Boy, do I have mixed feelings about this.
While I think these ideas are long, long, long, long overdue, the cynic in me can’t help but be skeptical.
On the one hand, I really sort of wonder if Menino will ever do something because it’s the right thing to do and not because it affects him personally. Remember when all construction in the city was halted? Remember why that happened? Because hizzoner had a bumpy ride to work one day. It mattered not that the whole rest of the city has been struggling with this for years.
It’s the same thing here. The “bike liaison” was fired (or was laid off, I don’t remember) by the mayor years ago and never replaced in spite of pleading by interested parties all around. Now all the sudden he’s go this idea of a “czar”. WTF? You had one and decided he wasn’t worth replacing. But now that Menino is personally interested, it’s a good idea again.
I welcome all these developments, but you’ll have to show me first. Put up or shut up, Menino. Or will this be just like every other initiative? Big splashy headlines, then a month later sudden roadblocks spring up preventing any progress. I’m betting on that one.
I’m not a good writer, so I’ll let MM say it for me. An excellent take.
UPDATE: Pinchie has something to say as well:
