Cambridge Bicycle Safety considered three major components in making candidate endorsements: (1) a commitment to completing the CSO on schedule by 2026, (2) each candidate’s vision for the future drawn from our candidate questionnaire, and (3) the voting record of incumbents.
Before diving into the details, the chart below brings these three components together. It highlights which candidates are our Bike Champions, which are Bike Supporters, and which we recommend voters Do Not Rank. We take a deeper look at each component below.
A commitment to completing the CSO on schedule
Despite numerous challenges and proposed delays this council term, we fought hard and have kept the core CSO bike network on track. However, a serious amount of work remains to be completed during the next council term — 11 total miles — including 2 miles of Mass Ave, 1 mile of Cambridge St, 1 mile of Broadway, and Central Square. This work cannot be assumed to be completed until it is in the ground.
Importantly, we are approaching the 2025 elections in a much stronger position than in 2023: six incumbents and six challengers have publicly committed in writing to completing the CSO on schedule. Candidates recognize the importance of safer streets and the strong public support for this work.
Two incumbents who had not previously committed to complete the CSO on schedule have now publicly committed to doing so (Patty Nolan and Cathie Zusy), and we appreciate their commitment and support on this core issue for CBS.
A commitment to a better future transportation system
Our 2025 candidate questionnaire asked each candidate to share their vision for Cambridge’s future transportation system. The responses highlighted clear differences in how boldly candidates are willing to push for safer streets and a more connected bike network.
Our bike champions stood out with exceptionally strong and ambitious visions. They see the CSO as the foundation, and spoke to building a city where biking is safe and practical for people of all ages and abilities. Their answers consistently emphasized completing the network, accelerating safety improvements, and integrating biking into a broader strategy for sustainable mobility.
Other bike supporters also showed commitment to safe streets, but their answers were often more cautious. They highlighted the importance of cost considerations, extensive community engagement, and incremental expansion. While these candidates will likely support progress, they may move more carefully and be less aggressive about expanding the network beyond what is strictly required.
This contrast helps explain our endorsements: we prioritized candidates who combine a firm commitment to completing the CSO with a strong and future-focused vision for making Cambridge a leader in safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation.
A track record of voting for safer streets
The voting record of incumbents provides a clear window into who has consistently fought for safer streets and who has wavered when critical decisions were on the line. Note that for the October 2024 vote, Nolan and Wilson initially voted to keep the long delay, and then changed their vote after it was clear the long delay had lost.
Our bike safety champions — Councillors Azeem, McGovern, Siddiqui, and Sobrinho-Wheeler — have voted consistently to advance the separated bike network, oppose harmful delays, and strengthen the CSO. Their record demonstrates unwavering support for safety and the completion of the network on time.
In contrast, Councillors Nolan and Zusy have mixed voting records on consequential policy orders:
- Councillor Nolan voted for a major delay to the CSO and supported changes that will make Garden Street less safe for people walking and biking.
- Councillor Zusy voted for a delay to Broadway and supported changes that will make Garden Street less safe for people walking and biking.
These votes helped distinguish Councillors Nolan and Zusy as bike supporters, rather than bike champions, in our endorsements.
We recommend voters Do Not Rank E. Denise Simmons (incumbent), Ayesha Wilson (incumbent), Elizabeth Bisio, Tim Flaherty, John Hanratty, and Robert Winters. None of these candidates have committed to completing the CSO on deadline. Additionally:
- E. Denise Simmons voted against safe streets in all key bike safety votes this term.
- Ayesha Wilson voted against safe streets in 5 of 6 key bike safety votes this term.
- Elizabeth Bisio’s campaign website contains anti-cycling safety and bike lane messaging.
- John Hanratty sued the City of Cambridge to remove all quick-build bike lanes.
- Robert Winters is an outspoken opponent of the CSO.