There is the old saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish, feed him for a lifetime.” In the spirit of that saying, we have created the Bikeable Communities Program, which aims to help give local bicyclists the tools to effectively work for better bicycling conditions in their own communities.
This program recognizes the reality of making in change in Massachusetts – much of the decision making takes place at the municipal level. This is especially true of infrastructure projects, though many policy and programmatic decisions are also up to local government. The focus of the Bikeable Communities Program is to use the experience that MassBike staff and leadership have gained over 35 years to help locals maximize their effectiveness and improve strategies for making their communities better for biking.
This program is new, and the individual elements are still evolving. However, there are a few activities that we have already undertaken in mutliple communities in Massachusetts:
- Bikeable Communities Trainings
- Bikeability Assessments
- Bicycle Planning Assistance
These activities are especially well suited for Mass in Motion communities. (Not sure if your community is in Mass in Motion? Click here.) If you have any other questions, email Services@MassBike.org.
