Remembering Joseph Pielmeier, bike advocate and community member

On Sunday, March 14, 2021, Boston lost a beloved member of its bike community. Joseph A. Pielmeier succumbed to injuries after colliding with a vehicle while riding his moped on the Arborway on Friday evening. Our heartfelt support goes out to Pielmeier’s family during this difficult time.

Our friends at the Boston Cyclists Union (BCU) write: “Although Joseph was not riding a bike at the time of the crash, a ghost bike ceremony is being planned in recognition of how deeply his loss will be felt in our community.”

Every time a member of our community is lost, Bikes Not Bombs provides a “ghost bike” to memorialize the deceased, and more broadly, highlight the need for safe streets so that we can minimize traffic deaths. In recent years, Bikes Not Bombs has had to provide an increasing number of ghost bikes. This is alarming and is why initiatives like Vision Zero Boston are critical to building a safety and people-first approach to transportation planning.

If you are able, please consider donating to this fundraiser to support Joseph's family with memorial expenses.

You can take direct action by joining the City of Boston Vision Zero Coalition mailing list and adding your safety concerns to the map: https://www.visionzerocoalition.org/boston_vision_zero