The Latest From BostonBiker.org
News, Events, Updates
Palace Road Sharrows Installed
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 17Got this report, anyone got pictures?
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Sharrows have been installed from Longwood Avenue to The Fenway on Palace
Road in the Longwood Medical Area. One hopes the promised Brookline Avenue
lanes and sharrows will soon follow suit.
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Somerville Homeless Coalition Sleigh Ride
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 17Got this in the mail, looks like a great way to give back and still go for a ride. Hope it doesn’t rain!
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This ride will start Tuesday night at 6 pm in front of the Independent in Union Square.. They are asking for a minimum $10 donation.
Short Summary
We are a group of bike lovers in and around Somerville, MA. This holiday season, we’re teaming up to bike for a purpose: to bring holiday cheer to homeless and underprivileged children in Somerville.
The Somerville Sleigh Ride
On the evening of Tuesday, December 18th, we are hosting a holiday-themed charity ride through the streets of Somerville. Suggested donation for the ride is $10-$20 (no one turned away).
We will bike through the streets of Somerville dressed up as elves, reindeer, etc, with a pedicab sleigh, and Santa! We’re going to have a lot of fun. There will be caroling throughout the city.
And with the funds raised here on indiegogo and through participants of the ride, we will purchase gifts for homeless and underprivileged children, our neighbors, right here in Somerville.
We’re hoping to provide for as many as 30 kids this year. (30 x 20 = 600!) Your contributions will make this possible. We simply couldn’t do this without your help.
What We Need & What You Get
We need to raise a minimum of $200 for our first Sleigh Ride to be a success. But we want to hit this one out of the ballpark.
The more money we raise, the more kids we can provide for, and the quality of gifts will increase, too. Every little bit counts.
And any and all extra funds raised will go directly to the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
You will get an email update from us after the ride with photos, but more importantly, you’ll get the satisfaction of helping children in need.
The Impact
We are helping to bring smiles, toy trucks, footie pajamas, fuzzy slippers, etc., to kids in need in our neighborhood! What could be better than that?
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Ride Crazy: The Single-Man March
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 14Got this in the email looks fun:
I wanted to get in touch with you guys regarding my new film, called “Ride Crazy: The Single-Man March”. It chronicles Boston’s own Camilo Atehortua ‘s 520-mile solo bicycle ride from Boston to Washington, DC. He is an Iraq war vet with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and the purpose of the ride was to raise money for The Wounded Warrior Project. Along the way, he contends with a nor’easter and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. We are having a premiere
on January 14 at Kendall Square Cinema with proceeds going to Wounded Warriors. You can check out the trailer at www.ridecrazy.com.
From the website:
We are pleased to announce that you will have the opportunity to join us for the premiere of “Ride Crazy: The Single-Man March” on Monday, January 14, 2013 at the Kendall Square Cinema. Tickets for the event will be $30, including a $10 donation to Wounded Warriors. Seating is limited, so head over to Shop Tonekat to purchase your tickets today!
On Sunday, November 4, 2012, Camilo set off on a 520-mile solo bike ride that took him all the way from Boston to Washington, DC. The purpose of the ride was to raise money for Wounded Warriors. The goal was to reach the Iwo Jima Memorial one week later, on Veteran’s Day.
Even though the ride is over, you can still donate here!
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MassBike Year End Recap
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 13MassBike has posted its year end recap: They are a great organization, support them if you can.
We had big plans for 2012, and we made them happen, but 2012 turned out to be an even bigger year for MassBike than we had imagined. We led the state in bicyclist advocacy on Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill, celebrated our 35th year of advocacy, supported dozens of bicycle events around the state, and kicked off our Bikeable Communities Program. MassBike has grown from a small group of volunteers in 1977 (then the Boston Area Bicycle Coalition), to a staff of four full-time professionals, four part-time instructors, a half-time intern, and dozens of volunteers. How far we’ve come!
We started 2012 by welcoming our new Membership and Office Coordinator, Austin Rand. He quickly revamped our member benefits and improved our social media and communications. He played a major role in organizing Bike Night: Beyond the Spandex, a gala featuring a bike fashion show, and the Summer Century & Family Fun Ride. Austin continues to develop new events and membership programs to make them even more fun and generate more support for our advocacy work.
Advocates at the National Bike Summit
2012 was a rollercoaster of a year for federal transportation funding and policy. When our Program Manager, Price, and I went to DC in March for the National Bike Summit, no one knew exactly what was going to happen with funding for bicycling. The House had just passed a bill essentially eliminating non-highway spending, and the Senate passed a bill that more or less maintained the status quo. We led Massachusetts advocates visiting our Representatives and our Senators, and our entire delegation was very supportive for our cause, truly “bike-partisan”. In the end, we didn’t get everything we wanted, but most bicycle funding was left intact. And now we’re leading the efforts here in Massachusetts to ensure that this money actually gets spent on biking and walking.
MA Bike/Walk Summit Keynote
Returning home from Washington, we co-hosted the first Massachusetts Bike/Walk Summit at the State House on Beacon Hill with WalkBoston. The purpose of the event was to educate our state legislators about three safety-related bills that would benefit bicyclists and pedestrians. It was a very successful first-time event, featuring Streetsblog founder Aaron Naparstek giving the keynote presentation at lunch. Unfortunately, we didn’t get our Vulnerable Road Users Bill passed, but it was the first try for this bill, and we are confident that we have positioned it much better for passage because of the Summit.
Bay State Bike Week Bike Friday
The Summit was a highlight of Bay State Bike Week, the third year that we partnered with MassDOT to celebrate bicycling statewide. There were over 150 events from Cape Cod to the Berkshires, making Massachusetts the only state in the nation to have a truly statewide Bike Week. Thousands of bicyclists across the Commonwealth welcomed the riding season, celebrating bicycling and promoting bicycle safety at rides, breakfasts, screenings, classes, and more. Thanks to MassBike’s partnership with MassDOT, we were able to provide t-shirts, reflective ankle straps, bells and stickers to partner events. We are already in the planning stages for 2013, so stay tuned for details.
Bikeability Assessment in Franklin County
We also established a new partnership with the Department of Public Health through their Mass in Motion Program. Thanks to that partnership, we were able to launch our statewide Bikeable Communities Program, which expands local capacity for improving bicycling through education, technical support, and public engagement. This partnership also allowed us to bring on our fourth staff member, Samantha Markovitz. (PS – this is the most staff MassBike has ever had!) Thanks to this extra support, we have delivered four Bikeable Communities Trainings, undertaken three Bikeability Assessments, provided Bicycle Planning Support in three communities, and supported the establishment of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. We have even more projects lined up for next year, from the Berkshires to Boston and from Cape Ann to Cape Cod!
Instructor Galen Mook in Revere
Our Education Program had its biggest year yet. We delivered bicycle safety education to thousands of children and adults through our Safe Routes to School Program, On-Bike Skills Classes, and Biking for Everyone Workshops. In fact, if you check our calendar right now, we are even holding some end-of-year Winter Bicycling Workshops around the City of Boston to help people stay safe and comfortable on the roads. These classes are made possible with the generous support of the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, which also sponsored our free valet bike parking at Circle The City and other events.
The best part of our work in 2012 is that it has set us up for an even better 2013. We are putting together a bigger, better legislative agenda to build off of the awareness raised at the Bike/Walk Summit; we are already planning the next Bay State Bike Week with MassDOT; we are excited to be a partner organization in Transportation for Massachusetts, a coalition of advocacy groups seeking to increase state support for biking, walking and transit; and we have plans to expand our Bikeable Communities Program. The bottom line, though, is that we couldn’t do any of this work without the support of our members from around the state. It is only through the membership and donations of thousands of bicyclists around the state that we can be your voice to local, state and federal leaders. So I thank you for your support, and promise to continue our success in 2013.
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Mayor Menino Comments On Bike Safety In Boston
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 12The mayor lets us know what he is doing to help increase bicycle safety.
Last week our cycling community, and the city, was rocked by the tragic death of Boston University student Christopher Weigl. By coincidence, a hearing on bicycle safety brought the community together at City Hall later that day. Both events have many left asking what’s being done to make our city safe for cyclists, and rightfully so. Personally, I have been inspired by the outpouring of concern, support, validation, and sense of togetherness in our efforts to make Boston a world-class caliber city for bicycling.
Over the past five years, our Boston Bikes program has grown tremendously. Bicycle infrastructure is popping up in every neighborhood. A few years ago, when I announced “the car is no longer king” in Boston, it was before we had 675,000 trips on Hubway and before 9,000 young people went through bicycle education classes in schools around the city. That vision has guided the rapid growth in cycling throughout Boston.
It is the close-knit sense of community that impresses me most about bikers in Boston, and it is that community that came together last week. It is the collective force of that community and the unfortunate accidents of this summer and fall that are cemented in our minds today. Through our Boston Bikes program, we speak often about the six “E’s” of bicycle planning. And, it’s the six “E’s” that become the constant refrain when discussing solutions that can bring an end to these tragedies.
While there is certainly more work to be done, sometimes it is helpful to share some of the pieces already in action:
You can read the rest here
I don’t disagree with anything he is saying. But its not enough. My new motto is “More and Better!” More cyclists on the street, better infrastructure for those cyclists. I think if we stuck to that as our goal we will do alright.
We were so far behind here in Boston that its going to take a decade of hard work to only get us to “alright.” Lucky for us there are places in the world that have already done the hard work, the research, and the trial runs. All we need to be able to do is find these places and copy them.
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The Word On The Street
Here is what people are saying
- Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →jsallen
- Where bicycles are prohibited in Massachusetts August 16, 2023TweetThe main issue you will confront if you get into a dispute with police over bicycle prohibitions is whether the prohibition is supported by law. Often it is not. Example: the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Route 128 northbound and … Continue reading →jsallen
- It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022... Continue reading →commonwheels
- It’s Finally Happening! 5th Annual Hot Cocoa Ride Feb 12! February 8, 2022... Continue reading →commonwheels
- Hello world! June 9, 2021Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing! Continue reading →thecommunityspoke
- Run The Jewels Lead Free Pewter Hand Carved And Cast Pin Set January 3, 2021Made these lovely RTJ fist and gun pin set. Hand carved in wax, and then cast in lead free pewter. Because these are made by hand you can do fun things like add an extra small pin so that they sit just so (also means they have “customized” brass back plates to accommodate the extra […]Boston Biker
- My Work In The Wild: Feather Head Badge With Chris King Headset January 3, 2021One of my customers sent me this amazing picture of my feather badge installed on their (awesome!) bike. Check out Manofmultnomah (here and here), apparently Chris King took some interest in it as well. Want one of your own? Buy it here, or here... Continue reading →Boston Biker
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
- Boston’s Invitation to Improve Biking in Boston: Draw on Some Maps! December 14, 2020TweetSometimes, the best way to gather ideas and feedback is to let people draw on some maps. Last night, at the Bike Network Open House, pedallovers unveiled a draft for their upcoming plans for a more connected biking network infrastructure … Continue reading →greg
