Have you ever been passed too closely by a bus while riding your bike?

Ever had to navigate a huge transit facility that felt unsafe? Can you think of a piece of property owned by a transit agency which could be used to make bicycling safer in your community?

Today you can make a difference, but only if you act right now to make sure that your comments are logged by the end of today, Tuesday, October 13.

The Federal Transit Administration is still implementing a portion of a law which was passed in 2012 (MAP-21). It establishes their authority to regulate safety at transit agencies nationwide - believe it or not, this is a new responsibility. They have wide latitude in how they do this and depend greatly on the public to determine the details of how it's done. Any member of the public can comment - you don't need a degree in transportation engineering to participate.

Here's what to do:

1) Visit Regulations.gov and read the proposed regulation.

2) Click on the "Comment Now!" button on the top right, and leave a paragraph or two in your own words, describing why you think bicycle safety (and pedestrian safety) should be a crucial part of any National Public Transportation Safety Program.

Need some inspiration for your commentary?

• • The new program already mandates a safety training program for all agencies. Could that program include training for bus drivers?

• • Bus stops are usually on land owned by an entity other than the transit agency. Since the current program only deals with facilities owned by the transit agency itself, how can the safety program encourage coordination with other land-owners so that these things don't fall through the cracks?

• • The MBTA is the second-largest land-owner in Massachusetts. Many other transit agencies in the nation are large land-owners as well. How can a national public transportation safety program ensure that all of a transit agencies assets and facilities are used to promote safety, not just those currently used for running transit service?

Please submit your comments by the end of the day today, don't miss your chance to be heard!



We have one more ask - please forward this to at least one friend who lives in another state besides Massachusetts. The more broadly our voice is heard, the stronger we will be.