Detroit Dreamcyclers Hit Detroit Auto Show

19 art students walking around an auto show with imaginary bikes. I really liked this video, mostly because I think a lot about how automobiles are marketed to people, and how reality doesn’t match up very well with that marketing (see here and here and here and here and here for examples of my past thoughts on the subject).

The dada like absurdity of the imaginary bikes highlights the absurdity of Detroit continuing to put its eggs in the automobile industry basket. Plus it looked like fun.

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Bikes Vital In Post Sandy Rebuilding And Aid Distribution

Once again bikes kick ass. I will say it again, add “bicycle” to your list of disaster preparedness items, you wont be sorry.

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Federal Funding For Bicycles In Danger!

Via MassBike Act now to keep these idiots from removing the tiny amount of federal money currently spent on bicycles.

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Last week, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee released its proposed six-year transportation bill, which would cut funding to critical bicycle and pedestrian programs such as Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.  These programs have been essential in improving bike safety around the state. The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program has provided $2.4 million for bike and pedestrian infrastructure at schools since 2007, and over 1,200 students participated in SRTS bike safety courses in Spring 2011 alone. The second important funding source, Transportation Enhancements, has been used for multi-use paths, rail trails, and other improvements around the state – over $15 million in bike and pedestrian investments since 2005.

The current proposal would not only eliminate dedicated bike and pedestrian funding, but also cut overall federal transportation spending levels by 33% and reduce federal transit funding by 34%.  At a time when our roads are crumbling, trains and buses are breaking down, and communities struggling to build bike and pedestrian facilities, this proposal will erase decades of progress.  We need you to call your representative and senators and urge them to preserve dedicated bicycle funding.

When you call, you can use these talking points:

• Funding For Bicycling And Walking Is At Risk We are concerned that this proposal will lead to the elimination of funding for programs such as Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.
• We Already Underinvest In Biking And Walking Just 1.5 percent of federal transportation dollars currently support bicycling and walking, although these two modes represent 12 percent of all trips in the United States. Bicycling and walking are growing in significance to our transportation system and yet only a tiny fraction of transportation funding is allocated to these essential and affordable modes.
• Bicyclists And Pedestrians Make Up A Disproportionate Number Of Roadway Fatalities 14 percent of roadway fatalities are bicyclists or pedestrians. Small investments in improving roadway safety not only make our roads safer for bicyclists and pedestrians but also make drivers feel more comfortable and reduce conflicts among all road users.
• Biking And Walking Are Great Investments Bicycling and walking improvements are relatively inexpensive, highly cost-effective investments that produce more jobs per dollar than road repair and upgrades; they also boost local small businesses and increase real estate values.
• Biking And Walking Help Solve Many Problems In these tough economic times, we must invest in solutions that solve multiple problems: biking and walking are low-cost transportation options that improve safety, health and air quality; they reduce dependence on foreign oil.

All of our representatives and senators expressed support for bicycling when we visited them in Washington, DC, in March for the National Bike Summit. Now more than ever it is important to remind the Congressional delegation to step up and defend these programs and current funding levels. Please contact your Congressional Representative asking that they maintain dedicated bicycle and pedestrian funding in the transportation bill. Here are the phone numbers for all the U.S. Representatives for Massachusetts:

Don’t know who your U.S. Representative is? Click here and enter your address to find out.

And our two U.S. Senators:

Take action and stand up for bike/ped programs and restoration of funding to transportation!

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The World Has Changed

Love it.

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The New Face Of BP

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Bicycles Now Allowed In Franklin Park

Got the below email from Dot Bike, awesome news!

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Good news!!

The Franklin Park Coalition presented a proposal at the Boston Parks Commission on Monday to make bicycling legal in Franklin Park. While there were several questions, both the Parks Department and the Commissioners expressed their support and appreciated the efforts and enthusiasm of Dot Bike and other volunteer bike groups involved.

Although the ban on bicycling in the park (other than on the road) was not enforced, having bicycling authorized in the park removes possible barriers to continuing to have bike events in the park, or to improvements related to bicycling such as bike racks or path stewardship that addresses biking concerns.

Measuring path widths was a fun group effort with volunteers from Dot Bike, Rozzie Bike, and JP Bikes along with children from a nearby school. Dot Bike was a key partner with the FPC in developing the proposal.

The cooperation of the Parks Dept. on this is very much appreciated, and I can’t thank the Franklin Park Coalition enough for their incredible efforts on behalf of bicyclists and everyone who enjoys and appreciates the park.

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Martha Coakley On Bikes

I was sent this email, which apparently originated with Jeff Roth of the Arlington Bicycle Advisory Committee. Personally I am shocked that Scott Brown (who if you don’t know is a very right wing republican teabagger) is even close in this election. Does Massachusetts really want to have a republican representing them in congress?! Get out on your bikes, and vote for Martha, the future of transportation funding, gay rights, women’s right, abortion rights, health care reform, environmental reform, and a whole host of other issues will be thrown down the drain if Scott Brown wins. That simply can not happen.

From Bike Lexington list:

Hi All – For the US senate election tomorrow, I queried Scott Brown and Martha Coakley to find out their positions or support for bicycle transportation in the Commonwealth and nationwide. I got a response back from Martha Coakley, but not from Scott Brown. I contacted Scott Brown in multiple manners by email and phone, but he neglected to respond with any statement of his support or his position.

The response below is from Martha Coakley’s campaign committee. She even mentioned the Minuteman Bikeway!

From: Issues Issues
To:
Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 4:18:32 PM
Subject: Re: bicycle transportation: seeking Martha Coakley position for Bay State and nationwide

Dear Mr. Roth,

Thank you for writing into the campaign about this issue. We appreciate hearing from you.

As a person who cares very much about the environment and public health, Martha’s interests and priorities are in line with the Massachusettscycling community. Martha cares deeply about developing alternative forms of energy and about energy conservation, both to promote a healthy environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. (see her energy & environment plan here). She understands that a commitment to protecting the environment and a commitment to alternative forms of transportation certainly go hand-in-hand.

In short, Martha agrees that promoting cycling as a transportation alternative is good for the Commonwealth’s economy, businesses, environment, and public health. She is proud that Massachusetts is home to the most used rail-to-trail bikeway in the country (The Minuteman Trail) and she knows that we need to make main thoroughfares, not just dedicated bikeways, safer for all.

If she is victorious on Tuesday, she looks forward to working with your group and others with similar interests to see what kind of federal support and policies will be productive — for example, you mention wheel friendly draining gates. We admit that is not on our radar screen, which is why dialogue like this is so important.

Also, we agree that having something on the website about this may have been useful, but at this late date with the election so close it won’t be possible to put your suggestion into action. Thanks for it nonetheless.

Thanks again for writing.

Please don’t forget to vote on Jan. 19.

Cordially,

The Martha Coakley for Senate Committee

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Spoke Count: Call For Artists

This from the people over at The Chorus Gallery, looks like a lot of fun, if you are of the art persuasion submit something.

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We now interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you a fun bike art event for the whole family.

Spoke Count is a collaborative installation featuring 100+ small works about bikes by various artists. It is estimated that there currently exist over one billion bicycles in the world- this show will attempt to visualize this (growing) mass of our favorite revolutionary transport. We are inviting you, the art and cycling community, to provide us with 100 8 inch x 8 inch drawings of bicycles which we will exhibit during January 2010. Our reception will be on Sat Jan 9th, between 7-10 in the evening at Chorus Gallery in Union Sq.

We will not be picky on media or image. Your submission can be, but is not limited to, a print, photograph, digital image, made out of cut vinyl, or even a drawing. It can be your little sister on a bike, a lug, or painfully accurate drawing of 365 spokes in a pile. All that we ask is that it is of some part of a bicycle and we can mount it to the wall by two map pins.

Spoke count will be a open show for 100 lucky participants. So RSVP ASAP here, and deliver your art work by Thursday January 7th by 5pm (feel free to drop off earlier than that during Open Bicycle’s normal hours).

Simply:

- Unframed– able to be punctured and supported on a wall by a map pin.

- 8 inches x 8 inches.

- Bicycle content.

All works will be for sale and priced at $40. Doesn’t matter if you never draw or have been a finalist for the Venice Biennale, the work will be for sale at $40. Full disclosure, we will be splitting all sold work 30% gallery and 70% artist, as is our standard. But feel free to trade drawings with friends, we don’t mind.

Expect another of our exceptional receptions on the 9th– drinks, dancing, music, and lots of art to look at.

See you soon

Signed,

The management.

more info here

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