A. I’ll have to dig out the charter. We started as the Boston Area Bicycle Coalition, with the intention to simply make bicycling better in the Boston area. Then that spread to a statewide mission.

In January 2015, Lexington’s Richard Fries was named MassBike’s executive director. Given his background – professional racer, newspaper reporter and cycling magazine editor, event announcer and promoter, and longtime bike commuter and cycling advocate – there are few people better qualified to ask about the state of cycling today than the 56-year-old native of Pittsburgh, Pa. So recently, we did.


Q. Has that mission changed over the past four decades?

A. The mission remains the same, but the tactics have changed dramatically and the language is far less strident. It took us 20 years to get a seat – quite literally, at the table – with the Mass Department of Transportation and other government agencies. Government leaders see the [return on investment] of bicycling now. Our job now is to raise the priority of continued investment.

Q. What are the biggest challenges facing Boston-area cyclists today from a safety perspective?

A. Statistically, bicycling is safer than ever. The number of riders in growing exponentially – bike commuting went up more than 150 percent in the last decade in the Boston area – but the number of fatalities is holding steady. Statewide, we see about 10 fatalities on average. But there are concerns. Last year Boston, with a population of 600,000, didn’t have one bicycle death. But Lincoln, with a population of 6,000, had two bike fatalities. The suburbs are increasingly the scene of bike-car collisions. We believe the suburbs to be a priority for MassBike going forward.

Q. What are the major goals of MassBike in 2017?


A. We’re working with Mass Department of Transportation, the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and police to vastly improve education. Convincing politicians is easy – the data and [return on investment] profoundly reinforces the need for good bike policy. It’s really culture that we’re trying to change. Our goals are to increase educational offerings, do more events, and grow our outreach to make us truly statewide.

Q. Are you also involved in lobbying for “bike friendly” designs in any state and local roadwork?

A. We’re re-writing the playbook, but there is more than 100 years of 20th century car-only design to correct. There are three key areas where we help. First is Complete Streets, where state funds help cities and towns develop road designs for all users, not just cars. Second is the Design Exception Review Committee, where we review projects across the state seeking an exemption from the guidelines to include bicycle accommodation. And third is Safe Routes to School, through which we’ve helped reach 53 percent of Massachusetts schools.

Q. What are some “shining examples” of metropolitan areas that “get it right,” and why do they stand out?

A. Metro Boston is a leader, but we’re behind Minneapolis, San Francisco, and Portland, [Ore]. Most of it is simply spending the money for dedicated facilities and improving connectivity between transit, highways, and bikes. There are great things being done along the Northeast Corridor, from Washington DC to Boston. That’s re-shaping the entire transportation paradigm. We need to foster a greater political mandate. Most cities, and their leaders, are realizing that bikes provide affordable solutions to our collective transportation crisis. But the mainstream culture remains in a 1970s mentality.


Q. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh recently said cyclists and pedestrians share some responsibility for “safe streets.” What’s your reaction?

A. MassBike wants to see better enforcement for all road users, motorists and cyclists. We tolerate way too much on our roadways. Other countries do a much better job with enforcement. I stress the need to cite scofflaw cyclists, but the majority of cyclists do play by the rules. Mayor Walsh’s comments were an inappropriate form of victim-blaming. When I’m on my bike and I make a mistake, I get hurt. If a motorist makes a mistake, I get hurt. But which one of us has a Yorkshire terrier on one shoulder, a cellphone on the other, and a Greek salad in their lap?

Q. What do you see as the glaring misunderstandings that motorists have regarding the “rules of the road” and cyclists?

A. Where to start? Slow down, pass with care, stay off the horn, and be patient. I’m also a motorist, and I understand the mind-set and frustration. But I see motorists passing cyclists on blind turns or over the crests of hills, putting everybody at risk. For what? To arrive 30 seconds earlier?

Q. What can cyclists do to make themselves safer?

A. There are seven basic things: Ride with traffic, see and be seen, stop at lights, avoid sidewalks, yield to pedestrians, watch for doors, and wear a helmet. Use [safety] lights. Another key is to ride a well-maintained bike. Having tires pumped up and brakes that function are critical. But a lot of folks, many of whom are low-income, lack access to basic bike maintenance.


Q. Looking at where we are now, are you encouraged? Where do we stand in terms of the pendulum regarding bikes as both a recreational pursuit and a community tool?

A. This work is like climbing a mountain. MassBike just celebrated its 40th birthday, giving us cause to look at how high we’ve come. In 1977, we only had a few miles of a bike path along the Charles River in Cambridge. Today, we have 222 miles of bike paths in Middlesex County alone. In 10 years, we’ll be at 350 miles. The Pioneer Valley and the North Shore aren’t far behind. Those paths change communities, not just their streetscapes but their entire cultures, and for the better.

For details on MassBike, visit MassBike.org. If you have an idea for the Globe’s “On the Move” column, contact correspondent Brion O’Connor at brionoc@verizon.net. Please allow several weeks advance notice.