day of are automobiles. But automobiles don't
have ninety percent of the pavement or the asphalt.
Speaker 10 (13:23):
One hundred percent in the millions of dollars that go
into painting the bike lanes. And it's not just in Boston,
it's all around. To go twenty miles out side of
Boshington and they're painting bike lanes on state roads and
how many bikes do I ever see on them? One?
Maybe on a Sunday, not Monday through shadowy Yeah, it's
(13:46):
it's it's very like, huh, why we wasting got money
on this?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Well, we're wasting our money on it because politicians respond
to political lobbyists, and the bike bicycle lobby has been
very effective in Boston. They basically have rolled many of
the political leaders, including Mayor.
Speaker 10 (14:08):
Wou You couldn't have said a better dam And that's
some big problem in the whole world.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, and I don't think it's going to get better
anytime soon in Boston in my opinion.
Speaker 10 (14:20):
You can't. You can't be dumbing money at politicians and
have them both the way their constituents want. You need
to ask you situents like it's just it is. It's
kind of crazy. I would like to personally see a
bike lane built through the CEO of Stuart Healthcare's bank
account and maybe have some of the bike was staged back,
(14:41):
some of the money, Like why do you get these
multimillion dollar bonuses when you you can't produce and make
money at a hospital.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, I mean I think that if the politicians paid
more attention and what was going on with Stewart Healthcare
as opposed to paving paving the road with bicycle lanes,
we'd all be better, but.
Speaker 10 (15:02):
Hey, better empty. They're all empty. I mean, love you,
love you if you bike to work. Yeah, like i'd
be honestly.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Thanks Bill, appreciate you call. I have a great ongod
night pleasure all right, right back, got you. Uh, look,
we can always add a little humor here. But if
I wasn't going to laugh, you bought to cry. Because
I think Boston is being really railroaded with this. All
of a sudden, I got a bunch of open lines.
Couple of folks drop off, Let's fill them up. Six one, seven, two,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
(15:37):
I think this is a really important topic. It's going
to be interesting whether or not we're going to hear
from any other listener in any other state. Maybe it's
only Boston that has the problems. Let me go to
Sandy in West Roxbury, and I suspect that Sandy is
not thrilled with the bike lane proliferation and Center Street
in West Roxbury. Hi, Sandy, how are.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
You quite well? Welcome back to Italy.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah. I think the two main problems are one that
most people don't vote. I think in the last election,
what percent of Bostonians voted because everybodyisms is no point.
But I think people, I mean I've not met many people,
hardly any that like may Wou. And the other thing
about her is you can't get through to her at all.
(16:24):
I've called several times. She will not take my call.
I've been approached by several of her lackeys that want
meetings with me because I've considered a leader because of
the historical society, and they take copious notes and you
never hear from them again. You can't disagree with her,
She'll fire you. And what you said about the city council,
(16:45):
we have no representation at all.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You have a city councilor that is assigned to west Roxbury.
And if west Roxbury doesn't want to get out and
vote your city councilor. I think also where presents part
of make complane.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
He doesn't care about what doctory you know? He But
the thing is you can't disagree with her because if
he did, and I don't think he does anyway, but
if he did, I mean she would just you know,
cold shoulder him. And you know he's doing all these
things that that she wants. That's how she runs it.
Mae Andnino, who's the only one I really knew. Well,
(17:25):
he was so approachable. I mean he show up places
and you go up and talk to him face to face,
and his word meant something. If he said he was
going to do something, he didn't and if he didn't
like something, he'd tell you right then.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And Nadia face and Tomnina was a great mayor.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Well, he cared about the city. She doesn't. She doesn't
care about at all. Dirty or she's stupid.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
The one thing I know about Tom Minino, and I
know tom Nino very well, he loved being mayor.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
That was the epitome of his career. He had no
aspiration to go anywhere beyond mayor, beyond the mayor of Boston.
I cannot say that about the current mayor.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Clearly, I think she knows better than anybody. And you
know that's the whole attitude of the city council.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
But Mayor Wu, I think is counting the days until
Elizabeth Warren decides to give up her sendency. Or Eddie
Marky because she sees herself as Senator Wu in Washington.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
No, I don't either, but I think that's what her
aspiration is she is not gonna be she would serve
two terms if if, if she's lucky enough to be
re elected, and that will be it. Because she feels
that from an actual oarial point of view, either Marky
or Warren are going to have to give up their
Senate seat and now there'll be a competition. I think
(18:49):
Governor Healy might be interested in it. I think that
Joe Kennedy might want to make a comeback. But well,
we will see.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
But that's what Mayor is looking at. Well, I mean,
we have a few now, but for the most part,
they're not strong enough. They don't have the money, and
they don't you know, they just feel like people aren't
going to vote. And I think most people, I mean
I was an avowed Democrat. I think most people wore
but Democratic Party, you know, isn't what it used to be.
(19:16):
It's ridiculous, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well it's you know, they talk about how we got
to be We've got to have to have transparency and
Donald Trump's an autocrat and we don't like authoritarians and autocrats.
But look what has happened.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Here is the worst autocrat that I've ever and Kamala
I mean and and then she goes and steals his ideas.
That's that's all he's going to do.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
We talked about that, We talked about that last Yes,
I just joke. I think it's amazing that the vice
president has become the nominee of the Democratic Party without
ever campaigning for the job, without.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Ever the last night that way, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I truly consider it to be miraculous.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Yeah, I know, what do you call it? The immaculate?
I mean, the whole thing is a joke. I mean,
you know what everything they say about I mean, no,
I don't think anybody likes Trump. It's a person.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
He's at me that The phrase I'm using is the
immaculate nomination.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Immaculate nomination. But you know, Trump knows what he's doing.
He made the country a safer, better place. And Joe
Biden I don't. I don't know if he's dirty or not,
but either way, he is stupid. And that's not a
nice word, I know, But you know.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
It's I think we can we cant that a little bit.
City We could. We could say that he's lost a
little off his fastball.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Well I don't think he ever had anything.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Well, we could say that too, but we don't want
to say.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
He's stupid, right, No, it's a bad word, and I
feel bad about it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
We can strike that from the record, Okay, I.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Mean, but no, the people of the worst, the constituents
of the country, because I don't see what's happening right
in front of Well.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I looked at the voter turnout in West Roxbury. Yeah,
last mayoral race in city council election, and it's not
the West Roxbury that I once knew. It's not the
West Roxbury that used to have, you know, political rallies
on the night before primaries and the night before elections
that we come.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Well, everybody was a Democrat, but it was a good
thing to be a Democrat in those days. You know,
all the maze that I knew. But especially Menino listened.
They didn't impose she doesn't listen at all.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Not only doesn't she listen, doesn't mayor will listen, but
Mayor lou Will then enjoys the confrontation she had, the
confrontation with the North End restaurant owners. And you you
upset a sufficient number of people, and your road to
reelection can be tough. But we'll see, we'll see. You
got to call more often, Sandy, Okay, you got to
wake some of your people up in West Roxbury, but
(22:07):
we're awake.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
But you know, it just feels like an uphill battle cliffs.
She's obleak, terribly oblique, and you can't get you can't
get through to her, and you can't get through to
anybody who works for her, because you know, if you
hadn't minute, can I tell you that when she invited
me for lunch? Do you have a minute for that?
Speaker 6 (22:25):
All right?
Speaker 5 (22:26):
So one day I get this email, the May wants
to invite you, and I almost clicked it off because
I thought it's another one of these zom things. And
I opened up the dacy, Andy, the May wants to
invite you to lunch at the old Ale House on
Center Street and touch and Touch a day please, RSVP.
So I thought, what is this? So I emailed a
few people I knew, and they know they hadn't been invited.
(22:49):
So then I called back and I said, yes, I'd
like to come, but why was I invited? Well, it
turns out she invited the presidents of all the associations,
so they're about fourteen or fifteen of us. So we
were supposed to get another email, please be there by
quarter of twelve. The mayor is never late, so by
(23:10):
quarter or twelve, there's about fifteen of us standing outside
the Old Aalehouse. And by twelve and by twelve o'clock
nothing had happened. So I tried the doors and the
doors were locked. So about ten minutes past, I said,
something's wrong. I knew it wasn't me because we were
all there and she wasn't. And so I don't have
(23:32):
one of those films, but other people do where they
can check their email. So at the last minute she
changed the venue and I'm sure she never connected with
the Old Lalehouse, but at any rate, so it was
at this place. I won't mention the name because it
was horrendous. So I got there meeting with the twelve.
(23:53):
I got there twenty minutes to one, and they stopped
serving lunch. That had you know, we'd been about a lunch.
So there are about twelve of us in the horseshoe
configuration and half the table got served full meal beginning
to end. I didn't even get a plate. Nobody on
(24:16):
my side of the table got a plate. Okay, no food,
no nothing, So I was shaking it this time, I
was so angry. So she at one o'clock on the dark,
sa I have to go. I have another meeting. So
she runs with her eighteen peep. There were more of
her people than there were of us, And so I
went up to one of the waiters and I said,
(24:37):
what's going on? Why did only half the table get
served or play season? And he said, well, that's what
they told us to do. And he said, I'll make
you a plate right now. You'll take it home. I
said no, no, I wasn't at him, but.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Well that was pretty poor planning. Hey, Sandy, I'm way
into my newscast. Remind me I got to take a break.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Interesting story people point, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Surrounds yourself with bad people, arrogant and incompetent. That's not
a good combination. Not a good combination. Thanks Andy, talk.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
To you, they ca, thank bye bye.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Take a quick break. Here's the news six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty one line there six one, seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty Coming right back.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Thanks Kyle, let's get right back to the Coles calls.
We have full lines. Let's see what everybody wants to
talk about. Karen and Wisconsin. Karen, you are next on nightside.
Got any bike lanes in Madison, Wisconsin?
Speaker 11 (25:36):
Oh yeah, I've got them behind my house. And then
they decided to take my avenue and spend a year
and a half redoing it to put a bike lane
in when there's one right behind the house, so they
could call it loop around the lake. You know, it's
(25:57):
more fun to have water while you bike, So I
guess we have to go a block back.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Maybe they should put they should put a bike lane
through the lake and see how they would do driving
on their bike lane right through the lake.
Speaker 11 (26:11):
I have more trouble with the trains here. They don't
put any signals up to tell you there's train coming
that that.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Could be a real problem, Tarn. I've seen some of
those train accidents.
Speaker 11 (26:26):
I saw it coming and there was nothing telling me
one was coming.
Speaker 8 (26:31):
But I hope that's I do.
Speaker 11 (26:35):
I will just say I wonder how she really likes it,
because she's got to be she's living right on top
of West Roxbury. Unless she's only going into Boston proper
and back, she's living right there outside of Rosie Square. Yeah, roaches,
(27:02):
you know, right down the street and I hear roach.
How can people I talk? I don't talk to a
million people, but I lived there. I know what west
Roxbury's like.
Speaker 8 (27:17):
I can.
Speaker 11 (27:18):
I can tell you people don't even want to go
into roads because they've got it.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Oh yeahangerous. Now center Street. I've been on Center Street.
Speaker 11 (27:31):
I mean, I think that's the roach. I would say,
I'll see it road.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Street. Absolutely, that's when I'm back in Boston. That's where
I go to shop.
Speaker 11 (27:42):
That's and and I can't see how the you know,
all the restaurants, the things that are still in West
Roxbury are going to survive with this. And and she
lives right by the what does she do ride or
bike to West Roxbury?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I guess I don't think she gets to West Roxbury
very much. I think to a nice indoor parking space
at city Hall. Hey, Karen, I got a run. We'll
talk soon. Stay safe and stay well.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
I will you too, Dane.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
We're gonna let's let's go down the cape. Larry and Dennisport. Larry,
welcome next on night Side.
Speaker 10 (28:24):
How are you hi? Dan Taylor?
Speaker 6 (28:27):
So you know we have the rail trail over here,
and but I want to mention my son is a
homicide detective in the Boston Police Department and he spent
quite a few years in the vehicular homicide unit. Here's
the problem. Cyclists have to obey every rule of the road,
(28:52):
just like a car does that they don't, well, they're
supposed to know. Sure, So you mentioned one of the problems.
So a truck or a vehicle comes up to a
red light wants to take a right on red, which
I guess they're eliminating all of those, but in other
areas you could still do it. But they look to
the left, no car coming, They take a right turn,
(29:15):
and the cyclist in his bike lane, which gives him
a false sense of security. These the red light doesn't matter.
He goes straight through. It ends up under the truck.
Whose fault is it. It's always the vehicle. It's always
the car or the truck's fault. It's a terrible, terrible situation.
So I'll end it with this one. I still have
some doctors up in that area, and one of my
(29:37):
doctors moved to a new office on Broadway in Somerville.
Have you seen what they did to that one?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
No? I can just imagine in Summerville.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
It must be yeah, same thing. They got those white
lines and I couldn't even find the entrance into the
doctor's office. You know what I said.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
They have those stanchions that you have to park outside.
Speaker 6 (29:57):
Right, those white picket fences all along broad So to
solve the problem, I just found a new doctor.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Well it's too bad that you have to find a
new doctor. That is not easy to do in Massachusetts.
Speaker 10 (30:10):
I know, I know.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
But on the rail trail here. You've been on Cape
Cod right, you know what it's like. They come through
the rail trail, they get to the crossings, whether it's
Deepot Street or whatever street it is, they're supposed to
stop and walk their bike. If they're walking their bike
in a crosswalk, they're considered a pedestrian. But if you're
riding on a crosswalk, you're not a pedestrian and you
(30:33):
don't have the right of way.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Well, they do some crazy things.
Speaker 6 (30:39):
And again, and I'm an avid cyclist.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
No I understand, No, I know that, But you're a
responsible Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Well, you know what the difference is. You know what
I did. Now, I don't like riding in the roads.
I switched to my mountain bike and ninety percent of
my riding is in the gorgeous wooden trails of Cape Cod.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
You know something, You're a wise man.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Someday.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Great, dear you boys. Thanks, Okay, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
All right, Thanks, all right, Dan, alright, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Good night. Okay, Okay, we'll get one more in here
before the break. Let me go to in in San Antonio,
Texas in you were next on nightside.
Speaker 8 (31:12):
Welcome back, Hi, Dan, how are you good? Very good?
Thank you. This is a pity call. I'm so sorry
for what's going on. It's really just awful. It's terrible representation.
The arrogance of it all is astounding.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Do you have do you have many bike lanes popping up?
Speaker 6 (31:35):
And don't have any?
Speaker 8 (31:37):
And I just hope it doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Well, if you get if you get some progressive city
councils or god forbid, a progressive mayor in San Antonio,
you'll you'll, yeah, they will, they will.
Speaker 8 (31:51):
Pop up, whether you like it or yeah, and be crazy.
I can't vote for our mayor because I live in
the town, mayor county, but you know, I'm in San
Antonio and he's been a wonderful mayor. Though Mayor ron Nurrenberg.
He's been wonderful, but this is his last year and
(32:12):
the three people that are going to be running at
this point are.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Not are not. All you need, well, all you need
is one, you know, one good candidate who's going to say, hey,
we're not going to trip the roads over the bicycles.
That's all. But up here it is in up here,
it is just wild. I mean, there's more, yeah, bike
lanes than there are traffic lanes. And if you get
(32:40):
a chance to rud Brian mcgrory's piece in the Globe yesterday,
Brian is very progressive on most of these issues, and
he says in the Globe piece that he's talking but
at some point you got to say, whoa wait, hold it.
Speaker 12 (32:53):
Stock the quality of life is is really taken a
down turn to think that they don't even have uh
handicap accessible. Uh that's terrible. Well I just can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Well, don't come to Boston. Trust me.
Speaker 8 (33:16):
Well, we've had we've had visitors down here and they're
they're talking about the bike lanes and all the traffic
that uber and and you're right, and it's very sad.
It's very sad, and it's.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Not getting any better, and thank you so much. We
actually had we have like a bikes are in Boston.
We have a rats are and a bikes are. That
says a lot about Boston if you want.
Speaker 8 (33:39):
Who well, you know what your called what your caller
said about her luncheon with the mayor that that was astounding,
and see it said something else as well, and uh,
I can't remember what it was now, but uh it
was a good call day and us.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Is a good call as well. Keeping keeping contact with
you later. Okay, we do have a break. We got
in on and off, but we're a little bit late,
so let's go to the break. We're gonna get Michael,
Laurie and g O w in. I am gonna try
and I think we can do it back on nights
out after this.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Now back to Dan ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
On w b Z News Radio. All right, let's try
to get everybody in here. We're gonna go next to
Laurie in Idol. Got the bike lings out Idaho.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Laurie, Well, no, because there's a sign when you enter
the city where I live. This says, you know what,
pedestrians and michaelists bicyclists have the right of way no
matter what. So it's kind of like back in the day.
I remember back in the day, Boston was kind of
the city and said, if a pedestrian drops out of
the sky and you hit the pedestrian, your fault. And
(34:55):
so that's that's kind of like, yeah, here the the
the buckers and the bikers how the right away. But
everybody seems to kind of respect each other. And it's
not certainly it's not a huge city. And what we
do not have is a mayor WU which helps everything. Still,
it's it's interesting. It just seems like everybody kind of
(35:15):
gets along and the bicycles do their thing, and they're
not allowed to ride on the sidewalk. They have to
ride on the streets. And they have changed parking a
little bit, so there's some more room for the bicyclers.
But anyway, so I would think, I mean, so, I mean, so,
what is what is WU envisioning. I'm guessing there's not
like a peloton of bicyclists commuting to work every morning
(35:39):
in Boston and those bike lanes.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Right no, particularly in the winter when it's snowy, well
just not No, they've allocated probably twenty five percent of
the city's street surfaces to the bike lanes and just ridiculous.
Yeah it's it's not being used, right, but they don't care.
Those bike lanes are never going away.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Wow yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's you'll see them when
you come back, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Why.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
And I can admit it. I can envision them. I'm
familiar with the arion A letter stuff and I just
I can't even imagine. And everybody who calls, well, I
might see one bicycles a day in them, and she
just is not backing down.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
No, no, she's not backing down on anything. And hey,
we'll see what happens. I mean, the bike lanes support
the bicycles. It's a very powerful lobby. It's as simple
as that. And it can it can, it can influence
a city election. And that's that's what she's mean. Yeah,
for sure, you see Lloyd Love You gotta go here.
I got two more going to try to get in Okaya.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Good night, welcome back back.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Thanks thanks so much, Michael and Aiboro. Michael got room
for you in one more.
Speaker 6 (36:52):
Please go ahead, Michael, me Dan.
Speaker 9 (36:54):
I'm on this website. Senna Street Post construction re routing
three percent of the time versus point three percent preconstruction.
But here it's just parking reduced by seven spaces on
Center and two on Belgrade, and a DA space is
increased by one, which ridiculous plants add three more. I've
(37:18):
been over there.
Speaker 13 (37:18):
There's a few spots oddball spots down near Rah that
famous donut shop that.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We in Duet in his donuts, right, yeah, yeah, it's
it's like ten bucks.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
It's a little more expensive than me. I'm sticking with Duncan's.
But that's that's just the point of personal preference.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah, yeah, anyway, and may good but maybe not that good. Okay, right, anyway, anyway, the.
Speaker 9 (37:52):
That area and a couple out of the years with
the curved.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
Stats to uh become rounded so you can mark the
side street, they did a thing where the bikes them
against the curb and they made packing.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Right. You got to park in the middle of the
street and you got a hope that you're near a meter.
It's unbelievable, unbelievable.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
Chance of being killed. I'm only cutting off because chance
of being killed when struck by a driver as curious
speeds by age.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
About I don't want. I hope no one gets killed. Michael.
I got to get one more in my friend earlier.
More time.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Okay, you why you know why she's getting back in there.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
I'm here, I'm here. Yeah, I'll give you five more seconds.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Fight the Asian businessman.
Speaker 9 (38:45):
We haven't edity.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I don't really think so, Mike. I think that's got
nothing to do with it. Thanks for the call, Geo, Geo,
you're late.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
Go ahead, Dan, Which one doesn't belong We all went
to Rome, Geo, Dan Ray, Tommy Menino, and Fred schell
Vuci from MIT who planned the big gig. Which one
doesn't belong Dan Ray, who went to Rome and failed
to come back, describing Rome as a walking city with
(39:13):
bicycles and without cars.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
Well, first of all, first of all, Rome does have cars. Okay,
and I don't know when you were last in Rome,
but they it is a walkable city. But don't get
in front of the cars in room, Geo, or I
won't have you as a caller anymore.
Speaker 7 (39:32):
When you went to the did you go to the
Trevy Fountain? Of course, cars from the Trevy Fountain.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Yeah, right, that's that's one area. That's one area of Rome.
So you're right on Trevy Fountain. But again, Geo on
the mistake and never in doubt. Buddy, great to hear
your voice. Gotta go. Thanks J I appreciate it. Okay,
Oh my god, Geo is amazing. What do we got?
Thirty thirty? So okay, great, we're done Geo early, we
(40:00):
get have more time. You're a fun caller. We're done
for the night. I thank Rob. I'll also thank our
new producer tonight, Dan Tantano did a great job under
the tutelage of Rob. Back tomorrow night. Everybody. I got
Knightside with Dan Ray coming up on Facebook in a moment.
All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven. That's
why Pal Charlie Rayes, who passed fourteen years ago in Februar,
(40:20):
that's all your pets are who had passed. They loved you,
You loved them, and I believe you will see them again.
Have a great Wednesday, everybody, Dan Ray for Nightside, thanks
for listening, thanks for calling. Seeing Facebook. In a couple
of minutes,
It's nice Boston's news Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All Kyle, thank you very much. We are talking about
bike lanes in Boston, specifically referring to an interesting column
in Yesterday's Boston Atte written by old friend Brian McGrory.
Brian wrote a piece entitled is the Boylston Street bike
lane really necessary? Well, the answer I think is clear
(00:28):
in the question the once grand thoroughfare now feels like
a crowded, unkempt, chaotic mess. Yes it does, and that
can apply to a lot of other areas. Now, Brian
is no anti bike lane person, per se. I am
fit that description much more because I think that city
(00:50):
streets are for automobiles. They are not for bicycles in
my opinion. But obviously there is a new sheriff in town.
We have a Czar of Streets in Boston, and they
are committed to putting bike lanes everywhere I have been
in recently, been over in Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxford area, and
(01:11):
a lot of places where they have bike lanes just
absolutely unnecessary. Brian McGrory writes specifically specifically about Boylston Street,
which is such a great, great street. It is one
of Boston's grand You know, grand commercial thoroughfare. So if
(01:32):
you've been in Boston lately, love to know how I
feel about bike lanes. If you're in other parts of
the country, whether you're in a rural town in Ohio
or you're in a major city in Michigan. We have
a lot of listeners in a lot of different places
around the country. I'd love to know also what you
think about bike lanes. They are a huge problem in
(01:56):
Boston in my opinion and in the opinion of many
of our callers. Six one seven six. Let's go to
a Boston caller and Joeanne is in East Boston. Joe Anne, welcome,
How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Good Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (02:11):
I'm doing just great. So you're in East Boston. You
get some bike lanes over there.
Speaker 4 (02:17):
The bike lanes are on the sidewalk because no one
wants to drive in the street, so they go flying down.
Speaker 5 (02:25):
You know.
Speaker 4 (02:26):
I live on Bennington Street and it's a great you
know family. Most of the people that live in the
houses have been here for years, but also there are
new people with babies and carriages and dogs, and I
think the worst part is that there's no room for
all of this. So we were sitting out the other day.
(02:50):
Let's just tell you quickly that this neighbor of mine
had her dog and her baby in the carriage and
this scooter. The scooters are another thing we have to
contend with, drying down the street forty miles an hour
and did not slow down, and you know, we yelled
at him slow down, and he came back and he
(03:12):
gave us the you know, flipped us off.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Yeah, basically one.
Speaker 6 (03:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:19):
No, he came back a.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Classic guy, A classy guy.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Yeah, really, classic kid. It's a kid.
Speaker 8 (03:26):
It was a kid.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
So it's these kids. And he came back in front
of my house four or five times. So not only
are they intimidating when they are on these wheels, but
you tell them to slow down and they're in and
they're furious that who do you think you are? But
the other problem here is I work on Comass and
(03:49):
I drive to work because I work at MGH, and
to contend with number one bike riders that can't ride
bikes and one and number two is that when there's
a sign that says that they have the right to
the full lane, that means in and out, weaving in
and out. There is a red bike signal to stop,
(04:14):
rarely ever ever obeyed. And you know right where mass
av and Newberry Street and that new building are. The
light goes on for the pedestrians to cross, for the
cars coming from mass Ave to cut over to the
mass Pike, and for the bikes to go. And I'm
(04:36):
sitting there watching this, and I mean, no one's paying attention,
no one. And if you tell, if I tell the
bike lane, if I tell the bikes, you have a
red light. Oh my god, you think.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
They believe that they owed many of the bikes on
the road.
Speaker 9 (04:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Literally, they don't pay for the roads, the insurance on
their viehicle, They don't pay sort of any sort of
like gas taxes to support the roads. But they feel
that they have a right to do whatever they want
and they don't comply. Many of them do not comply
with red lights. And some of them find themselves in situations,
sadly where they get injured on bikes because they have
(05:18):
been ready to believe that they are impervious and they
can do whatever they want. And it's sad every time
I hear a story about some bicyclist who has been
hit by a truck taking away. Yeah, yeah, you were
you thinking? Were you aware of what was going on?
And I mean, I don't want to say so.
Speaker 4 (05:35):
They're changing Dan, they're changing the signals so you can't
turn right on red anymore. But that's that's for cars,
because bikes don't follow that. The other point is, you
know what's wrong with taking taking some lessons on learning
how to ride a bike or get a license if
you want to ride in the street. And I know
(05:57):
that's not popular amongst any bike but although.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
The bike, the bike riders, the bicyclists want to be
free to use whatever road they want. They do not
feel they have to pay anything insurance, any sort of registration.
And if a bike bike, it has happened to people,
happens to impact your car, scratch your car, or God forbid,
take out the mirror on your car, you're in the hook.
(06:22):
And if you have a two hundred and fifty dollars
five hundred dollars deductible in your automobile insurance, you're gonna
you're gonna pay for them, and they're just gonna merely
drive away and you have no way of identified them,
and I identify them. They have become a very powerful
political lobby, and they show their strength in Boston and
in different parts of the city. What I don't understand
(06:44):
is how people in West Roxbury have allowed Semistry to
be taken over by bike lanes.
Speaker 4 (06:49):
Well because they need the mayor. So, I mean, the
mayor would never allow half the things that she's allowing
in Boston next to her house. So we all say,
you know, do you want a twenty twenty condo building
next to your house? N answer would be no. Do
you want to pop up restaurant next to your house?
Speaker 6 (07:12):
No?
Speaker 4 (07:12):
So I mean it's it's just ironic that we continue
to have to suffer for these kind of innovations that
go great somewhere else but not in Boston.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, they might be great in the city like Phoenix,
which has big, wide streets and weather, you know, eleven
months out of the air at sunny and Phoenix and
you have a few rainstorms at at different times, but
it's not Boston, right, not Boston. But guess when someone
gets elected mayor, they have four years to do whatever
the heck they want, and she certainly has in terms
of bikelines.
Speaker 4 (07:45):
I'll tell you, but one more thing. Do you see
wheelchairs now have any right to the road because they
can't even get through. And I think that was brought
up in the Globe, and I think it was on
your show when you have Flynn on a couple of
weeks ago, where they were talking about there's no advocacy
(08:07):
for anybody that's disabled in a wheelchair. Now it's by
reserve to bike lanes, but where the wheelchairs.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Go nowhere, Nowhere. Again, you do not have a wheelchair lobby.
You have a bike lobby and politicians right lobby to
political lobbies. That's it's simple. It's as simple as that, Joey.
Look at what's happened to the restaurant owners in the
North End. They basically be rolled over by the mayor's
They said, you don't want to participate, you don't want
(08:36):
to play and do what we say we will. We
just roll over you. This mayor's made a lot of
a lot of different constituencies mad whether or not someone's
going to step up, we will have we will have
to see. I certainly hope that the mayor does not
have a free ride because that will only embolden her
(08:56):
to put bike lanes through people's living rooms. Run.
Speaker 4 (09:01):
I hope I help Flynn runs I hope Flynn runs
because I'll vote and work on his campaign.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
All right, Well, if that's listening a situation.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
Dan, Dan, if you want to talk about East Boston,
you call me anytime, because I'm an advocate here and
I'm constantly, you know, trying to bring attention to not
blaming people. But let's take responsibility as shared responsibility, that
we're working together and it's not one section pitted against another.
(09:33):
But that's what's happening. And I love your show.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
By the way, so well, Joey, thank.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
You so much. Please call more often. I love your calls.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
I will do that.
Speaker 2 (09:42):
Take a care to tell your neighbors about night Side.
You know, you don't have to sit in front of
the boob tube and just watch. They can participate.
Speaker 4 (09:50):
I just put it on Facebook. I just call them.
Than take care, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Good night, We'll keep rolling here. The only well, I
got one line hoping that Joeanne was on six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty and two lines at six one, seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. I got Bill and Lexington Paul and
need him coming up in this room for you. We're
talking about bikes in Boston. And when The Boston Globe
former editor Brian McGrory agrees with me, he's not an
(10:19):
anti bike person. I'm not an anti bike person either,
but I think it's way out of control. And Brian
McGrory and Yesterday's Globe on b one above the fold says,
is the Boylston Street bike lane really necessary? They will
kill the city of Boston. They will kill the city
of Boston with bike lanes and all of these people
who want more and more bikes. There's some bicyclists out there,
(10:41):
but they are way out numbered by drivers. Unfortunately, the
car car drivers don't have the lobby that bike lanes do.
We'll continue the conversation. If you think that Boston needs
more bike lanes, I'd love to hear from you. We're
coming back on Nightside. If you're from West Roxbury, way
in you people have been rolled in rest wa wes
Roxbury because frankly you don't have any representation in city
(11:03):
council anymore that represents West Roxbury. Got you basically get
outnumbered by the progressives in Jamaica. Plane We'll be back
on Nightside six one, seven, nine thirty only lines available
Back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
to night side studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
It's funny tonight all of our calls have been from Massachusetts.
Very rarely do we have a program without any out
of state calls. We have stuck with local issues tonight,
primarily these the Steward healthcare crisis here in Massachusetts and
now bike lanes in downtown Austin. But if you want
to weigh in from another region of the country, love
(11:48):
to know if you are infested with the number of
bike lanes or infected. I'm not sure which word you
want to use. As we are here in Boston, it
is incredible ount of pavement in a relatively small city
like Boston. Physically geographically we're big city, but it's a
small area. It's only a city that's about five or
(12:10):
six seven eight miles wide and maybe about ten or
eleven miles from East Boston down to the lower tip
of Hyde Park in Readville, and yet bike lanes are everywhere.
Let's go next to Bill and Lexington. He wants to
talk about bikes as well. Hey Bill, how are you, sir?
Speaker 10 (12:29):
I'm okay, how you doing.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
We're just great. I don't know if you get a
chance to get into Boston, but Lifton on what you
think about Boston's desire for more and more bike lanes.
Speaker 10 (12:38):
I am more all over Boston in the metro area.
I've been driving for thirty plus years. I've never once
been like, huh, we need bike lanes. There's so many
bikes out here, there's between.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Yeah, that's the point, you know, when you think about
the amount of asphalt or or city streets that are
given to bike lanes and compare that. I mean if
we were Amsterdam where everybody was in a bike, fine,
get rid of cars and go to bikes. That's eight
(13:14):
percent of the vehicles on the road in Boston, and
an ave given day of are automobiles. But automobiles don't
have ninety percent of the pavement or the asphalt.
Speaker 10 (13:23):
One hundred percent in the millions of dollars that go
into painting the bike lanes. And it's not just in Boston,
it's all around. To go twenty miles out side of
Boshington and they're painting bike lanes on state roads and
how many bikes do I ever see on them? One?
Maybe on a Sunday, not Monday through shadowy Yeah, it's
(13:46):
it's it's very like, huh, why we wasting got money
on this?
Speaker 2 (13:52):
Well, we're wasting our money on it because politicians respond
to political lobbyists, and the bike bicycle lobby has been
very effective in Boston. They basically have rolled many of
the political leaders, including Mayor.
Speaker 10 (14:08):
Wou You couldn't have said a better dam And that's
some big problem in the whole world.
Speaker 2 (14:15):
Yeah, and I don't think it's going to get better
anytime soon in Boston in my opinion.
Speaker 10 (14:20):
You can't. You can't be dumbing money at politicians and
have them both the way their constituents want. You need
to ask you situents like it's just it is. It's
kind of crazy. I would like to personally see a
bike lane built through the CEO of Stuart Healthcare's bank
account and maybe have some of the bike was staged back,
(14:41):
some of the money, Like why do you get these
multimillion dollar bonuses when you you can't produce and make
money at a hospital.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, I mean I think that if the politicians paid
more attention and what was going on with Stewart Healthcare
as opposed to paving paving the road with bicycle lanes,
we'd all be better, but.
Speaker 10 (15:02):
Hey, better empty. They're all empty. I mean, love you,
love you if you bike to work. Yeah, like i'd
be honestly.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Thanks Bill, appreciate you call. I have a great ongod
night pleasure all right, right back, got you. Uh, look,
we can always add a little humor here. But if
I wasn't going to laugh, you bought to cry. Because
I think Boston is being really railroaded with this. All
of a sudden, I got a bunch of open lines.
Couple of folks drop off, Let's fill them up. Six one, seven, two,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
(15:37):
I think this is a really important topic. It's going
to be interesting whether or not we're going to hear
from any other listener in any other state. Maybe it's
only Boston that has the problems. Let me go to
Sandy in West Roxbury, and I suspect that Sandy is
not thrilled with the bike lane proliferation and Center Street
in West Roxbury. Hi, Sandy, how are.
Speaker 5 (15:57):
You quite well? Welcome back to Italy.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
Yeah. I think the two main problems are one that
most people don't vote. I think in the last election,
what percent of Bostonians voted because everybodyisms is no point.
But I think people, I mean I've not met many people,
hardly any that like may Wou. And the other thing
about her is you can't get through to her at all.
(16:24):
I've called several times. She will not take my call.
I've been approached by several of her lackeys that want
meetings with me because I've considered a leader because of
the historical society, and they take copious notes and you
never hear from them again. You can't disagree with her,
She'll fire you. And what you said about the city council,
(16:45):
we have no representation at all.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
You have a city councilor that is assigned to west Roxbury.
And if west Roxbury doesn't want to get out and
vote your city councilor. I think also where presents part
of make complane.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
He doesn't care about what doctory you know? He But
the thing is you can't disagree with her because if
he did, and I don't think he does anyway, but
if he did, I mean she would just you know,
cold shoulder him. And you know he's doing all these
things that that she wants. That's how she runs it.
Mae Andnino, who's the only one I really knew. Well,
(17:25):
he was so approachable. I mean he show up places
and you go up and talk to him face to face,
and his word meant something. If he said he was
going to do something, he didn't and if he didn't
like something, he'd tell you right then.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
And Nadia face and Tomnina was a great mayor.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Well, he cared about the city. She doesn't. She doesn't
care about at all. Dirty or she's stupid.
Speaker 2 (17:48):
The one thing I know about Tom Minino, and I
know tom Nino very well, he loved being mayor.
Speaker 5 (17:55):
Yeah he did.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
That was the epitome of his career. He had no
aspiration to go anywhere beyond mayor, beyond the mayor of Boston.
I cannot say that about the current mayor.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
Clearly, I think she knows better than anybody. And you
know that's the whole attitude of the city council.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
But Mayor Wu, I think is counting the days until
Elizabeth Warren decides to give up her sendency. Or Eddie
Marky because she sees herself as Senator Wu in Washington.
Speaker 5 (18:26):
Well, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (18:28):
No, I don't either, but I think that's what her
aspiration is she is not gonna be she would serve
two terms if if, if she's lucky enough to be
re elected, and that will be it. Because she feels
that from an actual oarial point of view, either Marky
or Warren are going to have to give up their
Senate seat and now there'll be a competition. I think
(18:49):
Governor Healy might be interested in it. I think that
Joe Kennedy might want to make a comeback. But well,
we will see.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
But that's what Mayor is looking at. Well, I mean,
we have a few now, but for the most part,
they're not strong enough. They don't have the money, and
they don't you know, they just feel like people aren't
going to vote. And I think most people, I mean
I was an avowed Democrat. I think most people wore
but Democratic Party, you know, isn't what it used to be.
(19:16):
It's ridiculous, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Well it's you know, they talk about how we got
to be We've got to have to have transparency and
Donald Trump's an autocrat and we don't like authoritarians and autocrats.
But look what has happened.
Speaker 5 (19:32):
Here is the worst autocrat that I've ever and Kamala
I mean and and then she goes and steals his ideas.
That's that's all he's going to do.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
We talked about that, We talked about that last Yes,
I just joke. I think it's amazing that the vice
president has become the nominee of the Democratic Party without
ever campaigning for the job, without.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Ever the last night that way, Well, I.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I truly consider it to be miraculous.
Speaker 5 (20:07):
Yeah, I know, what do you call it? The immaculate?
I mean, the whole thing is a joke. I mean,
you know what everything they say about I mean, no,
I don't think anybody likes Trump. It's a person.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
He's at me that The phrase I'm using is the
immaculate nomination.
Speaker 5 (20:24):
Immaculate nomination. But you know, Trump knows what he's doing.
He made the country a safer, better place. And Joe
Biden I don't. I don't know if he's dirty or not,
but either way, he is stupid. And that's not a
nice word, I know, But you know.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
It's I think we can we cant that a little bit.
City We could. We could say that he's lost a
little off his fastball.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
Well I don't think he ever had anything.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Well, we could say that too, but we don't want
to say.
Speaker 5 (20:56):
He's stupid, right, No, it's a bad word, and I
feel bad about it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
We can strike that from the record, Okay, I.
Speaker 5 (21:06):
Mean, but no, the people of the worst, the constituents
of the country, because I don't see what's happening right
in front of Well.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
I looked at the voter turnout in West Roxbury. Yeah,
last mayoral race in city council election, and it's not
the West Roxbury that I once knew. It's not the
West Roxbury that used to have, you know, political rallies
on the night before primaries and the night before elections
that we come.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Well, everybody was a Democrat, but it was a good
thing to be a Democrat in those days. You know,
all the maze that I knew. But especially Menino listened.
They didn't impose she doesn't listen at all.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Not only doesn't she listen, doesn't mayor will listen, but
Mayor lou Will then enjoys the confrontation she had, the
confrontation with the North End restaurant owners. And you you
upset a sufficient number of people, and your road to
reelection can be tough. But we'll see, we'll see. You
got to call more often, Sandy, Okay, you got to
wake some of your people up in West Roxbury, but
(22:07):
we're awake.
Speaker 5 (22:08):
But you know, it just feels like an uphill battle cliffs.
She's obleak, terribly oblique, and you can't get you can't
get through to her, and you can't get through to
anybody who works for her, because you know, if you
hadn't minute, can I tell you that when she invited
me for lunch? Do you have a minute for that?
Speaker 6 (22:25):
All right?
Speaker 5 (22:26):
So one day I get this email, the May wants
to invite you, and I almost clicked it off because
I thought it's another one of these zom things. And
I opened up the dacy, Andy, the May wants to
invite you to lunch at the old Ale House on
Center Street and touch and Touch a day please, RSVP.
So I thought, what is this? So I emailed a
few people I knew, and they know they hadn't been invited.
(22:49):
So then I called back and I said, yes, I'd
like to come, but why was I invited? Well, it
turns out she invited the presidents of all the associations,
so they're about fourteen or fifteen of us. So we
were supposed to get another email, please be there by
quarter of twelve. The mayor is never late, so by
(23:10):
quarter or twelve, there's about fifteen of us standing outside
the Old Aalehouse. And by twelve and by twelve o'clock
nothing had happened. So I tried the doors and the
doors were locked. So about ten minutes past, I said,
something's wrong. I knew it wasn't me because we were
all there and she wasn't. And so I don't have
(23:32):
one of those films, but other people do where they
can check their email. So at the last minute she
changed the venue and I'm sure she never connected with
the Old Lalehouse, but at any rate, so it was
at this place. I won't mention the name because it
was horrendous. So I got there meeting with the twelve.
(23:53):
I got there twenty minutes to one, and they stopped
serving lunch. That had you know, we'd been about a lunch.
So there are about twelve of us in the horseshoe
configuration and half the table got served full meal beginning
to end. I didn't even get a plate. Nobody on
(24:16):
my side of the table got a plate. Okay, no food,
no nothing, So I was shaking it this time, I
was so angry. So she at one o'clock on the dark,
sa I have to go. I have another meeting. So
she runs with her eighteen peep. There were more of
her people than there were of us, And so I
went up to one of the waiters and I said,
(24:37):
what's going on? Why did only half the table get
served or play season? And he said, well, that's what
they told us to do. And he said, I'll make
you a plate right now. You'll take it home. I
said no, no, I wasn't at him, but.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Well that was pretty poor planning. Hey, Sandy, I'm way
into my newscast. Remind me I got to take a break.
Speaker 5 (24:58):
Interesting story people point, Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Surrounds yourself with bad people, arrogant and incompetent. That's not
a good combination. Not a good combination. Thanks Andy, talk.
Speaker 5 (25:08):
To you, they ca, thank bye bye.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
Take a quick break. Here's the news six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty one line there six one, seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty Coming right back.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (25:25):
Thanks Kyle, let's get right back to the Coles calls.
We have full lines. Let's see what everybody wants to
talk about. Karen and Wisconsin. Karen, you are next on nightside.
Got any bike lanes in Madison, Wisconsin?
Speaker 11 (25:36):
Oh yeah, I've got them behind my house. And then
they decided to take my avenue and spend a year
and a half redoing it to put a bike lane
in when there's one right behind the house, so they
could call it loop around the lake. You know, it's
(25:57):
more fun to have water while you bike, So I
guess we have to go a block back.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Maybe they should put they should put a bike lane
through the lake and see how they would do driving
on their bike lane right through the lake.
Speaker 11 (26:11):
I have more trouble with the trains here. They don't
put any signals up to tell you there's train coming
that that.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Could be a real problem, Tarn. I've seen some of
those train accidents.
Speaker 11 (26:26):
I saw it coming and there was nothing telling me
one was coming.
Speaker 8 (26:31):
But I hope that's I do.
Speaker 11 (26:35):
I will just say I wonder how she really likes it,
because she's got to be she's living right on top
of West Roxbury. Unless she's only going into Boston proper
and back, she's living right there outside of Rosie Square. Yeah, roaches,
(27:02):
you know, right down the street and I hear roach.
How can people I talk? I don't talk to a
million people, but I lived there. I know what west
Roxbury's like.
Speaker 8 (27:17):
I can.
Speaker 11 (27:18):
I can tell you people don't even want to go
into roads because they've got it.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Oh yeahangerous. Now center Street. I've been on Center Street.
Speaker 11 (27:31):
I mean, I think that's the roach. I would say,
I'll see it road.
Speaker 2 (27:38):
Street. Absolutely, that's when I'm back in Boston. That's where
I go to shop.
Speaker 11 (27:42):
That's and and I can't see how the you know,
all the restaurants, the things that are still in West
Roxbury are going to survive with this. And and she
lives right by the what does she do ride or
bike to West Roxbury?
Speaker 2 (28:03):
I guess I don't think she gets to West Roxbury
very much. I think to a nice indoor parking space
at city Hall. Hey, Karen, I got a run. We'll
talk soon. Stay safe and stay well.
Speaker 11 (28:15):
I will you too, Dane.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
We're gonna let's let's go down the cape. Larry and Dennisport. Larry,
welcome next on night Side.
Speaker 10 (28:24):
How are you hi? Dan Taylor?
Speaker 6 (28:27):
So you know we have the rail trail over here,
and but I want to mention my son is a
homicide detective in the Boston Police Department and he spent
quite a few years in the vehicular homicide unit. Here's
the problem. Cyclists have to obey every rule of the road,
(28:52):
just like a car does that they don't, well, they're
supposed to know. Sure, So you mentioned one of the problems.
So a truck or a vehicle comes up to a
red light wants to take a right on red, which
I guess they're eliminating all of those, but in other
areas you could still do it. But they look to
the left, no car coming, They take a right turn,
(29:15):
and the cyclist in his bike lane, which gives him
a false sense of security. These the red light doesn't matter.
He goes straight through. It ends up under the truck.
Whose fault is it. It's always the vehicle. It's always
the car or the truck's fault. It's a terrible, terrible situation.
So I'll end it with this one. I still have
some doctors up in that area, and one of my
(29:37):
doctors moved to a new office on Broadway in Somerville.
Have you seen what they did to that one?
Speaker 2 (29:42):
No? I can just imagine in Summerville.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
It must be yeah, same thing. They got those white
lines and I couldn't even find the entrance into the
doctor's office. You know what I said.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
They have those stanchions that you have to park outside.
Speaker 6 (29:57):
Right, those white picket fences all along broad So to
solve the problem, I just found a new doctor.
Speaker 2 (30:05):
Well it's too bad that you have to find a
new doctor. That is not easy to do in Massachusetts.
Speaker 10 (30:10):
I know, I know.
Speaker 6 (30:11):
But on the rail trail here. You've been on Cape
Cod right, you know what it's like. They come through
the rail trail, they get to the crossings, whether it's
Deepot Street or whatever street it is, they're supposed to
stop and walk their bike. If they're walking their bike
in a crosswalk, they're considered a pedestrian. But if you're
riding on a crosswalk, you're not a pedestrian and you
(30:33):
don't have the right of way.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Well, they do some crazy things.
Speaker 6 (30:39):
And again, and I'm an avid cyclist.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
No I understand, No, I know that, But you're a
responsible Yeah.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
Well, you know what the difference is. You know what
I did. Now, I don't like riding in the roads.
I switched to my mountain bike and ninety percent of
my riding is in the gorgeous wooden trails of Cape Cod.
Speaker 2 (30:55):
You know something, You're a wise man.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Someday.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Great, dear you boys. Thanks, Okay, we'll talk soon.
Speaker 6 (31:01):
All right, Thanks, all right, Dan, alright, bye bye.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Good night. Okay, Okay, we'll get one more in here
before the break. Let me go to in in San Antonio,
Texas in you were next on nightside.
Speaker 8 (31:12):
Welcome back, Hi, Dan, how are you good? Very good?
Thank you. This is a pity call. I'm so sorry
for what's going on. It's really just awful. It's terrible representation.
The arrogance of it all is astounding.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Do you have do you have many bike lanes popping up?
Speaker 6 (31:35):
And don't have any?
Speaker 8 (31:37):
And I just hope it doesn't happen.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Well, if you get if you get some progressive city
councils or god forbid, a progressive mayor in San Antonio,
you'll you'll, yeah, they will, they will.
Speaker 8 (31:51):
Pop up, whether you like it or yeah, and be crazy.
I can't vote for our mayor because I live in
the town, mayor county, but you know, I'm in San
Antonio and he's been a wonderful mayor. Though Mayor ron Nurrenberg.
He's been wonderful, but this is his last year and
(32:12):
the three people that are going to be running at
this point are.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Not are not. All you need, well, all you need
is one, you know, one good candidate who's going to say, hey,
we're not going to trip the roads over the bicycles.
That's all. But up here it is in up here,
it is just wild. I mean, there's more, yeah, bike
lanes than there are traffic lanes. And if you get
(32:40):
a chance to rud Brian mcgrory's piece in the Globe yesterday,
Brian is very progressive on most of these issues, and
he says in the Globe piece that he's talking but
at some point you got to say, whoa wait, hold it.
Speaker 12 (32:53):
Stock the quality of life is is really taken a
down turn to think that they don't even have uh
handicap accessible. Uh that's terrible. Well I just can't imagine.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
Well, don't come to Boston. Trust me.
Speaker 8 (33:16):
Well, we've had we've had visitors down here and they're
they're talking about the bike lanes and all the traffic
that uber and and you're right, and it's very sad.
It's very sad, and it's.
Speaker 2 (33:28):
Not getting any better, and thank you so much. We
actually had we have like a bikes are in Boston.
We have a rats are and a bikes are. That
says a lot about Boston if you want.
Speaker 8 (33:39):
Who well, you know what your called what your caller
said about her luncheon with the mayor that that was astounding,
and see it said something else as well, and uh,
I can't remember what it was now, but uh it
was a good call day and us.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Is a good call as well. Keeping keeping contact with
you later. Okay, we do have a break. We got
in on and off, but we're a little bit late,
so let's go to the break. We're gonna get Michael,
Laurie and g O w in. I am gonna try
and I think we can do it back on nights
out after this.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Now back to Dan ray Mine from the Window World
night Side Studios.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
On w b Z News Radio. All right, let's try
to get everybody in here. We're gonna go next to
Laurie in Idol. Got the bike lings out Idaho.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Laurie, Well, no, because there's a sign when you enter
the city where I live. This says, you know what,
pedestrians and michaelists bicyclists have the right of way no
matter what. So it's kind of like back in the day.
I remember back in the day, Boston was kind of
the city and said, if a pedestrian drops out of
the sky and you hit the pedestrian, your fault. And
(34:55):
so that's that's kind of like, yeah, here the the
the buckers and the bikers how the right away. But
everybody seems to kind of respect each other. And it's
not certainly it's not a huge city. And what we
do not have is a mayor WU which helps everything. Still,
it's it's interesting. It just seems like everybody kind of
(35:15):
gets along and the bicycles do their thing, and they're
not allowed to ride on the sidewalk. They have to
ride on the streets. And they have changed parking a
little bit, so there's some more room for the bicyclers.
But anyway, so I would think, I mean, so, I mean, so,
what is what is WU envisioning. I'm guessing there's not
like a peloton of bicyclists commuting to work every morning
(35:39):
in Boston and those bike lanes.
Speaker 2 (35:40):
Right no, particularly in the winter when it's snowy, well
just not No, they've allocated probably twenty five percent of
the city's street surfaces to the bike lanes and just ridiculous.
Yeah it's it's not being used, right, but they don't care.
Those bike lanes are never going away.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
Wow yeah, yeah, yeah, that's that's you'll see them when
you come back, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:12):
Why.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
And I can admit it. I can envision them. I'm
familiar with the arion A letter stuff and I just
I can't even imagine. And everybody who calls, well, I
might see one bicycles a day in them, and she
just is not backing down.
Speaker 2 (36:26):
No, no, she's not backing down on anything. And hey,
we'll see what happens. I mean, the bike lanes support
the bicycles. It's a very powerful lobby. It's as simple
as that. And it can it can, it can influence
a city election. And that's that's what she's mean. Yeah,
for sure, you see Lloyd Love You gotta go here.
I got two more going to try to get in Okaya.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Good night, welcome back back.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Thanks thanks so much, Michael and Aiboro. Michael got room
for you in one more.
Speaker 6 (36:52):
Please go ahead, Michael, me Dan.
Speaker 9 (36:54):
I'm on this website. Senna Street Post construction re routing
three percent of the time versus point three percent preconstruction.
But here it's just parking reduced by seven spaces on
Center and two on Belgrade, and a DA space is
increased by one, which ridiculous plants add three more. I've
(37:18):
been over there.
Speaker 13 (37:18):
There's a few spots oddball spots down near Rah that
famous donut shop that.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We in Duet in his donuts, right, yeah, yeah, it's
it's like ten bucks.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
It's a little more expensive than me. I'm sticking with Duncan's.
But that's that's just the point of personal preference.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
Yeah, yeah, anyway, and may good but maybe not that good. Okay, right, anyway, anyway, the.
Speaker 9 (37:52):
That area and a couple out of the years with
the curved.
Speaker 13 (37:55):
Stats to uh become rounded so you can mark the
side street, they did a thing where the bikes them
against the curb and they made packing.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Right. You got to park in the middle of the
street and you got a hope that you're near a meter.
It's unbelievable, unbelievable.
Speaker 9 (38:16):
Chance of being killed. I'm only cutting off because chance
of being killed when struck by a driver as curious
speeds by age.
Speaker 2 (38:28):
About I don't want. I hope no one gets killed. Michael.
I got to get one more in my friend earlier.
More time.
Speaker 6 (38:34):
Okay, you why you know why she's getting back in there.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
I'm here, I'm here. Yeah, I'll give you five more seconds.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Fight the Asian businessman.
Speaker 9 (38:45):
We haven't edity.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I don't really think so, Mike. I think that's got
nothing to do with it. Thanks for the call, Geo, Geo,
you're late.
Speaker 7 (38:52):
Go ahead, Dan, Which one doesn't belong We all went
to Rome, Geo, Dan Ray, Tommy Menino, and Fred schell
Vuci from MIT who planned the big gig. Which one
doesn't belong Dan Ray, who went to Rome and failed
to come back, describing Rome as a walking city with
(39:13):
bicycles and without cars.
Speaker 2 (39:16):
Well, first of all, first of all, Rome does have cars. Okay,
and I don't know when you were last in Rome,
but they it is a walkable city. But don't get
in front of the cars in room, Geo, or I
won't have you as a caller anymore.
Speaker 7 (39:32):
When you went to the did you go to the
Trevy Fountain? Of course, cars from the Trevy Fountain.
Speaker 2 (39:38):
Yeah, right, that's that's one area. That's one area of Rome.
So you're right on Trevy Fountain. But again, Geo on
the mistake and never in doubt. Buddy, great to hear
your voice. Gotta go. Thanks J I appreciate it. Okay,
Oh my god, Geo is amazing. What do we got?
Thirty thirty? So okay, great, we're done Geo early, we
(40:00):
get have more time. You're a fun caller. We're done
for the night. I thank Rob. I'll also thank our
new producer tonight, Dan Tantano did a great job under
the tutelage of Rob. Back tomorrow night. Everybody. I got
Knightside with Dan Ray coming up on Facebook in a moment.
All dogs, all cats, all pets go to heaven. That's
why Pal Charlie Rayes, who passed fourteen years ago in Februar,
(40:20):
that's all your pets are who had passed. They loved you,
You loved them, and I believe you will see them again.
Have a great Wednesday, everybody, Dan Ray for Nightside, thanks
for listening, thanks for calling. Seeing Facebook. In a couple
of minutes,
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