Three cyclist deaths remain under investigation, with past cases suggesting there is still a long way to go

Cambridge continues to be affected by three fatal bicycle accidents this year, two within two weeks in June and one recently in September. The Middlesex District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate all cases, with no charges filed against the drivers who collided with the bicyclists.

The Mercedes SUV driver who killed cyclist John Corcoran on Memorial Drive has had his license revoked following the incident. Streetsblog reportedciting Tim McGuirk, a spokesman for the Massachusetts State Police. The Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the suspension “while the investigation continues,” Streetsblog said.

Based on current timelines for investigations into cyclist deaths in Cambridge, it is unlikely that the district attorney’s findings will be released any time soon.

The district attorney’s office did not respond to follow-up questions about the expected timeline of the three investigations, but the necessary accident reconstructions, conducted by the State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit, typically take at least six months.

The 2016 death of cyclist Joe Lavins remains under investigation almost 18 monthsand noted that the truck driver who killed Lavins likely did not see him before the collision. Cyclist Amanda Phillips’ fatal accident also occurred in 2016 more than three years. Again, no charges were filed and the crash was deemed “unavoidable.”

Corcoran was killed on September 23 in Area II near the DeWolfe Boathouse; Minh Thi Nguyen24, killed June 21 at Hampshire and Portland streets in The Port neighborhood near Kendall Square; Kim Staley55, was killed June 7 at Mount Auburn and DeWolfe streets, south of Harvard Square in the Riverside neighborhood – meaning the most recent death was less than five months ago.

Shortly after the September incident, Massachusetts State Police Trooper James D. DeAngelis said a “preliminary investigation indicates that a man in his 20s lost control of his vehicle.” There is no further explanation as to what that means .

State police did not respond to a request for information from Cambridge Day.

Conflicting reports

State Representative Mike Connolly said on social media that he asked state police why there was no arrest or citation for the driver who killed Corcoran.

“Of course I’m a big supporter of criminal justice reform, and yet I’m disturbed by how reckless so many drivers are on the roads today, and I think it’s important that we have a full investigation and full accountability. “ “This matter,” Connolly told Cambridge Day.

But Connolly said he discouraged speculation and that he had heard conflicting reports about the accident from bystanders, underscoring the need for a thorough investigation.

Improvements to the road’s safety infrastructure are clearly needed, Connolly said, and he’s pleased with the immediate changes the Department of Conservation and Recreation has made agreed to do.

“A deeper systemic problem”

More than $1 million in safety improvements will be implemented, including a 25 mph speed limit along the bridge corridor; Widening the sidewalks leading to the roundabout, improving and remodeling wheelchair ramps and median islands near the bridge, replacing nearly 700 feet of existing fencing, and repainting crosswalks with green paint for bicycle crossings. Connolly said DCR also agreed to this Narrowing of lanes and introduction of a revised bicycle ramp from Magazine Beach to the Boston University Bridge.

When asked about the investigations against the riders, Chris Cassa from the Cambridge Bicycle Safety Group also emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements in Cambridge.

“These tragic deaths highlight a deeper, systemic problem: our roads are designed to allow unsafe driving,” Cassa said.

Roads where speed takes precedence over safety, and a Lack of uniform regulation for truck safety contributed to these incidents, he said.

Expansion of cycle paths

Cycling infrastructure improvements there was a slight setback on Monday eveningwhen Cambridge City Council voted to extend the deadline of its bicycle safety ordinance by six months to November 2026. The vote was a slight compromise on the original proposal, which called for an extension of the deadline to 2027.

More than 100 people, including members of Cambridge Bicycle Safety, turned up at the meeting to urge the council to reject the extension entirely.

The extension was approved to give the city time to draft its new off-street parking ordinance, which will allow businesses to open their private parking lots to the general public, mitigating the loss of parking from the new bike lanes.

The Parking and transportation demand management The language arrived Monday and could be implemented within three months, depending on how the City Council proceeds.