In the wake of the death of Boston transportation planner Louisa Gag earlier this month, Mayor Michelle Wu has released plans to make city streets safer.
Gag was killed on her bicycle when she was riding near Roxbury Crossing and was fatally struck on Tremont Street by the driver of a truck.
Following the fatal accident, District 5 Councilor Enrique Pepén and Council President Liz Breadon brought forth two measures to the council pushing for safer streets.
“Louisa was killed on her bicycle blocks from an intersection your administration has studied and stalled,” an open letter to the Mayor signed by the two councilors and 4,000 others stated. “She was not the first. We have been losing neighbors to these streets for years, and we have been warning you, specifically and repeatedly, that more deaths were coming.”
On July 22, the council unanimously approved a measure that calls on the mayor and her administration to pursue infrastructure projects that protect people walking, biking, riding transit, using mobility devices, and traveling with children.
Pepén and Breadon also introduced an ordinance requiring the city to report publicly on its street projects each year.
On Friday, July 24, Wu released a six page letter detailing the city’s approach to delivering street safety improvements for all roadway users.
“Residents deserve clarity about our vision for streets that are safe, beautiful, and family-friendly,” Wu stated. “I am writing today to detail our immediate response to the crash that took Louisa’s life, our approach to delivering street safety improvements for all roadway users, and the work ahead.”
The immediate response outlined by the mayor includes supporting the administration’s Streets Cabinet staff. Chris Osgood, Senior Advisor for Infrastructure and former Chief of Streets, and Tali Robbins, Deputy Chief of Policy, will support the Streets Cabinet full-time.
“They started in these roles on Monday, July 13th, providing guidance and direction on policy, planning, and major capital projects, and they will meet monthly with leaders of advocacy organizations to facilitate ongoing, direct dialogue,” Wu wrote. “Over the coming weeks, I am also convening a group of advisors to assess the Streets Cabinet’s organizational structure, staff capacity, and resource needs. This group will advise on ways to improve and accelerate the delivery of safer streets and critical services. In close coordination with the ongoing law enforcement investigation, the City will conduct a comprehensive safety and urban design evaluation of the Tremont Street corridor in Mission Hill to identify important fixes.”
The team has been reviewing bike lanes that use or previously used flex posts to determine where cast-in-place or other more durable barriers will be installed.
“We will expand the use of more durable protective barriers wherever feasible, including by coordinating upcoming resurfacing with installations later this year,” the mayor stated. “And we are installing quick-build barriers in priority locations where more permanent construction is not possible this year, such as the cycle tracks around the Boston Common and the Public Garden, and along Western Avenue.”
The Boston Police Department has determined that a large truck was involved in the crash that took Gag’s life. Wu noted that trucks and other heavy commercial vehicles have been involved in the majority of fatal crashes involving cyclists over the past decade and a significant share of fatal pedestrian crashes.
“The City’s truck side-guard ordinance applies to City vehicles and those contracted for City projects, but we need protections for all trucks and large commercial vehicles on Boston’s streets,” Wu said. “In the coming months, we will work to advance more comprehensive truck safety legislation, strengthen side-guard enforcement, review City routes used by heavy commercial vehicles, and assess additional safety measures to prevent future crashes.”
More than a decade ago, Boston became a Vision Zero city, committing to eliminate fatal and serious traffic crashes, according to Wu. Since then, she said the city has made significant progress to make streets safer, that there is still much work to do. The City’s Vision Zero dashboard is currently updated with data through June 2026. Going forward, Wu said the city will update the dashboard monthly and expand its analysis to target locations and conditions for needed interventions.
Wu said the administration will use that data to keep streets reliable, well maintained, and resilient. She also pledged to protect and connect Boston’s cycling network and improve school zone and pedestrian safety.
“Investing in safe sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and roadways improves safety and mobility for everyone—particularly for residents with disabilities, seniors, and other pedestrians,” Wu stated.
There will also be a focus on targeted, effective enforcement and the use of technology to tackle traffic issues.
Wu also pointed to a number of recently completed infrastructure projects as well as others that are in progress or the planning stages that will improve safety for pedestrians, motorists, and cyclists.
“Boston should be a city where every resident and visitor can move comfortably and confidently, enjoy beautiful public spaces, and feel part of a community that is home for everyone,” Wu stated. “We will carry forward Louisa’s legacy by working to make this vision a reality. There is much more work ahead. I look forward to getting it done together.”