Newsletter Archive
Email Newsletter 02/05/99
To: Pioneer Valley MassBike
Subject: February MB/PV news
Contents:
* Northampton "Vision 2020" Sat., Feb. 6
* Next MB/PV meeting: Feb. 10
* Northampton bike/ped committee
* Coolidge Bridge
* Amherst Give Your Car a Break Week
Dear Valley Cyclists,
1) Northampton "Vision 2020"
----------------------------
The Northampton Planning Dept. is gearing up for a huge "Visioning"
process, a series of public meetings at which opinions will be solicited
on a vast array of issues affecting the next 20 years of the city's
future. This is potentially a very important, valuable, and rare
opportunity for us to bring our issues to a public forum and to affect in
a direct and tangible way the city's policies on roads, transportation,
land use, bike and ped access, parking, etc.
The first and major meeting will be held:
SATURDAY, FEB. 6, from 9 AM to 3 PM, in NORTHAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL
(free lunch will be served)
Other followup meetings are scheduled as follows:
Date and Time Place Subject
---------------------------- ------ -------
Mon. Feb. 15, 7:30 - 9:00 PM Flor. Comm. Cent. Florence Downtown
Tue. Feb. 16, 7:30 - 9:00 PM NoHo City Counc. Cham. NoHo Downtown Plan
Mon. Feb. 22, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Ryan Rd. El. School "2020 Vision"
Tue. Feb. 23, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Leeds El. School "2020 Vision"
Mon. Mar. 1, 7:00 - 9:00 PM Bridge St. El. School "2020 Vision"
Tue. Mar. 2, 7:30 - 9:00 PM NoHo City Coun. Cham. NoHo Open Spc.
Plan
2) Next MB/PV meeting:
Wed., Feb. 10, 7:00 PM
Room 304, Seelye Hall, Smith College, Northampton
Preliminary agenda:
* Bridge bridge bridge
* Amherst Give-Your-Car-A-Break Week
* Bike/Ped Committees
* GreenWays/Millenium Trails
* ??? email James with any additional items
--> All future meetings will be
--> held at 7:00 PM on the 2nd Wednesday
--> of each month
3) Northampton Bike/Ped Committee
---------------------------------
Four of us (Atlas, Lowenthal, Olbris, and Young) met on Jan. 22 with
Michael Kearns in Mayor Ford's office to discuss formation of a
Northampton Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Committee. The meeting
was productive and educational, and Kearns was open to (if not
enthusiastic about the idea). He recommended starting with a more
informal mayorally-appointed "Advisory Committee" rather than a formal
City Council-appointed "Ordinance Committee." While he researches other
bike committees around the state, we are proceeding with communication
with City Councilors about both possibilities.
4) Coolidge Bridge Bridge Bridge
--------------------------------
Things are really cooking on this front. Some highlights of recent
activity:
* Thanks to many of you, MassHighway and our elected reps. have
been getting a steady flow of email, phone calls, and
letters. Keep 'em coming!
* Daily Hampshire Gazette article Jan. 26 on our attempts to get
better bike access and on MassHighway's refusals
* Atlas, Kusner, Lowenthal, and Olbris met with Sen. Stan
Rosenberg on Jan. 27 to ask for support. While not
demonstrating great sympathy for our view, he did agree to
set up a meeting for us with MassHighway to negotiate.
* Gazette editorial on Jan. 27 misrepresenting our view as
obstructionist; suggests riding on Norwottuck Rail Trail
or WALKING OUR BIKES ON THE BRIDGE SIDEWALK. Several
letters have already been sent in response.
HOW YOU CAN HELP:
If you haven't already done so, send letters to Rosenberg,
MassHighway, newspapers, and your local elected rep's demanding that
MassHighway live up to its promise -- and stick to the law -- by
accommodating bikes more safely on the Coolidge Bridge. See
www.massbike.org/groups/mbpv for addresses.
5) Amherst Give-Your-Car-A-Break Week meeting
---------------------------------------------
-- Feb. 6, 3-5 PM, Jones Library, Amherst --
Please come and help lend a hand with this excellent and well-organized
project. The main event, which will culminate a week of non-auto activity
(bike commuting education, college and corporate alternative
transportation challenges, kids' posters, etc.), is the Bicycle Parade in
downtown Amherst on Saturday, April 24, the weekend after Earth Day. The
streets will be closed to car traffic, and the new bike lanes on North
Pleasant St. will be unveiled.
Contact Van Kaynor (VanKaynor@aol.com) or Nathan Salwen
(salwen@physics.harvard.edu) for more info.
============
Thanks for reading -- happy trails!