The month of May – Bike Month – is almost here. That means that Bay State Bike Week is just around the corner. We’ve already started getting events submitted for the upcoming week of bicycle celebrations (May 11-19). There is a Bike to School Day on the Cape, a Bike Rodeo in the Pioneer Valley, and a Bike Film Festival in Metro Boston, and the MassCommute Bicycle Challenge, to name only a few events.

Now is the time to submit your event to the calendar.

During the week of May 11-19, people across the state will be searching for events in their community or region – this calendar connects them up with your great event! Plus, registering your event for Bay State Bike Week also does the following:

• Makes your event eligible for Bay State Bike Week swag, such as t-shirts and reflective ankle straps.
• Provides branding materials for promotion of the event.
• Gives event attendees a chance to win great prizes in a drawing!

If you have already registered your event, but want to request materials for Bay State Bike Week, check out this page here. If you have any questions about submitting an event to the calendar, requesting materials, or anything else, please do not hesitate to email BayStateBikeWeek@MassBike.org.

Finally, if you haven’t yet planned an event but are interested in doing so, it’s not too late! There is still plenty of time to put together a bike ride, bike breakfast, or other event for your community. We have included both weekends to allow for more recreational events, and not just work commuting. Check out our Event Planning Resources for more information on how to plan an event.

Bay Road and West Street in Amherst

Last weekend, a dozen volunteers braved the chilly New England Fall weather to work on making intersections in Northampton and Amherst better for bicyclists. Through a partnership with the Hampshire Council of Governments, and thanks to our partnership with Mass in Motion, we were able to come out and train local bicyclists how to use the assessment form, what to think about when assessing the intersections, and the most important things to document. Then we set them loose!

Did you miss the assessment last weekend? Don’t worry! We are going to be doing a second round of intersection assessments this coming weekend to hit the spots we couldn’t get to. If you would like to help out, send an email to me at Price@MassBike.org. The times are listed at the bottom of the page. We’ll also be in Belchertown on Monday from 11 – 1, if you have time to help out.

The Pioneer Valley is fortunate to have a MassBike Chapter, whose members serve on numerous local and regional advisory boards. They also have on-the-ground knowledge about the bicyclist experience, and important community connections to round up volunteers for activities just like this. Since June, we have taught both of our Bikeable Communities Trainings, taught Springfield youth on how to do Bikeability Assessments, and begun assisting Holyoke in expanding their bicycle infrastructure.

If you would like to help out this weekend, please do! And bring friends – the more boots (or tires) on the ground, the more intersections we can assess.

Northampton
Saturday, November 10th
Meet at the Forbes Library
1:00-4:00pm

Amherst
Sunday, November 11th
Meet at the Jones Library
1:00-4:00pm

Belchertown
Monday, November 12th
Meet at the Clapp Memorial Library
11:00am-1:00pm

This is really exciting work, especially in Springfield – the fourth largest city in New England -  which could see major transportation and economic benefits from being more bike-friendly. Right now, their main bicycle facility is the Connecticut River Walk and Bikeway, but that is mostly used for recreation. This stands in stark contrast to the northern tier of the Pioneer Valley, where Easthampton, Northampton, Hadley and Amherst are all linked via off-road trails and the streets tend to have more bicycle facilities.

We are fortunate to have the opportunity through Mass in Motion for the MassBike staff to be able to provide direct support to Springfield (and Holyoke) on improving their bike infrastructure. MassBike also has a chapter in the Pioneer Valley, which works on a variety of projects and other local initiatives. If you have any questions about other things going on in the Pioneer Valley, or would like to get more involved, email Price@MassBike.org.

Click here for a copy of the companion document, “Shifting Gears”.

There are a lot of times here in the MassBike office that we get a familiar call. Our phone rings, and a concerned citizen starts telling the story of a terrible road, dangerous intersection, bad enforcement, or any number of other barriers that keep them from bicycling. And the question inevitably follows, “So, what should I do?”

What’s more, we know that for every one of these calls we get there are dozens of others who don’t call our office but are thinking the exact same thing. In response, we have put together our two-part Bikeable Communities Training, which gets to the heart of that critical question – “What should I do?” The first part of the training, “Plugging into the Process” goes over how local advocates can get involved. The second part, “Policies, Programs, and Projects,” provides an overview of the different ways that a community can encourage bicycling.

The classes are free and open to the public, though registration is required. You can register here. See below for the class schedule, and feel free to email Education@MassBike.org if you have any questions.

Part One, “Plugging Into The Process”

Tuesday, September 18, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
Boston Public Library Main Branch, McKim Conference Room
Boston

Wednesday, September 19, 6:30 – 9:00 PM
Collaborative for Educational Services
97 Hawley St, Northampton

Wednesday, October 3, 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 3rd Floor Conference Room
60 Temple Place, Boston

Part Two, “Policies, Programs and Projects”

Tuesday, September 25, 6:00 – 8:30 PM
MassBike Office
171 Milk Street, Suite 33
Boston, MA

Wednesday, October 24, 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM
Metropolitan Area Planning Council, 3rd Floor Conference Room
60 Temple Place, Boston

These trainings are made possible thanks to the generous support of the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness and Mass in Motion.

The Education Program has really gotten rolling this summer! We were excited to offer our first Bikeable Communities Training in Northampton on June 30th, and had a good crowd of advocates there to learn about the process of making positive change. We also held our first on-bike skills class for the summer on June 24th, and are looking forward to more classes in the coming months. Read below for more information.

Bikeable Communities Training

The class in Northampton went well, with about a dozen people joining to learn more about the local decision making process. The training went over the different levels of government (local, regional, state and federal) and their role in the process. More importantly, the presentation focused on how individuals and community groups can plug into the process to influence the decisions being made. In the end, breakout sessions identified two potential projects for the Pioneer Valley – better bike facilities on Route 5 in S. Deerfield, and a community-based child education program at a local elementary school.

Next Training

While the details are still coming together, the Bikeable Communities Training will be held next in Berkshire County in the middle of August. The specifics (date and location) will be announced in the coming days, but if you are in the area, please do send an email to education@massbike.org to find out more information.

Basics of Better Biking (On-Bike Class)

The next four-hour on-bike skills class, Basics of Better Biking, will be held on Saturday, July 21 at Boston University. The class is designed for adults who want to get back into bicycling, improve cycling skills, learn to ride more effectively and safely in traffic, and/or participate in a large-scale benefit ride. Topics covered include bike and helmet fitting, starting and stopping your bike in traffic, shifting gears, scanning and yielding, choosing the correct lane position in the road, handling intersections, and more.

To register, send an email to education@massbike.org by Friday, July 20.

Next Class

Saturday, July 21st, 9:00 – 1:00 PM
Boston University, Agganis Arena (Meet at the corner of Harry Agganis Way and Commonwealth Ave.)
Pre-registration required.
For more information, click here.

Basics of Better Biking – Seaport District

The Basics of Better Biking class is designed for adults who want to get back into bicycling, improve cycling skills, learn to ride more effectively and safely in traffic, and/or participate in a large-scale benefit ride. This four-hour weekend session provides guided instruction with simple practice drills in a parking lot, easy-paced riding on local roadways for short distances, and group-discussion breaks along the way. Topics covered include bike and helmet fitting, starting and stopping your bike in traffic, shifting gears, scanning and yielding, choosing the correct lane position in the road, handling intersections, and more.

This class takes place Saturday, June 23 from 1 – 5, and meets at South Station.

Some notes about the class:

• A bicycle in good working order and a helmet are required.
• Preregistration is required.
• This class is intended for participants 18 and older. For minors wishing to take the class, please contact education@massbike.org.
• Sometimes we have to cancel a class due to low registration. We will let you know no less than three days in advance if the class is canceled.

This class, sponsored by the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness, is free and open to the public.

Bikeable Communities Training, Part 1 – Northampton

We are excited to announce our first Bikeable Communities Training! The focus of this training is to work with community members to improve infrastructure and policies which support biking as a means of recreation and transportation.

The first training is in Northampton, on June 30th from 1-4pm at the Forbes Library.

Our first training will focus on effective citizen engagement, with case studies from signature undertakings from around the state. This training will have an emphasis on:

• How the decision-making process works for local projects and policies, and the interaction between local, state, and federal entities when making those decisions.
• An overview of how projects are funded, and explanations of how the public is involved in the various stages of those funding decisions.
• Building alliances with citizens and organizations sharing complementary goals or missions, and maintaining momentum behind efforts that can sometimes take years.
• Best practices when engaging public officials, including methods of communication, preparing for meetings, messaging.

This class, sponsored by Mass in Motion, is free and open to the public. To register, email education@massbike.org.

After determining the racks were too beat-up to re-use, UMass Amherst had removed them to make way for new ones. UMass math professor and MassBiker Mike Sullivan snagged the racks without hesitation and stored them temporarily in his office until further action could be taken. Later on, I (MassBike Pioneer Valley Chapter President) borrowed a utility trailer from Pedal People and pedaled all ten racks from Amherst to Northampton along the Norwottuck Rail Trail—about 350 lbs for almost ten miles.  It was an understandably slow but uneventful ride, and the racks are now awaiting decisions about where to site them.  The current plan calls for 5 city-owned sidewalk or school locations and 5 private establishments that serve the cycling public, such as grocery stores and cafes.

We received a warm welcome from Sullivan and Healy, who were very open and encouraging. We explained MassBike’s mission, programs, and accomplishments, focusing especially on our law enforcement work.  We described our successful efforts to work with police departments around the region; we gave them copies of MassBike’s new Bicycle Law Guide for Police Departments, MassBike’s yellow “Same Roads, Same Rules” spoke cards, and the new “Go By Bike” brochure, as well as a copy of Bob Mionske’s book, “Bicycling and the Law”.

Sullivan and Healy both agreed that traffic laws need to be applied equitably, and were interested in taking a proactive stance towards educating both cyclists and motorists about the relevant laws.  They even offered to make a new bike safety page on their website, with links to MassBike’s Go By Bike brochure!

We hope that the visit will lay the foundation for open communication in the future, so that when a crisis hits — like the “Lady in the Red Truck” who two years ago ran more than a dozen cyclists off the road, yet escaped with no charges filed by the police — we won’t have to start from square one.

With over 185 registered events and only 10 event cancellations, thousands of bicyclists around the state gathered together for rides, film festivals, free breakfasts, a ribbon cutting, the BCU  Bike Month Photo Competition, and countless other events.  MassBike wants to extend a big thanks to our main partner, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and all the local event organizers, without whom this bikestravaganza could not have happened.  Below are updates about some of the events.

Rodrigo Marion (front right) and others at Stoughton's event

From Stoughton, James Conlon (City of Stoughton) and Rodrigo Marion (Old Colony Planning Commission):

“In celebration of Mass Bike Week 2011, two group bicycle rides organized by the Stoughton Bicycle and Pedestrian Task force were held in Stoughton.  The first ride was an off road trail bike ride at the Bird Street Conservation land. This was a ride which featured a tour of historic sites on publically owned land under the care, custody and control of the Stoughton Conservation Commission.

“The points of interest visited and discussed were Gilbert Gate, Gilbert Quarries, the stone wall at the northern boundary of the 12 Divisions lots, the site of the Lemur Bird/Teddie Conner’s farm homestead, the Bird St. Meadows, the Messer’s Quarry and the stone house foundation.”

From Salem, Dan Shuman, owner of Salem Cycle:

“Comprehensive Racing and Salem Cycle’s kick-off event kicked off Bay State Bike Week in style with arm reflectors and T-shirts from MassBike/MassDOT and water bottles courtesy of Specialized and Salem Cycle. We had 18-1/2 in attendance, all made the picture [below right] with the exception of Dan Cooper who flatted, not once, but twice finishing an early ride and was rescued by his wife Steph who is also not in the picture. The event was well attended by bike enthusiasts but was light on community riders. Thanks Grandpa, Papa and little Maclay and Cathy for attending. I tried to convince some additional store shoppers to join us but we must have looked intimidating in all that spandex.

Salem bicyclists at Salem Cycle

“Thanks all for participating, thanks Salem Cycle for hosting the meeting, thanks MassBike, MassDOT and Specialized for the giveaways, and thanks Comprehensive Racers and Salem Community for attending.  Ride safe, ride smart, just ride (and love your bike)!”

From Hyannis, Lev Malakhoff (Cape Cod Planning Commission) and Rob Miceli (MassBike Cape Cod Chapter):

From left to right: Glenn Cannon, Cape Cod Commission; Tom Cahir, Cape Cod RTA; and Rob Miceli, MassBike Cape Cod Chapter

“The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) unveiled a new resource to benefit both transit riders and bikers: ‘Getting To and Through Cape Cod’ – a Transit-Oriented Bike Map.  The ceremony included guest-speakers (pictured from left to right) Glenn Cannon, Cape Cod Commission Technical Services Director, Tom Cahir, CCRTA Executive Director, and Rob Miceli, MassBike Cape Cod Chapter president.  Refreshments were served and free maps and BikeWeek shirts and ankle bands were distributed.”

From Meryl Mandell (MassDOT) and Brian Markey (Pioneer Valley Planning Commission):

“Attached are some of the photos from our Amherst Bay State Bike Week events.  The bulk are from the Breakfast – there are some great ones in there.  Hope you enjoy them.  We had about 200 people at our events!”

MassDOT's Meryl Mandell on a Pennyfarthing

From Rutland, Ed Yaglou (Wachusett Greenway):

Joe Reynolds Thanking the Breakfast Servers

“Here is a photo from Wachusett Greenways’ bike ride on the Wachusett Greenways’ section of the Mass Central Rail Trail, west of the Wachusett Reservoir: Sterling to Oakham, held Saturday, 21 May 11.  It shows shows cyclist Joe Reynolds thanking the breakfast servers.”

Not the MassBike Chapter Summit!

We had about 20 participants who took part in discussion and brainstorming about how MassBike can better create, support, and utilize our chapters. Participants ranged from current chapter members, to people interested in starting new chapters in their communities, to MassBike members looking to become more involved in the organization. We learned a lot about what chapters need and how MassBike can be stronger regionally. We’re already beginning to implement some of the ideas from the summit for better communication among the chapters and the MassBike staff.

Moving forward, you’ll hear more about what our chapters are doing locally. We’ll have updates on their campaigns and successes on our website and more info about their events on our calendar, so that you can see what MassBike has been doing regionally.

Our notes from the summit are available here (discussion notes) and here (flipchart/brainstorming notes). We welcome additional comments and thoughts.

Special thanks to our hosts in Worcester, Jonathan Church and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), who provided great space and hospitality for the Summit.

If you’d like to get more involved with a chapter, find out more at the Pioneer Valley Chapter page, the Cape Cod and Islands Chapter page, or the Boston Chapter page. Not a chapter in your area, but interested in finding out more about starting one? Email bikeinfo@massbike.org to get more info.