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5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap
Written by greg on May 23
Greg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum.
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Last year, I live-blogged the 2012 Boston Bike Update and ended up with a pretty comprehensive post about it. This past Tuesday, for the 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013, I live-tweeted instead, using #BostonBikeReport. However, here is a recap from blogger Sicloot , a post by WestWood Biker who found the meeting “discouraging,” and below are some tweets from the night, and a link to the full Boston Bikes report.
Full house at @bikeboston #BostonBikeUpdate! @streetsboston twitter.com/thehum/status/…
— Greg Hum (@thehum) May 21, 2013
“Boston is 5th most bikable city in the country; biking up 82%” #BostonBikeUpdate @streetsboston @bikeboston twitter.com/thehum/status/…
— Greg Hum (@thehum) May 21, 2013
The nation’s 1st bike helmet vending machine is coming to #Boston this summer!! #BostonBikeUpdate
— LivableStreets (@StreetsBoston) May 21, 2013
Bike lanes coming to A & D street in #southie!#bostonbikeupdate
— SouthieBikes (@SouthieBikes) May 21, 2013
Thanks to @streetsboston for hosting last night’s #bostonbikeupdate, & all the people who attended. Here’s report: ow.ly/liwxT
— Boston Bikes (@bikeboston) May 22, 2013
It’s going to be yet another exciting year for biking in Boston!
-Greg
Tags: bike update, boston bike update, Boston Bikes, livable streets
Posted in advocacy | No Comments »
City Releases Crash Statistics: Mayor Proposes Mandatory Helmet Law
Written by Boston Biker on May 16As a follow-up to City Councilor Ayanna Pressley’s hearing in December 2012, the City of Boston’s Crash Data Report has finally come out. You can find the report at the following URL: http://www.cityofboston.gov/
highlights include this lovely opening from the Mayor.
Dear Fellow Bostonians,
During the summer and fall of 2012, our city experienced five fatal bicycle incidents that led to this report. Through detailed analysis of four years of police report data, City officials will have concrete information with which to make the roadways safer for vulnerable users. This document will help us smartly apply our resources to continue improving our streets using the “six E’s of bicycle planning”: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, Evaluation, and Equity.
Since the City of Boston bicycle program launched in 2007, we have gone from being called one of the worst cities for cycling in the country to one of the best. The addition of nearly 60 miles of on-street bicycle facilities, hundreds of new bike racks, and the overwhelmingly successful New Balance Hubway bike share program has brought cycling into the mainstream here in Boston. Boston is well on its way to becoming a world-class cycling city. The bicycle has become a critical part of our transportation system.
Boston streets are full of people commuting to work and school, families enjoying a weekend ride together, and every type of rider in-between. This spirited resurgence of the bicycle has placed our city streets in a time of transit ion, from one dependent upon cars, to one embracing more active transportation options. Transitions can be difficult.
The close-knit community among cyclists continues to impress me. When one member of the community suffers from a terrible incident, the degree of separation to all cyclists is not far. We must work tirelessly and collaboratively to continue improving the safety of our streets. This report will help guide the process of continuing to grow Boston’s vibrant bicycle community.
Sincerely,
Thomas M. Menino
Mayor, City of Boston
But what really seems to have some in a tizzy is the notion of a mandatory helmet law being proposed by the mayors office.
Helmets are very useful in reducing injury to your head AFTER the accident occurs. Having a helmet on will reduce your chances of getting brain damage once the car has run into you, but wont keep it from hitting you in the first place. Or from the street being full of pot holes, or from poorly designed intersections, or red light runners etc.
One can only assume at the behest of the Boston Public Health Commission. The BPH seems to be obsessed with helmets, something I (and many others) have disagreed with in the past.
The whole thing is full of statistics here is just a taste:
74% of people are already wearing helmets
21 is the age most likely to be in a crash
Most crashes happen at 5pm
The report is well worth a read, read it all here. Leave your thoughts, findings, statistical analysis in the comments.
Tags: Boston Bikes, crash statistics, laws, mayor
Posted in advocacy, infrastructure, news | 3 Comments »
The City Celebrates Bike Week
Written by Boston Biker on May 14Got this in the email, lots and lots of bike week events going on:
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Cap off a great week of biking by joining us and hundreds of others for the Boston Bike Week Celebration on City Hall Plazathis Friday. To get there, you can join one of 10 convoys - including NEW East Boston/Chelsea and Melrose/Malden/Everett routes – or ride in on your own. We’ll start the morning right by enjoying breakfast by Boloco, getting cool free stuff, and saying good morning to each other, including many vendors.
The Ride of Silence, which is being organized by area volunteers, will honor cyclists who’ve been killed in collisions with motor vehicles. Riders must be 16+ and wear a helmet, and are encouraged to wear a white t-shirt or arm band. The route will be completed in silence and go at a slow pace on a 4 mile route through downtown Boston, leaving from City Hall Plaza at 7p. Press coverage and more information can be found here.
We are partnering withJerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill to bring you “Two Wheels, One Fund” benefiting The One Fund. With support from the New England cycling community, the event will offer guests an evening of dinner, drinks, live music from Sweet Tooth & the Sugarbabies and the east coast premiere of Red Bull Media’s new mountain biking film, “Where the Trail Ends.” More information and ticket details can be found here.

Tags: bike week, Boston Bikes, City of Boston, ride of silence
Posted in advocacy, fun, news | No Comments »
Boston Bikes Update
Written by Boston Biker on Dec 26Update from the city, via email:

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Tags: Boston Bikes, email update, year end recap
Posted in advocacy | 1 Comment »
Help Boston Count Bikes
Written by Boston Biker on Aug 30Got this in the email looks like fun, plus you get to hold a clipboard!
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Boston Bikes is about to kick-off our annual bicycle count from September 10th-25th, and we need your help. Do you like bikes? Do you have a knack for tabulation? Do you enjoy holding a clipboard? Then we need YOU to support our effort in evaluating bicycle ridership in Boston.
We need reliable volunteers to staff counting locations across the city during the morning (7a-9a) and evening (4p-6p) travel hours.
SIGN UP HERE to learn more.
Tags: Boston Bikes, count bikes
Posted in advocacy, fun | No Comments »
Kristopher Carter Interim Director Of Boston Bicycle Programs
Written by Boston Biker on Apr 23I have gotten word that Kristopher Carter current adviser to the Mayor, has been made the interim director of the Boston Bicycle program. I have heard from a couple people that he is a pretty good guy, but more info when I get it.
Can’t confirm this yet, more info when I get it.
Tags: Boston Bikes, interim director of boston bicycle program, kristopher carter
Posted in news | 3 Comments »
Re-cap Of Boston Bikes Presentation
Written by Boston Biker on Feb 29Greg has an awesome recap of the 4th annual Boston Bikes report.
I, for one, am looking forward to Mayor Menino raising his right fist into the air as he welcomes tonight’s audience with a booming “The car is NO LONGER KING IN BOSTON!”
6:16pm: BostonBikeUpdate begins! in an almost full auditorium, Steve Miller of Livablestreets welcomes…NOT Mayor Menino, who “got a flat tire on the way to update and could no longer attend.
Tags: Boston Bikes, the car is no longer king, the hum
Posted in advocacy, infrastructure | 2 Comments »
4th Annual Boston Bikes Update (New Date)
Written by Boston Biker on Jan 264th Annual Boston Bikes Update (New Date) – Tuesday Feb. 28th 6:15 – 8 p.m. Boston Public Library, Copley Square, 700 Boylston Street / Rabb Lecture Hall
Free and open to the public
Nicole Freedman, Director of the Boston Bikes Program, will present her fourth report on past achievements, challenges, and future goals of the Mayor’s effort to create a “world class bicycling city.” Come hear details on Hubway bike share, the Bike Network Plan, parking facilities, youth programs, festivals, and more.
And this year the Mayor is scheduled to make an appearance.
Tags: 4, Boston Bikes, Nicole Freedman, update
Posted in advocacy, Commuting, infrastructure | 1 Comment »
The Word On The Street
Here is what people are saying
- National Bike Challenge May 23, 2013TweetMassbike is promoting the National Bike Challenge this year, a fun way to compete with other states to see what state is the most dedicated to cycling. See below for details, or read here. ———– MassBike is proud to … Continue reading → […]Boston Biker
- The More Innocent The Cyclist, The Greater The Number Of Deleted Comments May 23, 2013Tweet Does the woman in the photo above look like a scofflaw? A reckless cyclist? An irresponsible person? On the contrary, she looks like a sincere, intelligent, thoughtful person. A few days ago, she was struck and killed by a … Continue reading → […]IsolateCyclist
- The More Innocent The Cyclist, The Greater The Number Of Deleted Comments May 23, 2013Tweet Does the woman in the photo above look like a scofflaw? A reckless cyclist? An irresponsible person? On the contrary, she looks like a sincere, intelligent, thoughtful person. A few days ago, she was struck and killed by a … Continue reading → […]IsolateCyclist
- The More Innocent The Cyclist, The Greater The Number Of Deleted Comments May 23, 2013Tweet Does the woman in the photo above look like a scofflaw? A reckless cyclist? An irresponsible person? On the contrary, she looks like a sincere, intelligent, thoughtful person. A few days ago, she was struck and killed by a … Continue reading → […]IsolateCyclist
- 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ Last year, I live-blogged the … Continue reading → […]greg
- 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ Last year, I live-blogged the … Continue reading → […]greg
- 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ Last year, I live-blogged the … Continue reading → […]greg
- 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ Last year, I live-blogged the … Continue reading → […]greg
- 5th Annual Boston Bike Update 2013 Recap May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ Last year, I live-blogged the … Continue reading → […]greg
- MBTA Offers Bicycle Amenities On Capeflyer Boston To Cape Cod Train May 23, 2013TweetGreg Hum plays drums on his bike, organizes the annual Midnight Marathon Bike Ride, and rides bikes after eating too much. He shares stories and more on his personal blog, The Humble Cyclist. Tweet at him, bro: @thehum. ____________________________________________________________________ The MBTA’s new CapeFlyer train … Continue reading → […]greg
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