Let’s join forces to get these rogue drivers off the road – Lowell Sun

Boston police seized 13 mopeds and arrested three suspects during a recent sweep against scooter violations in the Back Bay. (Photo courtesy of Boston Police)

The summer heat is as dangerous as weeds and mosquitoes, when it creates a growing group of illegal moped and off-road vehicle riders, putting other drivers, pedestrians and themselves at risk of serious injury.

That has certainly happened recently on the streets of Boston, where police have stepped up their efforts to curb this reckless behavior.

On Monday, the Boston Herald reported that Boston police seized nine more mopeds as part of an ongoing crackdown on illegal motor vehicle traffic in the city center.

That’s in addition to the 13 mopeds seized in Back Bay on July 8.

The seizure of nine people in Downtown Crossing on Monday brings the total over the past two weeks to 22.

“The Boston Police Department would like to remind everyone that vehicles are strictly prohibited in the Downtown Crossing pedestrian zone. This area is designated for pedestrian use only to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all visitors,” the Boston Police Department wrote in a statement Tuesday.

Officers were dispatched to the intersection of Franklin and Washington Streets in the city center just after 5 p.m. Monday “for a targeted foot patrol to stop all motorcycles and/or mopeds traveling in the pedestrian zone of Washington St., where vehicles are not permitted to travel.”

Officers issued verbal warnings, fines and one ticket for various traffic violations.

According to police, there are other pedestrian zones where motorized traffic is prohibited, such as the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall.

City Councilman Ed Flynn, whose district includes the area where the seizures took place, told the Herald he thanked police “for their continued tough approach to mopeds and scooters, and for the professionalism our officers displayed until they made the arrests last week.”

Flynn said the following on X/Twitter last month about the chaos these individuals have created: “We must arrest these reckless drivers who are endangering public safety in Boston’s neighborhoods. I have asked (the Boston Police Department) to strictly enforce traffic laws and arrest reckless drivers. The ‘anything goes’ and Wild West on the streets of Boston must stop.”

The proliferation of so many motorized vehicles, including bicycles, scooters and even one-wheeled unicycles, has created confusion about what is legal to do.

Unlike ATVs, mopeds are legal to operate on public roads, under certain conditions, as Mass.gov explains:

Operators are subject to the traffic laws, rules and regulations of the State of Massachusetts.

Have the right to use all public roads in the Commonwealth, except on limited access highways where signs are posted prohibiting bicycles.

May use cycle paths along various roads, but may not be used on recreational paths outside the public road.

Drivers must indicate their intention to stop or turn with one of their hands.

You must keep to the right when passing a motor vehicle that is in the lane of your road.

Who can legally operate mopeds? According to Mass.gov, moped and motorized scooter operators:

• Must be at least 16 years old.

• Must have a valid license or permit.

• Mopeds are not allowed to drive faster than 40 km/h.

• Motorized scooters are not allowed to drive faster than 32 km/h.

• Operators must wear a helmet that meets the US DOT standard.

While Boston currently focuses primarily on mopeds, the Hub, like Lowell and Lawrence, has also made efforts in the past to keep dirt bike groups off city streets.

These off-road vehicles are designed for rough terrain, such as unpaved roads and trails, and cannot drive on public roads in almost all situations.

It appears that, at least in the case of Lowell, the tipping point for dirt bikes came as early as the summer of 2022.

In June of that year, Lowell police announced that officers had noticed an increase in the number of dirt bikes and motorcycles riding dangerously through the city in recent months – on sidewalks, stopping traffic, passing cars unsafely and doing wheelies.

A few weeks later, several police departments in the region—including Lowell, Lawrence, Andover, Chelmsford, Dracut, Methuen, Tewksbury and Tyngsboro—announced the formation of the Merrimack Valley Reckless Bikers Task Force to help control the problem.

The primary efforts of this group were focused on apprehending dirt bike and ATV riders who were illegally using public roads, riding dangerously, weaving unsafely through traffic, riding on sidewalks, and obstructing traffic.

As stated in the group’s organizational statement, these reckless actions create a dangerous situation not only for the motoring public, but also for the drivers themselves.

In the absence of a public statement indicating that concrete steps have been taken towards achieving this goal, anecdotal evidence suggests that this police collaboration has had a positive impact.

But given the random appearance of these lawbreakers, no amount of prohibition will ever completely eradicate this menace.

But whether it’s illegal riding on mopeds or dirt bikes, police can use the public’s help in identifying the people involved and/or areas where this type of activity is common.

For this to be effective, we citizens should better understand what illegal activities entail.

A concise summary on the websites of the Task Force’s participating police departments would certainly help.