Bike Safety Instructor

Our Instructors deliver the bike safety education for our Education Program. We currently have four instructors located around the state, but are looking for an additional instructor for the Boston Metro area. The key to this position is having a flexible schedule, as many of the classes we teach are during the day, though occasionally on nights or weekends. Ideal candidates will have teaching experience and are intimately familiar with bicyclist issues. Time commitment will only rarely exceed 20 hours per month. To see the job description, click here.

Project Coordinator

We are searching for a top-notch candidate to help the City of Springfield build its bicycle and pedestrian network. The Project Coordinator is a full-time position based in Springfield that will work closely with staff from the City and from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission. An ideal candidate would have a Master’s Degree and a minimum one year of experience, or two to four years of experience doing related work. Spanish language skills and familiarity with or residency in Springfield a HUGE plus. To see the job description, click here.

Mayor Lisa Wong at the Bike/Walk Summit

The Summit could not have come at a better time. On Saturday, April 13th (two days after the event), the Senate debated and then voted on a five-year, $800 million per year transportation package. This is much more than the $500 million bill passed by the House, which Governor Deval Patrick has threatened to veto since it falls so far short of his ten-year, $1.2 billion per year plan.

Transportation for Massachusetts, a coalition of organizations including MassBike and WalkBoston, released a statement on the Senate’s transportation bill. Here is an excerpt:

As passed, the bill makes progress by closing yearly budget shortfalls and begins to address our significant maintenance backlog. However, it does not provide sufficient funding to move our transportation system into the 21st century. The bill’s revenue projections are too optimistic and the total funds insufficient.

Because two different versions of the bill were passed by the separate chambers, they will now go to a conference committee. The differences will have to be worked out, and MassBike is hopeful that the end result will do two things:

• Restore dedicated funding for shared-use paths, and ensure that biking and walking are included in everyday road and bridge projects.
• Maintain, or ideally increase, the Senate’s bottom line funding for transportation – though the latter seems unlikely.

Finally, we asked Summit attendees to ask their legislators to support specific pieces of bike/pedestrian safety legislation, which you can find here. Because the Legislature’s focus so far this session has been on funding, the first public hearings for these bills have not yet been scheduled. We’ll let you know just as soon as that happens.

As always, we are going to count on your support to call up your legislators and tell them that these issues matter. We will be issuing action alerts as the need arises so that the needs of bicyclists don’t get lost in the broader legislative conversation. Thanks as always, we couldn’t do it without you.

In the end, the two maps of Holyoke (which included the downtown area and a more suburban/rural part) were thoroughly marked up with problem spots, ideas for improvements, and general comments about bicycling in Holyoke. A lot of local expertise was provided from members of MassBike’s Pioneer Valley Chapter, in addition to other residents of Holyoke. Overall, there was one key area of agreement – while Holyoke has a number of bicyclists, more work needs to be done to bring them together. The Open House was the first step of that process.

Some of the other preliminary findings include:

• Recreational riding opportunities are excellent, with both on-road and off-road routes providing scenic and exciting rides.
• There are no bike-friendly river crossings from Holyoke into Chicopee or South Hadley.
• The riverfront is an underutilized area, and a great opportunity for a multi-use path.
• The bicycle facilities that do exist (bike lanes) typically disappear by the end of winter, resulting in motorists entering the bicycle lanes more frequently.
• There should be more bicycle safety education offerings, especially in Holyoke schools.
• Biking to the Holyoke Mall, a major commercial area, is very difficult.

Over the next several weeks, we will work to combine these findings with the results of a community survey and other outreach activities into a “Needs Assessment.” The intention is that this document will provide the foundation for continued relationship building and dialogue, crucial ingredients to the longer-term goal of building the infrastructure, both built and human, for better bicycling conditions.

This work is part of our Bikeable Communities Program. Do you want to see an activity like this in your community? Email Services@MassBike.org if so!

Your voice is crucial this year for biking and walking. Governor Patrick has proposed increasing funding for transportation, including a four-fold increase for bicycle and pedestrian funding – and we need your help to make it reality. You can read the details here, but under his plan, we would have $430 million devoted to multi-use paths and other bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This is unprecedented, and we must urge our legislators to support the Governor’s transportation plan.

Help us send this message loud and clear by attending the 2013 Massachusetts Bike/Walk Summit on Thursday, April 11 from 10 AM to 1 PM at the State House in Nurses Hall. For the second year in a row, MassBike and WalkBoston are teaming up to host the Summit so that bicyclists and pedestrians speak with one voice on Beacon Hill.

Please register today by clicking here.

In addition to transportation funding, we will also be asking participants to encourage their legislators to support several pieces of bike/ped safety legislation:

• Vulnerable Road Users Bill (SD.1639) – Would give added protection to bicyclists, pedestrians and other vulnerable users of the road.
• Bike Lane Protection Bill (SD.1640) – Would prohibit motor vehicles from parking in bike lanes.
• Senior Safety Zones Bill (HD.550) – Would create zones around areas with high senior citizen populations similar to school zones.
• Active Streets and Healthy Communities Bill (HD.3091/SD.68) – Creates incentives for communities to design streets which encourage biking, walking and other forms of active transportation.
• Speed Limits Bill (HD.3129) – Would give communities the flexibility to lower the prevailing speed limit on certain roads to 25 mph.
• An Act to Promote Pedestrian Safety (HD.1570) – Would encourage snow removal from sidewalks.

And if all that isn’t enough excitement, after the legislative meetings, we’ll have lunch in Nurses Hall with special guest speaker Fitchburg Mayor Lisa Wong, a Massachusetts healthy communities rockstar! Please attend this important event, and make sure that the safety of bikers and walkers doesn’t get overlooked. Together, let’s get Beacon Hill Moving!

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

Due to a snow storm, most of the congressional meetings were canceled, including all Massachusetts delegation meetings. Nonetheless, we were still able to discuss important bicycling issues, share stories, and network with other advocates from across the country. Because we were not able to meet with our delegation on Capitol Hill, we are working on scheduling meetings with them locally to continue our ongoing relationship, and as well as build new ones with Senators Warren and Cowan and Representative Kennedy.

To watch videos of the keynote and plenary talks, visit the League’s YouTube Channel. If you were not available to attend the Summit, the League has made the presentations from break-out sessions public; click here to view.

The National Women’s Bicycling Forum

Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth

Congresswoman Duckworth said, “As you promote cycling as a way to be fit and as a way to become part of your community, think of the disabled. Three steps can permit me from getting into a bike shop. Simple things that cost little prevent many disabled people from participating. Continue to help promote this lifestyle, you are making a difference in this avenue.” Along with her inspiring words, many other speakers at the Women’s Forum had words of wisdom.

MA Attendees & MassBike Staff

The current transportation authorization, MAP-21, was passed after years of delay and much hard fought negotiation. The united voice of bike advocates was a crucial element keeping even our small share of funding from being totally gutted. However, it expires in a short 19 months from now and the current Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair has already been quoted calling bicycle-related investments into question.

We want you to join us in D.C. to tell our congressional delegation to continue supporting cycling.

In a few weeks, MassBike will be leading Massachusetts advocates to Washington D.C for the 2013 National Bike Summit hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. It’s a great experience, and we hope you will join us. To register for the National Bike Summit click here.

If you will not able to make it down to the Capitol with us, we still encourage you to call your Representative and Senators on March 6th. We’ll post more about this as the date approaches, so stay tuned.

Even better, the day before the summit the Women’s Bicycling Forum will take place, which will highlight the rising influence of women in the bicycling movement. Both women and men are welcome to attend. To register for the Women’s Bicycling Forum, click here.

If you have any questions feel free to call 617-542-2453 or email Advocacy@MassBike.org.

We highly encourage you to take a look at the plan. Of particular interest is the “Policy/Planning” section, which describes the ways in which MassDOT intends to expand multimodal options, support livable communities, and triple the mode share of bicycling, walking and transit use by 2030. Contained within this section are goals to increase the creation of Complete Streets projects, expand bicycle parking and transit access, and continue expanding the length and connections of biking and walking facilities. And that’s just a start.

There is still a lot of work to do to make sure that these high-level policies are reflected in the projects and operations on the ground. In an organization with 6,000 employees, changing culture can be a tall order. However, this document is a major step in the right direction with far-reaching implications, and we were glad that we could be a part of the development process.

The funding plan proposed by Governor Patrick includes a significant increase in funding for biking and walking, dedicating $430 million over the next ten years. Click here for the full plan.

We like the Governor’s bold move to fix our broken transportation system, and think it will provide better transportation for everyone in Massachusetts, whether you bike, walk, drive, or take transit. There is going to be much wrangling between the Legislature and the Governor about where the revenue will come from. Governor Patrick has proposed a 1% income tax increase (softened by a 0.75% sales tax decrease). It is likely that the funding plan and the revenue proposals will change as the Legislature considers the whole package.

We will work hard with the Legislature and our allies at Transportation for Massachusetts to make sure that funding for bicycling actually does increase to meet the state’s (and our) ambitious goals to get more people on bikes. However, a strong, unified voice from people across Massachusetts will be needed to see this plan become reality.

Here is how you and your friends can help:

• Read the plan or the summary.
• Email your legislators (look them up here) as well as House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Therese Murray (see below for sample text).
• Express your support on Facebook and Twitter. Forward this message to your friends and family.
• Receive bulletins from MassBike and Transportation for Massachusetts by signing up for our email lists.
• Submit a letter to your local paper, comment on articles on-line, or call in to talk radio. There will be people who do not see the value of investing in biking and walking, and they need to hear from you!
• Email us at action@massbike.org to let us know who you’ve contacted.

Support this work by joining or donating to MassBike today!

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Sample text of email to your legislator:
Dear [NAME]:

I support investing in our transportation system and I am writing to ask you to do the same.

Massachusetts needs a long-term strategy that will fix what’s broken, reduce delays and congestion, and make our cities and towns healthier and more prosperous.

I use the transportation system every day. I want to know that it will work when I need it—that roads and bridges will stay open, that the trains will run on time, that the roads will be safe for bicycling, and that we can build the walking and bicycling trails that my community wants.

We have some hard choices, but you can make sure that we get a fair blend of revenues and modernizations that add up to the $1 billion investment that we need.

Thank you for your attention, and your action.
Sincerely,
[NAME/ADDRESS]

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

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.

Bike Breakfast in the Pioneer Valley

It’s really impressive – we’ve already gotten some emails and phone calls from Bay State Bike Week organizers asking what the dates are for 2013, because they have already started planning their events.

This year, Bay State Bike Week will take place from May 11 – 19. And for the first time includes both weekends to extend the fun even more!

Last year, there were over 150 events around the state, ranging from bike breakfasts to bike rides to bike festivals – basically, if it was bike-related, it was on the calendar. On our end, we have already started meeting with our partners at MassDOT and MassRIDES to plan website updates, what kinds of goodies we will have for partner organizations, and how to support even more events in more communities.

The state has made two announcements this past year which make Bay State Bike Week even more relevant. First, the state released its draft GreenDOT Implementation Plan, MassDOT’s Sustainability Policy. Second, the state recently announced mode shift goals which centered on tripling biking, walking and transit by 2030. Events like Bay State Bike Week will be crucial in raising the profile of bicycling as a safe, fun, and convenient way to get around.

Whether you’re an event organizer, past event attendee, or just someone who likes to bike, be sure to mark your calendars. See you in May!