The very issue that city hall officials are attempting to resolve is probably something you have witnessed if you have been in or near the city in the last 12 months.
Mopeds on bike lanes, sidewalks, roadways, and apparently everywhere else. The two-wheeled food delivery trucks are unavoidable as they scramble to complete orders as fast as possible.
“They are crazy driving in any which direction,” Back Bay resident Alicia Dobbyn stated. “I almost got hit and almost went down. My boss got hit. Because they take full advantage of the bike paths, so they are almost as dangerous as the actual street now.”
A new permit is announced by Mayor Wu
In an attempt to address the problem, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveiled a new rule on Monday.
Wu declared that third-party food delivery services like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats will need to obtain a new authorization in order to operate in the city.
The city’s transportation department would issue the permit, which would require the businesses to provide evidence of liability insurance for each driver and to agree to exchange driver information.
Since the city wants access to things like driver speed, route, and other behaviors, the second portion is a major source of contention.
“The companies already have the information within their systems of who is driving the wrong way, of the unsafe behavior that is taking place,” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu stated. “This will help ensure we are getting that into oversight of our public sector.”
According to DoorDash, the ordinance falls short
DoorDash released a statement in response to this announcement.
“We’re committed to playing our part in helping cities like Boston thrive, while promoting safety in their busiest neighborhoods. However, this ordinance would clearly miss the mark in its efforts to create safer streets, doing little to improve safety for Dashers or the public and creating new costs that would add price hikes for Boston families along the way.”
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The declaration on Monday is just the most recent development in a months-long back-and-forth between the city and these technology companies. In June 2024, the city attempted to increase the pressure on these businesses to limit their usage of mopeds or scooters that are not registered.
Sharon Durkan, a member of the Boston City Council who represents the Back Bay, stated that the most recent ordinance from the mayor is necessary.
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“These delivery platforms are causing a lot of issues on our streets,” Durkan said. “I think the technology has gotten a little ahead of the regulation and that is what we are trying to correct for here.”
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