National Bike Week is right around the corner, and MassBike has been
busy creating change for bicyclists in the Commonwealth. Here's the
latest in the MassBike bicycle advocacy world...
Bike Week is May 16 to May 23
Bike Week, a celebration of the bicycle as a form of transportation and
recreation, is taking the Commonwealth by storm. Bike Week is a great
time to (a) go out riding, and (b) get your friends out riding. Many
people say all it took for them to start riding regularly was just a
little nudge from a friend.
The League of American Bicyclists has general information about
National Bike Week available at
www.bikemonth.com.
There are over 50 events happening all over Massachusetts.
A full listing is available at:
http://www.massbike.org/events/bw2004/
Kick off the week by joining us for Redbones' 8th Annual Bike Week Party.
The event, benefiting MassBike and the New England Mountain Bike Association,
convenes advocates, enthusiasts, pro athletes, vendors, retailers, and leaders
in the cycling community for one of the most recognized annual events of the
cycling season.
When: Monday, May 17 from 5-10 p.m.
Where: Redbones Restaurant, 55 Chester Street, Davis Sq. Somerville
(more info at redbones.com)
$10 gets you food, pint of beer, lemonade or soda and a raffle ticket.
Grand raffle prize is a cargo bike donated by Alternative Needs Transportation.
This year bike industry luminary Keith Bontrager, will be attending the
Redbones party for the first time. He's a Mountain Bike Hall of Famer –
check it out at
http://www.mtnbikehalloffame.com/inductees.cfm?page=99&mID=47.
Contact Your State Senator to Improve the Drivers' Manual and Roadway Conditions
Calling all cyclists – contact your State Senator now to help improve roadway conditions.
MassBike, working with State Rep. Anne Paulsen (D-Belmont) and the
Bike/Ped/Trails Caucus, scored a victory when the Massachusetts House
voted to require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to update and improve
their printed and program materials to better educate all roadways users.
The measure passed in the House budget, but it is not in the Senate version
of the budget. Call, email, and write your State Senator and encourage him
or her to include the provision. Please note: this bill has already passed
the House, so you only need to contact your State Senator, NOT your State
Representative. You can find out who your State Senator is at
http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php.
Once you fill in your address, the State Senator will appear in the "Senator in General Court" field.
Be sure to tell your State Senator that the information about the
provision is in the House Budget materials available at
http://www.state.ma.us/legis/05budget/house/amendments/consolidated.htm#B
in Section B (Public Safety) at the bottom.
The Section reads in part, "To increase further a sense of responsibility
on the part of inexperienced drivers and to increase the safety of all
legitimate users of the roadway system, including but not limited to,
motorists, pedestrians, the disabled, bicyclists, and motorcyclists,
the Registry of Motor Vehicles is hereby directed to undertake a study
of their policies, programs, curricula, testing materials and publications
to ensure that education requirements encompass the safety of all roadway
users and such efforts to promote safety are integrated across all such
policies, programs curricula testing materials and publications. The Registrar
shall convene a study commission by September 1, 2004."
Appreciation in particular goes to Rep. Paulsen for making this happen.
New MassBike Public Service Announcements
One effective way to raise awareness about safe bicycling, and the need
for motorists to respect bicyclists' rights, is through Public Service
Announcements. We are working closely with WRKO (AM 680) on creating a
number of PSAs to air throughout the summer, and two dedicated volunteers,
Larry Andersen of Spot Editorial and Joe Berkeley, made their own public
service announcements for MassBike. Recording them while riding through
traffic on a tandem bicycle, Joe and Larry have gone above and beyond
to help spread the word about Bike to Work Week! Their PSAs are available
online at
http://spoteditorial.com/massbike.
Office Wishlist
If you happen to have any of the items below and are willing to donate them
to the cause, please email us at bikeinfo@massbike.org or call 617-542-2453.
- Conference Speakerphone – a phone that can be used for MassBike
meetings of 10 to 20 people.
- Microwave – hey, this way, the staff won't have to go out to get
lunch and we can spend more time improving bike conditions.
- Tall bookcases – We're hoping to use our office space more efficiently
and need a couple of bookcases with multiple shelves to store more stuff.
MassBike recently presented the curriculum at the annual International
Police Mountain Bike Association Conference in San Antonio (IPMBA).
The current IPMBA President and two past-Presidents were both in
attendance for the three hour session, and reviews were extremely positive.
Monte May, the current IPMBA President, commented that MassBike's
efforts are a big part of the future of bicycle law enforcement.
MassBike Looking for Housing for Summer Interns
MassBike's crackerjack HR department has identified college students from
outside the Boston area who are willing to work for free for the whole
summer to help improve bicycling conditions. The only catch is that the
interns need a place to hang their helmet. Unfortunately our lease doesn't
allow for them to pitch a tent in the MassBike office.
