From the email:
More Local Transportation Dollars = An Opportunity For Advocates
Starting this year, there is going to be a lot more asphalt poured, roads re-striped, and bridges rehabilitated here in the Commonwealth. A significant chunk of the new transportation funding passed by the state legislature goes toward increasing “Chapter 90″ funding by 50%, or funding that goes directly to municipalities with very few strings attached as to how they spend it.
Unfortunately for us as a statewide group, all 351 municipalities in the state make individual decisions about these projects (simply too many for MassBike to keep track of). That means unless the local Department of Public Works chooses to add them, roads which are resurfaced may not include bicycle facilities. However, the perfect time to add bicycle facilities is when a road is already being repaved, since the cost of adding a bike lane is typically marginal.
To make sure that these road projects are bike friendly, we need your help!
Read more here…
Sign Up for the Inaugural Berkshires to Boston Bicycle Tour! Registration Ends August 15th!
MassBike’s Berkshires to Boston Bicycle Tour is a four-day, 240 mile bike tour showcasing the various scenic cycling regions of the Commonwealth from the 18th-22nd of September.
On the first day, riders roll out from Hancock Shaker Village in the heart of the Berkshires and enjoy the spectacular early foliage on their way to Sunderland. The next day starts with a gradual climb out of the Pioneer Valley and onto Devens via Lancaster where riders can enjoy spectacular ice cream at famous Kimball Farm. The third day takes the riders on an easy downhill ride to the state capitol through historic Concord and Lexington. Upon arrival in Boston, riders get a chance to watch some of the fastest professional cyclists compete in the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup Criterium that goes around Government Center that afternoon. The final day, Sunday, brings together over 5,000 cyclists to partake in the city-wide Hub on Wheels bike ride and festival.
This is a fully-supported tour that offers mechanic support, rest stops, sag vehicle support, camping accommodations, Hub on Wheels registration and plenty of meal plan, transportation and additional accommodation options for all. Can’t make the full tour? Not a problem! We also have a weekend-only option for those who want to join us starting on Saturday morning in Devens.
So come and join us as we celebrate Car-Free Week by making new friends and sharing new experiences on our cross-state cycling adventure. Hurry, as registration for this once-a-year event closes on August 15th!
Visit our website for more information and registration!
Register Now on Eventbrite
Federal Update: Bike Funding Remains Intact–For Now
The past two weeks saw a flurry of action on Capitol Hill as federal transportation funding was debated in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. Both chambers of Congress were unable to pass the Transportation Appropriations bill.
Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution by the end of September to avoid shutting down the U.S. Department of Transportation and keep transportation dollars flowing. And with only 9 legislative days on the calendar for September, it is unlikely that Congress will pass a Transportation Appropriations bill that features a carefully reevaluated spending plan. The most likely result is that we’ll will get a continuation of the 2012 spending plan.
Throughout the debates in each Chamber, there was a chance that multiple Congresspeople would introduce amendments that would eliminate federal funding for Transportation Alternatives, which funds programs like Safe Routes to School and Recreational Trails.
We sent out two action alerts and asked you to contact both of Massachusetts’ U.S. Senators and your specific U.S. Representative and ask that they vote against any amendment that would eliminate federal bike funding.
Our Congressional delegation heard you loud and clear! Both Senator Warren and Senator Markey told us that they heard from many of you, and that they would vote against amendments that would eliminate Transportation Alternatives. We are confident that our House members were similarly supportive.
Read more here…
A Bright Outlook For Westfield And Its Local Advocates
Westfield is poised to get a lot better for biking.
In July, Programs Director Price and I (Kim) traveled to Westfield, a city in the southern part of the Pioneer Valley, to conduct a bikeability assessment. We met up with eight volunteers from the community to gather observations about key roadways identified by the Friends of the Columbia Greenway. After a 45-minute training, we set the local advocates loose to gather the information that will ultimately be turned into a Bikeability Assessment (like the one found here). This is a fundamental part of the assessment process – getting information about the built environment through the eyes of the people who use it every day.
Westfield is home to a growing bicyclist community. With dedicated leaders like Don Podolski, Owner of New Horizons Bikes (the city’s local bicycle shop) and Jeff LaValley, Chair of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, in addition to others, local residents are working toward improving the city’s bicycle facilities.
Key to that vision is the Columbia Greenway. This rail trail would connect Westfield to the Southwick Rail Trail, which then travels nearly the entire way to Hartford. Providing that connection to the downtown area will bring customers to local businesses, connect locals to a fantastic recreational amenity, and extend the off-road path network further into Hampden County.
The goal of the local advocates is to make Westfield’s streets safe for bicyclists of all ages and ability levels. We are proud to help!
Read more here…
Recapping The Summer Century & Family Fun Fest:
We Had A Blast!
A huge thank you goes out to all the supporters, volunteers and riders of our Summer Century & Family Fun Festthat was held on Saturday, July 27th! This brand-new edition of our classic summer cycling celebration brought together riders to experience some of the Commonwealth’s unique and challenging roads.
With great weather, a beautiful venue in Acton (NARA Park), incredible food fromRedbones, and refreshing beer from Sam Adams, it was an overall wonderful day for cycling. We even received some great feedback from our riders!
“The metric century route was amazing – good hills, fun down hills, beautiful roads. NARA park was a great venue – we enjoyed a post-ride swim. Overall, a really fantastic event.”
“I enjoyed everything about this event – the ride was beautiful and somewhat challenging; the event as a whole was very well planned and organized and administered; support provided was tremendous, and there was also much support among our group of riders. Thank you so much for a terrific day!”
“I like that we were taken on back roads so that there weren’t a lot of cars to be worried about and that it was mostly in the shade. The volunteers were amazing – very helpful and supportive and clearly available if anything was needed. It was an amazingly well organized event all in all.”
Read more here…