Help MassBike Train Police Officers

This is amazing, and highly useful, way to go MassBike!

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We’re Crowdsourcing The State!

Help us capture the best of Massachusetts biking in video! MassBike is in the midst of producing a new police training video, working with the Boston Police Department and several other police departments. We’ve been busy filming the actual training scenarios, but we could use some help from every corner of Massachusetts to lend a statewide flavor to the production. We want ocean, mountains, historic buildings, and more recognizable Massachusetts places.

What we need:

• Very short video clips of bicyclists passing iconic places all over MA
• More short clips of cyclists passing the “Entering …” signs outside Massachusetts cities and towns
• Shots can be first-person (on-bike) or third-person perspective

Technical specs: We’re using GoPro 1080p, 60fps, medium FOV. Try to keep each clip to no more than 10-15 seconds.

How to get involved: Email [email protected] and let me know what you plan to shoot. We’ll figure out the best way to get the files to us.

We can’t promise we’ll use everyone’s clips, but if we do we’ll credit you in the training video!

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Bikes Not Bombs Update

From BNB:

Help Send Bikes to Amuru, Northern Uganda

Village Health Workers riding BNB bikes to visit their patients.

Bikes Not Bombs is partnering with 550 volunteer Village Health Workers in Amuru, Northern Uganda to establish a bicycle transportation system for rural health care delivery to 40,000 people in post-conflict Amuru. BNB has already supplied 360 Village Health Workers with bikes, and this shipment will supply the remaining 190 Village Health Workers, while providing the initial set of bikes to expand the project into the neighboring area of Pabbo, to work with another group of 500 Village Health Workers serving another 50,000 people. In addition to the bicycles, BNB has supported this project to establish an extensive network of bicycle repair workshops with tools and spare parts, and has trained over 25 bicycle mechanics. These bicycles have already helped the Amuru Village Health Team increase their level of health activity to provide improved primary care support to rural households while also becoming a more organized and effective Village Health Worker Association.

Please join us to help BNB load bikes to these Village Health Workers in Northern Uganda!
TIME: Sunday November 10th from 10am to 5pm. Drop in for an hour or stay all day.
PLACE: The BNB warehouse at 10 Harvard Street in Dorchester
DETAILS: Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Equal Exchange coffee will be generously donated by City Feed & Supply.

Please let us know if you will be attending this container loading! RSVP here!

Also, to see more information about this Village Health Worker project, check out this new film created by BNB’s Director of International Programs, David Branigan.

Apply to become a bike mechanic through BNB’s Vocational Education program.

Bikes Not Bombs’ Vocational Education Program (Voc Ed) is an 80-hour course for adults and youth (age 15 and older) offered at our Bike Shop in Jamaica Plain. Voc Ed provides a unique job training opportunity for those who are motivated to learn bicycle repair and mechanics. In the past, this training was taught in a classroom format. However, to improve the quality of the training and offer participants the opportunity to gain real experience in a full-service bike shop, we’ve shifted the structure of Voc Ed so that participants will now work one-on-one with skilled mechanics. The new model will allow participants to receive detailed explanations coupled with hands-on learning. Each participant will be expected to attend three, three-hour classes per week for the duration of the program which is December 9, 2013 – March 8, 2014. The actual hours of the class are flexible to accommodate the participant’s schedule, but must be scheduled during regular Bikes Not Bombs Bike Shop business hours (at least Monday-Friday, 11am – 7 pm).

Because of the intensive nature of this training program, we can only accommodate two participants who are not already participants in BNB programs. Priority will be given to applicants who are serious about becoming professional bike mechanics and who do not have access to other training programs. Women and people of color are encouraged to apply, as are alumni of Bikes Not Bombs youth programs. While the Bikes Not Bombs Bike Shop largely hires graduates of Voc Ed, graduation from the class does not guarantee a position. However, graduates have gone on to work in Boston and Cambridge-based bike shops such as Broadway Bicycle School, Ferris Wheels, Community Bike Shop, Cambridge Bikes, Hubway and other bike-related businesses.

The 3-month training program costs $250. However, scholarships are available and the fee should not be a barrier to applying. Applications, along with resume and cover letter, are due November 18th and participants will be notified by November 28th at the latest. Contact [email protected] with any questions or download and complete the application

Do you love talking about Bikes Not Bombs and want to help raise money to support BNB’s work in Boston and overseas? Then we want YOU to volunteer for our annual Phone-A-Thon!

We need about 30 amazing volunteers to call BNB supporters to inform them of the great things going on at BNB and ask them to make a year-end donation. Our goal is to raise $35,000 before December 31st and we need your help to get there! Every caller makes a difference – the more people we reach at this critical point in fundraising, the stronger and more financially stable we’ll be entering 2014.

We have 10 calling sessions scheduled between November 26th and December 19th. Volunteers can sign up for one or more sessions. We will make sure you are trained and feel confident talking about BNB programs before getting on the phone. All sessions will be held at the Brewery Complex in Jamaica Plain. Snacks will be provided and you’ll earn volunteer credits for your time. Here’s a little secret: the Phone-A-Thon is actually a Fun-A-Thon!

Dates for the call sessions are:
Tuesday 11/26 6-9pm
Tuesday 12/3 6-9pm
Thursday 12/5 6-9pm
Saturday 12/7 12-3pm
Monday 12/9 6-9pm
Tuesday 12/10 6-9pm
Thursday 12/12 6-9pm
Saturday 12/14 12-3pm
Tuesday 12/17 6-9pm
Thursday 12/19 6-9pm

Fill out a brief online form to sign up to volunteer! If you have any questions, please contact Erica Rotman at[email protected] or 617-522-0222 x106.

Wednesday, October 23rd, 2013 at 8am
At: Space with a Soul
281 Summer Street, 7th floor
Boston, MA 02210

Save the date! Bikes Not Bombs’ third annualBuilding Momentum Breakfast will take placeWednesday, October 23rd at 8am at Space with a Soul in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston. The Building Momentum Breakfast is designed to raise critical financial support for Bikes Not Bombs and spread the word about our innovative work using donated bicycles as a tool for self-empowerment and community transformation. The event will feature breakfast from our friends at Ula Café, inspiring stories from individuals who have been impacted by our work, a short video, and more. While attendees will be asked to consider making a donation to support Bikes Not Bombs, there is no obligation to give! If you would like more information about how to attend the Building Momentum Breakfast, contact Erica Rotman, Director of Fundraising & Events, at [email protected].

First time riders, long-term supporters, volunteers, and curious community members alike are welcomed to take part in the fun rides, fanfare, celebration and community-building of Bikes Not Bombs’ biggest event and fundraiser of the year, the Bike-A-Thon! In 2014 we look to have our greatest rides yet, so don’t miss out. PutSunday, June 8th in your calendar today! Also, don’t forget to holdJune 22nd as a rain date just in case. We’ll be coming out with more details as we get closer to the event, but you can be sure that we’ll have:
Fully-supported rides for all skill levels!
Delicious food and a post-ride celebration for riders!
Brand new BNB t-shirts for all participants!
Great prizes for top fundraisers!

In the meantime, check out photos and the amazing results from the 2013 Bike-A-Thon!

We’re looking for donations of any Apple computers from 2008 or later. Must be working. Laptops and desktops! Please contact Sean Madsen at [email protected] to arrange the donation.

Check out a large selection of refurbished bikes, starting at $340.

This October our Flat Fixing Clinic will be Tuesday October 15th from 8-9pm and our Basic Repair and Maintenance Clinic will be on Thursday the 24th from 8-9pm. More details online. As always, no need to sign up just be punctual and show up by 8pm!

With summer over and the days getting shorter the bike shop is starting to assemble refurbished bikes for resale which means that we finally have some of our more basic $340 City Bikes in stock (call ahead they often sell as soon as they’re on the floor). Currently we’re only scheduled 1 day out for repairs and have a wider range of sizes of refurbished bikes than we have had in recent months.

Finally, we’re excited to share that shop employee Derek McIntire is preparing to travel to Ghana in early November to lead mechanics trainings at Ability Bikes. It’s part of the Bike Shop’s mission to support our youth and international programs, and we look forward to sharing a report from Derek about his experiences in Ghana once he’s back.

Please join all of us at Bikes Not Bombs in welcoming our newest staff member, Charlotte Fagan, International Programs Coordinator. Charlotte comes to BNB with a great deal of international bicycle organizing experience. She helped found Carishina en Bici, a feminist bike collective in Ecuador and has volunteered with BNB projects in Sierra Leone and Guatemala. Charlotte will work closely with the Director of International Programs, David Branigan, and will be primarily responsible for coordinating technical assistance and support to Bikes Not Bombs’ international partners. We’re thrilled to have her on board and can’t wait to see the amazing progress our International Programs make with her on the BNB team.

Do you have parts leftover from upgrading your bikes? Instead of sitting around unused, that derailleur could be keeping a rural health worker’s bike on the road in Northern Uganda so they can reach more people, connect them to health care, and save lives! And if you ride with friends or in a club, please put out the word, collect parts together, and then bring them in to Bikes Not Bombs!

We need these parts by mid-October. Bikes Not Bombs is preparing to send a second shipment of bikes and parts to our newly developed partner project that so far has outfitted 360 community health workers with bikes. As Northern Uganda recovers from 20 years of civil war, this work is helping to create more healthy communities.

Items we can especially use:

• Front Derailleurs – anything made for a mountain bike, or otherwise to fit a triple chain ring, road and hybrid derailleurs may work also.
• Rear Derailleurs – anything made for a mountain bike, or otherwise a long cage derailleur
• Shifters – rapid-fire, grip shift, or thumb shifters
• Chains – any type, though 7-8 speed chains are especially valuable
• Brakes – cantilever brakes, V-brakes
• Tubes and Tires – 26″ (for mountain bikes) and any smaller sizes

Donations are tax deductible. Donors will be asked to assign the fair market value of your donation and please include the name and address where we should send the receipt. Contact Arik Grier,[email protected], 617-522-0222 x100.

BNB youth and staff greet Steve Murphy after his cross-country bike ride in support of BNB.

A hearty congratulations and thank you to Steve Murphy, a BNB Adult Instructor and steadfast volunteer who recently completed a cross-county bike ride in support of BNB. Steve rode from Seattle to Boston, and raised over $10,000 along the way. You can read about his journey, or donate in honor of his accomplishment.
If you are interested in planning a personal fundraising ride to support Bikes Not Bombs, please contact Erica Rotman at [email protected].

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New Hubway Stations Going In This Week!

People hem and haw, but this system is getting bigger, its expanding into more areas, and people are using it in record numbers.  It might not be happening as fast as we like it, or in all the neighborhoods we want it in, but it IS happening.

With a prominent mayoral candidate from Dorchester in the news we can only hope that the cities largest neighborhood will be at the top of the list for next year.

Hubways are reliable forms of public transportation, and its vital all areas of the Boston metro area have access to them.

From The City:

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New Hubway Stations – Installs Start This Week! This week more New Balance Hubway stations start coming to: South Boston W Broadway – W Broadway/Dot Ave S Boston Library – 646 E Broadway * Pending 2 stations at Design Center     Jamaica Plain Egleston Sq – Columbus/ Washington Hyde Square – Centre St/ Barbara St JP Monument – Centre St/South St JP Center – Centre St / Myrtle St *Pending Jackson Square, Green Street, Forest Hills    Other Hayes Square – Bunker Hill St / Vine St, Charlestown Milk St – Milk St / India St, Downtown BIDMC (3rd station) – Brookline/Burlington, Fenway Columbia Road – Mass Ave / Columbia Rd, Dorchester Charles St – Charles St / Beacon St, Beacon Hill *Pending Upham’s Corner   Special thanks to Department of Conservation and Recreation and the MBTA for supporting stations on their property.

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Cheap Hubway Memberships!

The city is offering the following deal.  Which makes Hubway one of these cheapest ways to get around for low income people in this city, and healthy to boot!

 

Contact Najah Shakir at 617-918-4343 to see if you qualify or for more information.

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Hubway Breaks 1 Million Rides, Still Going Strong

A while ago I estimated that Hubway would break 1 million rides sometime this summer, and turns out I was right. Got this in the email today:

Hubway is celebrating two years and 1 Million completed rides!

 

In July of 2011, we proudly launched Hubway with 610 bikes and 61 stations spread throughout Boston. Since then, we’ve expanded our footprint into Brookline, Cambridge, and Somerville, nearly doubling the number of bikes and stations, and attracting the interest and support of a growing mass of enthusiastic riders along the way.

 

After two years and more than one million rides, we’re humbled and excited by the way members like you have embraced the concept of urban bicycle sharing. It’s not an exaggeration to say that, together, we’re actively transforming the way we live, work, and play in our fair cities.

 

Looking for proof? Check out these impressive numbers. Together, we’ve:

 

• Ridden nearly 1.1 million miles
• Burned more than 40 million calories
• Reduced our carbon footprint by 285 tons

 

To celebrate, you’re invited to join us at the upcoming Artcrank Boston event, a bicycle themed art exhibit and benefit for our friends at Livable Streets Alliance. Enjoy original bicycle art, soft drinks, beer from Widmer Brothers Brewing, and the chance to mingle with bike enthusiasts just like you. Hubway is proud to support our local artists. When you purchase a poster, we’ll say thanks with a special gift – just flash your Hubway key at checkout to receive it. Additional event details are below, so hop on a Hubway and head on over! We hope to see you there.

 

Sincere thanks for all the great support and feedback these last two years. No one could have predicted the success that bike sharing has had in Metro-Boston, and you should be proud of what you have helped Hubway accomplish. Our expansion will continue through the summer, so keep your Hubway key handy and join us as we #BikeToTheFuture.

 

Cheers,

Your Hubway Team

 

Artcrank Boston

7.20.13

Fourth Wall Project

5:00PM

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