You may have heard the recent news about the delay in the proposed extension of the MBTA Green Line from Lechmere through Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford. But did you know that the Green Line Extension project also presents an opportunity to extend the Community Path alongside the Green Line to create an off-road connection between the Minuteman Bikeway and the Charles River Paths, and dramatically improve bicycle and pedestrian access to the Green Line?

The project as described in the recently-filed Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) would include designing at least part of the Community Path extension, but it would not include the actual construction of the Path extension. We think that the project should include both design and construction of the entire Community Path extension, and we said as much in our comments on the FEIR (see below). I participated in a recent meeting between representatives of several advocacy and community groups with MassDOT Deputy Secretary Brian Murphy and Green Line Extension Project Manager Kate Fichter to discuss these issues.

We really appreciate MassDOT’s attention to our concerns, and it appears that they now plan to include some of the underlying infrastructure for a future Path extension (thank you, MassDOT!), but the fact is there will never be a better, more cost-effective time to extend the Path than with the Green Line extension. Past experience with big projects (Big Dig?) leads us to fear that if the Path extension is not included in this project, it will never be built.

July 23, 2010

Secretary Ian Bowles

Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, MEPA Office
Attn: Holly Johnson, MEPA Analyst,
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900, Boston, MA 02114

Re: EEA #13886, Urging Community Path as integral part of GLX

Dear Secretary Bowles:

The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition (MassBike) promotes a bicycle-friendly
environment and encourages bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation.
It is our vision that car-free pathways will connect our communities, and
that bicycles will be fully integrated into our public transportation
system. MassBike believes that the Somerville Community Path perfectly
embodies this vision, connecting the Northwest suburbs of Boston with the
Green Line Extension (GLX) stations and the Charles River paths of Boston
and Cambridge. The Path as it currently exists helps to further your
office’s goals of promoting clean energy, curbing greenhouse gas
emissions, and cutting energy costs, and extending the Path in concert
with the GLX will extend those benefits to a much larger, and historically
underserved, segment of the community.

MassBike urges you to state in your certificate for the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIR) for the GLX that the infrastructure
for the Community Path extension must be included as part of the GLX
project design, construction, and funding all the way to Lechmere, even
while full funding from other sources is still being identified. More
specifically, we urge you to require that MassDOT:

1. Design the Path to reach all the way to Lechmere/North Point –
through the Somerville Environmental Justice neighborhoods of Winter Hill
and East Somerville – and not just to Inner Belt (as stated in the FEIR).

2. Make the commitment that the Community Path extension is part of
the Green Line project even while full funding is still being identified.

3. Include the costs for the construction of the Community Path
extension infrastructure components in the planned Design/Build Contract
and in the funding applications for the Green Line Extension to Lechmere,
such as FTA’s New Starts. We appreciate that MassDOT is considering
including partial Path infrastructure as part of the GLX project – a very
significant move – though we await an official commitment.

4. Co-sponsor or at least support the Tiger II grant application with
the City of Somerville to fund the remaining Community Path elements of
the GLX and help fund the 20% match. (Final application is due August 23)

5. Continue to work with Somerville to apply for other funds for
Community Path construction from sources such as the proposed federal
Active Community Transportation Act, House Bill 4722.

Your support of the Path extension will build on the vision of the
Southwest Corridor Park and will increase Green Line ridership at a low
per rider cost. This has been demonstrated by the success of the existing
Path in Cambridge and Somerville that brings thousands of residents to the
Davis Square Red Line Station where boardings are almost double what were
projected. The Path will be a critical zero-emissions transportation link
that will offer great environmental, health, safety, noise-reduction, and
community benefits to Somerville – and, moreover, to the region.

This key multi-modal Path will connect some 40 miles of paths in the
region, finally linking the Minuteman Bikeway with the Charles River
Paths, and all of their offshoots. This path system reaches through
Bedford, Lexington, Arlington, Cambridge, Somerville, Boston, Medford,
Waltham, and Watertown, and connects all these communities to each other
and to the Red and Green Lines. Beyond the benefit to daily Path users,
the Path extension will dramatically increase opportunities for bicycle
tourism through all of these cities and towns. The extended Path will also
be the eastern end of the planned 104-mile cross-state Mass Central Rail
Trail connecting Boston to Northampton.

Thank you very much for your consideration of our comments. Should you
have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Very truly yours,

David Watson
Executive Director
Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
171 Milk Street, Suite 33
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617-542-2453
Fax: 617-542-6755
Email: david@massbike.org

Click here to register

August 14th 2010

We’ve got exciting news about the first MassBike Summer Century & Family Ride! We now have descriptions of all the routes to help you decide which one to ride. And we are very pleased to announce new partners to help us make this a really special event:

• Redbones Barbecue is cooking up lunch (included with your registration) – their famous pulled pork, BBQ beef, and portobello sandwiches!
• Ride Studio Cafe is spinning their wrenches at the start to take care of your last-minute mechanical problems
• The New England Mountain Bike Patrol is providing top-notch First Aid support

Great Ride Choices!

We’ve been working hard developing routes just for this event. Descriptions are below, and maps and GPS files will be ready soon. Some of the distances have changed slightly but are close to what we planned.

12-Mile Family Ride: A loop through central and northern Lexington neighborhoods with a variety of architectural styles. The route is primarily on quiet streets with gently rolling terrain. Several conservation areas are included, with a short section of unpaved single track (you may want to walk skinny-tire bikes for a few yards here), a section on the paved path along lower Vine Brook, and two short sections on the Minuteman Bikeway.

22-Mile Family Ride: The ride goes to Concord on low-to-moderate traffic roads, north on Monument Street, and returns to Lexington via Bedford. There are optional stops at the Paul Revere Capture Site in Lexington and the North Bridge historic site in Concord, both within the Minute Man National Historical Park. An optional 0.5 mile (each way) east from the Revere Capture Site on the unpaved National Park Service path leads to the visitor center, which has an excellent 25-minute multimedia show explaining the historic events (shown on the hour and half-hour). Water is available in Concord Center (0.1 miles off route) and both water and restrooms are available across from the North Bridge parking lot on Monument Street. The ride passes Bedford Farms Ice Cream, known for its rich and generous treats (a medium serves two).

45-Mile Ride: The route follows the Century and Metric rides out through Lincoln, Concord, Acton, and Boxborough, then splits off to the north before crossing I-495. The route heads north through the outskirts of Acton near Fort Pond and Nagog Pond. We pass the Nashoba Valley Ski Area and reconnect with the long rides on South Chelmsford Road headed for Kate’s Corner. Kate’s Corner (mile 30) is the first place to get snacks on the 45-mile route. The next stop is at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 33) on North Street. From there you have only 12 miles back to Lexington High School.

Metric Century (62 Miles/100 Kilometers): The Metric Century heads out on scenic back roads through Lincoln, Concord, Acton, Boxborough, and Littleton to Ayer. Your first opportunity for refreshments is a Chevron station just off the route on Route 2A at mile 25. The route continues on really pretty roads in Groton, past Lost Lake and Martin’s Pond to our official rest stop at the Union Congregational Church in Groton Center (mile 36) – water, Gatorade, snacks, and restrooms will be available. From Groton, the Metric Century continues through Westford and Chelmsford, past Kate’s Corner (food) into Carlisle to the last official rest stop at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 89). The route stays in the woods until we merge with Routes 4 and 225 in Bedford, then skirt the Hanscom area to reach Route 2A and take Mass Ave back to the Lexington High School.

Century (100 Miles): The Century follows the Metric Century route to the rest stop in Groton, then adds a forty-mile loop through West Groton and Hickory Hills Lake to Townsend. Food and restrooms are available in Townsend Center at Cliff’s Café or other venues. (There is also a shady town green with a Porta Potty available.) The Century hits the only climb as you leave Townsend and head for Hollis, NH through more state forest land. Shops are available in Hollis, but the preferred stop is at the Monument Square Market (mile 62). The route then winds along beautiful freshly-paved Depot Road to the bridge over the Nashua River, then passes by the rail trail along the river near Pepperell, MA. We then follow some real woods roads returning to the rest stop in Groton at mile 74. From Groton, the Century and Metric Century routes merge again and continue through Westford and Chelmsford, past Kate’s Corner (food) into Carlisle to the last official rest stop at Great Brook Farm State Park (mile 89). The route stays in the woods until we merge with Routes 4 and 225 in Bedford, then skirt the Hanscom area to reach Route 2A and take Mass Ave back to the Lexington High School.

Start Times
August 14th 2010
Century 7-8:30am
Metric Century 8-9:30am
45-Mile Ride 9-10:30am
Family Rides 10-11am (join a guided group or ride on your own)

Registration

$15 for MassBike members in advance and $20 for non-members in advance (advance sales through Wednesday, August 11). Day-of-event registration is $25 for all. There is no charge for children under 16 accompanied by an adult.

Want to do even more for MassBike? Riders are encouraged to raise additional funds for MassBike’s advocacy and outreach programs through a special $100 VIP registration or by gathering donations using MassBike’s online fundraising system. It’s a quick and easy extra step at the end of the registration process!

Click here to register

For more information, contact MassBike at 617-542-2453 or events@massbike.org.

As you have probably noticed, bicycling is a top issue in Massachusetts this year. The news media runs articles about bicycling seemingly every day, politicians and officials have voiced their support, and, most importantly, more bicyclists are on our roads and paths than ever before.

For over 30 years, MassBike has been the leading advocate for bicyclists in our state. Right now, with so much attention focused on bicycling, we have an opportunity to make Massachusetts one of the greatest states in the nation for riding and commuting by bike. We need your help to make it happen!

Across Massachusetts, there are possibilities to make our roads safer and bring more bicycle infrastructure to our streets, but without a voice speaking up for bicyclists those chances may be squandered. MassBike has been and continues to be that voice. We’re asking you to support bicycling at this critical time by contributing to MassBike.

MassBike has been leading efforts to make sure that the unprecedented level of support for bicycling is not ignored.

MassBike is leading the fight against a recent Massachusetts Department of Transportation directive watering-down its commitment to include bicycle infrastructure in road designs. To make sure that useful and safe facilities are included in future designs, MassBike and other advocates are encouraging MassDOT to adopt a new directive that will make sure that bicyclists are a priority in design and will encourage designs that go beyond the minimum standards to include as much bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure as possible.

MassBike has also been working to make sure that the $3 billion allocated for the Accelerated Bridge Program, aimed at making improvements to hundreds of bridges across the state, includes improved access for bicyclists. We want to make sure bicyclists are safe and comfortable riding across bridges, getting to and from bridges, and during construction too.

And across the state, money that could be used to improve our roads and paths for bicycling has been redirected for other purposes. MassBike has been leading the call to make sure that Massachusetts brings home money for our roads. From Congress to the State House, we have been representing riders across the state, speaking to legislators and making sure that government officials make bicycling a priority.

We need your support today to make these initiatives succeed. By donating to MassBike today, you ensure that a voice continues to speak out for bicyclists during this critical time.

Your past support has helped us achieve many victories. With the help of our members and supporters, we have been making a difference. Here are just a few recent MassBike accomplishments:

• Led the campaign for the passage of the Bicyclist Safety Act, which made 13 important changes to law, making Massachusetts a safer place to bicycle.
• Launched our new safety campaign, Same Road, Same Rules, in partnership with four state agencies, designed to educate both motorists and bicyclists about the rules of the road, bicyclists’ rights, and how to safely interact.
• Led the first fully statewide Bay State Bike Week, with over 100 events across Massachusetts and thousands of bicyclists participating.
• Worked with the T and other groups to get bike cages installed at Forest Hills Station and South Station in Boston, and convinced the Pioneer Valley Transit Agency to install bike racks on all its busses, through MassBike’s Pioneer Valley Chapter.

But threats to bicycling in our state are real. Opponents are organized and state officials forget that bicyclists are an important part of our roads.

Your support allows MassBike to answer these challenges. Click here to make a contribution now

We can make Massachusetts an even better place for bicycling. Thank you for your support, and safe riding!

When we sat down to plan our campaigns for this year, we wanted to help East Boston become more bicycle friendly. East Boston is geographically separated from the rest of Boston and this poses a special challenge.

View Larger Map

Previously, we worked with youth from NOAH (an awesome group of young people) on our Boston neighborhood bikeability study. Our collaboration was so successful that we decided to continue working towards making East Boston more bike friendly. From looking at ways to make taking bikes on the Blue Line easier, to figuring out where bicycle infrastructure is needed in East Boston, to fighting for good routes in and out of East Boston by bike, NOAH and MassBike have a lot planned.

This weekend we are working again with NOAH, this time providing bicycling information and valet bike parking for the 7th Annual Chelsea Creek River Revel. Come by our booth and learn about the other projects we are planning for East Boston.

Don’t know how to get to East Boston by bike? Take your bike on the Blue Line to Maverick Station, then ride a few minutes to the festival. Want to experience what it’s like getting to East Boston by bike right now? Take the long way through Everett and Chelsea – then you’ll see why this campaign is so vital.

If you live in East Boston or want to help, attend the public meeting on the Central Square project on Tuesday, July 27th.

Are you looking for something fun new and exciting? Are you in Waltham or the greater Boston area? Have you wanted to dip your toe into bicycle maintenance? Are you scared of being stranded if you get a flat tire?

Well have we got something for you!

This Friday, in Waltham, our first bicycle maintenance workshop of the summer is happening at the city public meeting room at 118 School Street. This event is an hour long, free, and open to anybody that RSVP’s to Shane at shane@massbike.org. Friends and children 16+ are also welcome!

We will show you how to fix a flat, how to adjust your seat, how to oil and clean your chain and a general overview of what the parts of a bicycle are and how they work. You should not bring a bicycle to this event to repair as we will be bringing everything needed. But do feel free to ride to the class.

This is part of our free summer education program which is sponsored by Adobe. all of our classes through this program are happening in Waltham (where Adobe is located). If you are unable to make this workshop, please see below for times, dates, and places of future workshops in Waltham.

It would be great to see you there!!

July

23rd Maintenance Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Meeting Room Basement of Government Center

August

4th Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Meeting Room Basement of Government Center
16th Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Library Lecture Hall. Ground floor
23rd Maintenance Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Library Lecture Hall. Ground floor
26th Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Meeting Room Basement of Government Center

September

2nd Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Library Lecture Hall. Ground floor
9th Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Library Lecture Hall. Ground floor
16th Commuter Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Meeting Room Basement of Government Center
29th Maintenance Workshop 6-7pm Waltham Public Meeting Room Basement of Government Center

Click here for a map showing the Library and the Public Meeting room, as well as local transit options for getting to the classes.

Each class is one hour long, and is limited to 30 students, these fill up quickly so be sure to RSVP by emailing Shane@massbike.org. Specify how many people will be attending and the date of the class you wish to attend.

If you would like a poster to print out and put up at your local coffee shop, library, office or other public space please see the links below. (pdf documents)

Color 11×17
B&W 11×17

Color 8.5×11
B&W 8.5×11