You’re invited to join Union staff and veteran volunteers this Saturday as we roll up our sleeves and prepare for our biggest bike season yet!This orientation will include:
– An overview of the Union’s vision and current activities
– A primer on building our membership
– The inside scoop on Bike to Market and our new Bike to Work commuter encouragement program

Lunch will be provided. Please bring a reusable water bottle and your favorite note-taking device(s). The event will be followed by an optional fix-a-flat workshop.

New volunteers should definitely come but returning volunteers are also encouraged to attend.

RSVP to [email protected] and please note any special dietary needs.

Thank you and see you soon!

P.S. Can’t make this one? We’ll also be holding trainings on Wednesday, May 2 and Saturday, June 2. Locations to be announced.

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Boston’s local Bike Union is celebrating the beginning of its biggest baddest bike season ever, thanks to the Internal Revenue Service—which just granted us 501c3 non-profit status! (Note: The IRS will not be present.)Founded in January 2010, the Boston Cyclists Union is one of the fastest growing bike organizations in the city. With a unique approach that encompasses direct service to Boston neighborhoods through bike repair, helmet and U-lock distribution and safety training as well as participation in dozens of community street and path planning processes, the Bike Union is capturing the imagination of Bostonians from young to old and across the cultural spectrum.

This year’s Super Spring Kickoff Bike Party marks the beginning of Connect the City—the Union’s campaign to promote the creation of a connected network of physically separated bike lanes (a.k.a. cycletracks) and off street bike paths throughout the city of Boston. Not only is it possible, but it will help bring more transportation options to underserved neighborhoods, improve quality of life, and help address the city’s obesity crisis.

The Connect the City speaking series will also explore the Bike Union’s grand vision for a better Boston for all residents. In January, three experts expounded upon how small parks and urban spaces can be designed to encourage social connections among neighbors at the Connolly Library in Jamaica Plain. On May 15, Ian Lockwood and Peter Park, nationally recognized authorities on traffic calming and freeway removal, will explore the history of the United States’ history with auto-centric planning, and how the transportation planners of today are reclaiming neighborhoods.

The Union’s Bike to Market program plans to fix over 1,200 bicycles this year, and its Bike to Work program hopes to hand out coffee and breakfast treats to hundreds of commuters over 20 consecutive Fridays. With over 100 events planned, the Union is well on its way to sparking the “velorution” in Boston on a scale not seen since the Bike Boom of the 1890s.

The event details:

SUPER SPRING KICKOFF BIKE PARTY and FUNDRAISER
Saturday, April 28, 2012 – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Fourth Wall Project Gallery – 132 Brookline Ave., Boston

WIN: Our famous raffle features Boston-centric prizes including a CSA share from Allendale Farm, fancy socks, Broadway Bicycle School gear, and gift cards from South Boston Yoga and Body Centre Massage.

DRINK: Kombucha from Katalyst, Beer by Ipswich Ale and Sam Adams, local soda by Mercury, pick your poison!

EAT: Food is fuel. Donors include El Pelon taqueria (add accents), Mission Bar (?) and Grill, Boloco, Food Should Taste Good and Haley House Bakery Café.

ENJOY: Meet fellow Bike Union members to the live music of local artist Quarterly(quarterlymusic.bandcamp.com). Hear rapid-fire speeches from:

Aaron Naparstek
Founder of Streetsblog.org, a phenomenal news organization covering transportation, land use and environmental issues in Washington D.C., New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Cleveland. (Is Boston next?)
Nataka Shante Crayton-Walker
President, United Neighbors of Lower Roxbury, “A Village at Work” and Market Manager, Frederick Douglass Peace Garden Farmers Market.

MAKE HISTORY: There will only be more and more bicycles in Boston – there’s no turning back for this organization. Join us as in organizing Bostonians to lead the way in making our streets and our hearts healthier. To the future- Cheers!

BE THE MOMENTUM: Join today. This is a members-only event, and annual membership is discounted at $25 for folks who RSVP. Besides benefits at Zipcar, City Feed and Supply and other local businesses, your membership supports your Bike Union’s work in every neighborhood of Boston. Sign up at www.bostoncyclistsunion.org

Entry is free to members, however monetary donations of every size are needed to keep the Bike Union growing as fast as possible.

We’re helping Bostonians lead healthier lives by promoting the everyday use of the bicycle for transportation. Among other things, we repair bikes, educate new riders, and organize neighborhood residents who would like to voice support for friendlier street designs, bike paths, and public spaces.
We envision a Boston that is world renowned for year round cycling, a place where people ride for fun, exercise, and transportation.

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