Ask Bostonist: Bicyclists, Make Way!

One of Bostonist's favorite parts of driving a car is pulling to the side for emergency vehicles. Really! We like how, in a time of crisis, ordinary citizens are entrusted by the auithorities with the power to bend the rules a little, to go up on a curb, to do whatever needs to be done to further the communitarian purpose of getting an ambulance's precious, wounded cargo to the emergency room or a truck of speeding firefighters to a burning building. Maybe it's because we like to feel part of something larger than ourselves. Maybe it's because we periodically find ourselves on the inside of an ambulance. In any event, there is no reason why bicyclists shouldn't get to experience this same civic joy.

To answer this question properly, we turned to MassBike, our Commonwealth's very fine, dedicated cycling advocacy organization. Our first choice at MassBike is always Trevor Schroeder, the Secretary for the Metro Boston chapter, largely because (a) we know him, (b) we trust him instrinctively because he has the same haircut we do and was born the same week, and (c) he always responds very quickly and thoroughly to our e-mails. True to form, he had the following to say about making way for emergency vehicles:

Under Massachusetts law, bicycles are vehicles and subject to the same laws. You should definitely act as you would were you driving your car, including exercising some common sense.

Pull right and watch to make sure that drivers see you. As with other roadway interactions, it's best to make eye contact if possible. We're biologically programmed to notice when someone is looking at us and it's a lot harder to run over a person you're looking in the eyes.

My daily commute takes me past two firehouses and along Cambridge Street approaching Mass General, so I have ample opportunity to put this all into action. My favorite technique, if possible, is to pull off into a crosswalk or even just around the corner of the intersection. Remember the sidewalk's an option too. While sidewalk cycling is illegal in Boston, you can always pull up onto the sidewalk to wait for the emergency vehicle to pass.