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Hundreds come out for Louisa Gag

Action planned for July 16 at City Hall

By Jeff Sullivan · July 16, 2026
Hundreds come out for Louisa Gag
Organizers hope just as many supporters come out on Thursday for a rally outside Boston City Hall to advocate for safety improvements across the city · Jeff Sullivan
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Hundreds of residents, friends, family and officials came out to Adams Park on Sunday to remember resident, city planner and cycling advocate Louisa Gag.

On Thursday, July 16 at 6 p.m., there will be an action planned at the Boston City Hall to demand traffic improvements.

On Thursday, July 9, Gag was on her way to work at City Hall when a truck struck and killed her around 8:15 a.m. around the intersection of Tremont Street and Parker Street.

On Friday morning, many residents came to an impromptu memorial set up for her on Tremont Street, and brought flowers, photos, and a poem to remember her.

“I loved our friend.

She was taken away from us.

There’s nothing more to say.

The poem ends as soft as it began:

We loved our beloved Louisa.

9 July 26”

Friends trickled to the memorial. Annisha Borah said she was frustrated.

“I’m feeling really upset,” she said. “Traffic violence is a policy decision. We know what tools to use to prevent deaths like these, and because of politics and because of money, we’re not able to do those things. We had a project designed to go into construction really close to here that was put on hold this year. It just feels very upsetting. I also work for the Streets Cabinet. I worked with Louisa, and she was a friend of mine, and I can’t help but feel a little angry.”

A nearby resident who asked to only be identified as Jeffrey, said the intersection is a dangerous one. Indeed, just watching traffic for an hour, one can see many close calls between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

“I’ve lived here for 26 years,” he said. “There are all sorts of car accidents all the time. It’s ridiculous, and it’s getting redundant.”

On Sunday, friends focused on Gag’s life, her accomplishments, and the little quirks that made her who she was. Even 40 minutes after the initial speaking portion of the event – which was put together by Roslindale Village Main Street and WalkUP Roslindale (among other organizations) – Gag’s parents, Steve and Laura, still had a line of residents waiting to express their sympathies.

Gag’s friends spoke during the event. Molly Goodkind talked about her childhood growing up with Louisa.

“Louisa showed up for people,” she said. “I will never understand how she had time to be everyone’s go-to person. She showed up with food and entertainment for multiple babies. She insisted on cat-sitting, even though she did not like cats. She would stand in for your parents at your grad school graduation when parents were unable to attend. She would appear at your door, whenever you needed it. Let’s all show up for each other, like Louisa did. “

Rose Frank, who became friends with Gag in seventh grade, said she was someone everyone looked up to.

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“She asked questions without judgment and with genuine interest, and worked to see the world through other people’s eyes,” she said. “In her memory, let’s all continue to question, discuss, and listen with curiosity.”

Resident Danielle Shaked said Gag was steadfast in her convictions, but without rigidity, and worked to accommodate others.

“I mean who else do you know who was a vegetarian, except when it inconvenienced others?” she said. “And of course, except for hot dogs, because according to Louisa, you can’t not have a hot dog at a barbecue. Loving Louisa felt like joy, the genuine kind. If you were bringing that joy to her, it felt easy, reciprocated and uncomplicated. Loving Louisa was feeling playful, and would look like an all out frenzy on the dance floor, but still in bed by 10 p.m., probably just after bringing your toothbrush to your bed, because she cared deeply about your dental health.”

Organizer Glenn Williams led the crowd in a “holler of love.”

“At gatherings like these, where you need to have your voices heard, I want you to join me,” he said.

The crowd started with Williams, and eventually built up from a murmur to roar, in remembrance of Gag. He said Gag’s legacy is that of making the world a better place and instilling that desire in others, while also inspiring joy.

“There is no greater legacy but to continue the love for Louisa Gag in our hearts,” he said. “Thank you very much, God bless you.”

On Thursday, July 16, at 6 p.m., activists will gather at City Hall to protest the pause on safety projects throughout the city’s roads.

For more information on local initiatives in Roslindale for traffic calming, go to https://walkuproslindale.org

About the author

Jeff Sullivan Covers local news and community stories.

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Gag's friends and family left an impromptu memorial near the site of the crash that took her life. · Jeff Sullivan

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