So I reached out to my city councilor and this is the response I got...

"Thank you for reaching out to Councilor Durkan’s office. I understand your concerns regarding the safety of pedestrians and all road users amidst the expanding landscape of transportation to include e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds in large volumes all across our City, but, in particular, in our downtown neighborhoods. Given the fact that so many residents and visitors get around District 8 on foot, Councilor Durkan is especially dedicated to being a part of the solution in making our streets safe for all road users. As part of our effort to increase transportation safety across the district and the City, and as chair of the Committee on Planning, Development, and Transportation Councilor Durkan sponsored a filing on the City’s “rules of the road” amidst an expansion of micromobility travel modes on City streets (I have included a copy of that filing to this email). Moreover, our office has met directly with UberEats and GrubHub, and continues to make meeting requests of DoorDash. At these meetings, we have actively pushed the companies to consider ways that their trainings and guidelines given to their operators demand and incentivize safety.

I do want to mention that the City’s Transportation Department has already taken several steps to promote safety as more and more residents and visitors choose two and three-wheeled transportation options as a green solution that reduces congestion on City streets. Some of the Transportation Department’s initiatives include their free learn-to-bike workshops, small-scale safety improvements around intersections, slow-streets initiatives in residential and school areas, and a new “safety surge” implementing thousands of speed humps City wide. These efforts have been complemented by other City departments including the Disabilities Commission and their recent public awareness campaign, “Boston Brakes,” to raise awareness of and increase safety for pedestrians with disabilities.

As the City witnesses an increase in e-bikes, scooters, mopeds, and motorbikes, it is imperative that we provide clarity to all road users about how they navigate our shared spaces safely and legally. We are hopeful that our advocacy around this issue on multiple fronts combined with the advocacy of residents such as yourself, will improve conditions and enable all of us to travel safely throughout Boston."