On Monday, Cambridge City Manager Richard Rossi will send a letter to the City Council informing them of a report by Public Works Commissioner Owen O’Riordan. In it, Commissioner O’Riordan describes the next steps for Cambridge to outfit municipal trucks with side guards as a protective measure for cyclists and pedestrians.

The report states the Volpe Transportation Center “will assist the City in evaluating truck safety features specific to City of Cambridge trucks,” pending appropriation of funds from the City Council. Further, the city will devise an implementation plan to equip all trucks with the side guards. Currently, eight in the fleet have them per a pilot program.

Public Works kicked off the pilot last spring and over the summer met with the Volpe Transportation Center to discuss how best they could help to move forward with extending the guards to all trucks.

Back in November, the City Council voted unanimously in favor of a motion put forth to act on the initial side guard legislation introduced back in September by Councilor Carlone after a cyclist was struck, but luckily did not sustain life threatening injuries.

Boston recently became the first city in the country to adopt vehicle side guards. All large city trucks must utilize them to prevent cyclists and pedestrians from getting pulled underneath in the unfortunate likelihood an accident occurs.