MassBike Mid-September Update

MassBike Has Moved!

MassBike has moved its office to great new (OK, old, but new to us) space in Boston's Financial District. We will finally be able to hold classes, meetings, movie nights, and other exciting activities right in our office. We even have a bit of room to grow as we devote even more resources to making bicycling in Massachusetts better. We’re very excited to be in the new space, and the change of scenery has already sparked some new ideas!

We are still figuring out everything we need to outfit the new space, but we have a few urgent needs – an LCD projector, several adjustable office chairs, and a dozen or so folding chairs. If you know where we can get any of these items free or cheap, or are interested in making a donation toward purchasing one, please call or email Vance at 617-542-2453 or vance@massbike.org.

Our new address is:

171 Milk Street, Suite 33
Boston, MA 02109

Our phone numbers and email addresses have not changed.

During the transition, we experienced some interruptions in our phone and email services, so if you tried to call or email us from 8/31 to 9/14 and didn’t get a response, please try again.

To see where MassBike is located, click here

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=171+milk+street,+boston,+ma,+02109&ie=UTF8&z=15&ll=42.361144,-71.053047&spn=0.014397,0.042915&om=1&iwloc=A

Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteer Night & Lunchtime Volunteers

1. Volunteer Night: Tuesday, September 19

Do you enjoy hanging out with fellow cyclists and eating gourmet pizza? Then you won’t want to miss Volunteer Night. It’s a chance to have some fun and help MassBike with some easy administrative tasks. The more help we get from volunteers, the more time MassBike staff can spend making bicycling better. Just let us know you’re coming so we know how much pizza to order! (617-542-2453 or vance@massbike.org)

Mark your calendar – our next Volunteer Night will be Tuesday, October 17.

For more information about Volunteer Night, click here

http://www.massbike.org/about/vol_night.htm

2. Lunchtime Volunteers: Ongoing

If you work in downtown Boston and would like to help out during your lunch hour, or any other time during the workday, we need you! Coming in for just 30 minutes once or twice a week would be a big help. Contact Vance (617-542-2453 or vance@massbike.org) to get started.

AltWheels Transportation Festival: Friday – Sunday, September 22-24

Join MassBike at AltWheels for three great days for viewing, experiencing and discussing some of the most innovative means of transportation in the world today; Friday and Saturday on Boston's City Hall Plaza, and Sunday on the beautiful hillside lawn of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline. Meet the inventors and experience futuristic concept vehicles. See what our transportation options will be over the next decade — from fuel cell vehicles to taxi rickshaws to Segway scooters to human-powered transport (including bicycles). A wide variety of refreshments will be available on-site so plan to make a day (or three) of it!

For more information about AltWheels, click here

http://www.altwheels.org/

MassBike/Harpoon Social: Thursday, October 19

Celebrate Oktoberfest with MassBike at the Harpoon Brewery in South Boston’s Seaport District! Enjoy great Harpoon beer and yummy treats from Iggy’s Bread of the World, while hanging out with new and old cycling friends in Harpoon’s Tasting Room.

Click here for more information and directions

http://www.massbike.org/news/socials.htm

Hub On Wheels Festival & Citywide Ride: Sunday, October 1

Join thousands on a fabulous trip around the city's parks, greenways, neighborhoods, and waterfront! Choose short, medium, and long routes – 10 to 40 miles starting at Boston’s City Hall Plaza and going along a car-free Storrow Drive – all with tech support, food & water, rest stops, music, and more. Have fun while supporting the Boston Digital Bridge Foundation’s programs that help kids.

Volunteers Needed:

• M arshalls – to ride the route and be on hand if issues arise with riders.
• Registrars – to help with registering hundreds of riders from our registration booth.
• Festival Staff – to assist with games and clean up and other misc festival assignments.
• Volunteers on both Saturday and Sunday, on and off bikes.

To volunteer, contact Dori Latman at dori@HubOnWheels.org.

Click here to register for the festival and ride

http://www.hubonwheels.org/default.asp?go=citywideride&m=2

Meet Greg LeMond @ Landry’s: Thursday, October 5

Meet Greg LeMond, three-time Tour de France champion, at Landry’s Bicycles in Natick. Hear his accounts and participate in a lively question-and-answer session. Autographed posters will be available, and refreshments will be served.

For directions and more information, click here

http://landrys.com/services/pages/MeetGregLeMond/default.aspx

Recreational Trails Grants: Applications Due October 2

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) has just released their 2007 Recreational Trails Grant application materials. The federally-funded Recreational Trails Program provides funding for a variety of trail protection, construction, and stewardship projects throughout Massachusetts. The link below has lots of helpful suggestions for grant projects, including: stewardship and maintenance of existing trails including bridge construction, drainage work, trail hardening, and trail grooming; development of trail-side and trail-head facilities such as signage, kiosks, maps, gates, and interpretive displays; and construction of new trails or acquisition of land or easements for trails especially in existing or former rail or utility corridors. Call Paul Jahnige at (413) 586-8706 ext. 20 or click below for more information.

For more information about Recreational Trails Grants, click here

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/greenway/regionalGrants.htm

Got Local Issues? Get Involved in a Local MassBike Chapter

Did you know MassBike currently has three local chapters and is looking to form more? There is no better way to address local bicycling issues than with local advocates on the ground. So get involved and start making things happen!

Cape Cod & Islands Chapter: contact Rob Miceli, miceli@mashpee.k12.ma.us

Metro Boston Chapter: contact Chris Porter, cporter@camsys.com

Pioneer Valley Chapter: contact James Lowenthal, james@earth.ast.smith.edu

For more information about how to start a MassBike chapter, click here

http://www.massbike.org/about/start_chapter.htm

Join MassBike

If you ride a bike in Massachusetts, you should be a MassBike member. All year round, we are working across the state to improve bicycling conditions. Whether you’re a commuter, recreational rider, racer, or mountain biker, MassBike’s advocacy efforts help make riding safer and better for you. Please join your voice with 2563 other Bay State residents and become a member. We truly appreciate it.

Click here to join MassBike

http://www.active.com/donations/campaign_public.cfm?key=massbike&CFID=7493593&CFTOKEN=34423737