By: Petru Sofio

Between September 7th and 10th 2022, I attended the National Association of City Transportation Officials conference in Boston, MA. Over the course of a week, I learned about best practices cities across the country are using for street design. But first, what is NACTO?

NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials) is a national organization formed by city transportation officials who felt that national guidance was not supporting their nuanced goals for multi-modal streets. Over the years, NACTO has grown to 91 member cities across North America. Each year, NACTO hosts a conference that allows city advocates, and elected/transportation officials to meet and share their experiences. NACTO chooses to host the conference in a different member city every year, and this year, NACTO was hosted in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, MA. 

When I learned NACTO was coming to the Boston region, I quickly asked if I would be able to represent MassBike at the conference, and was happy to hear that my request was approved. I wanted to attend the conference because I would be able to meet transportation professionals and learn about their best practices. I also was excited to attend the conference sessions about bikeway and transit design.

MassBike teamed up with AARP Massachusetts to host a weekend group ride from the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Center in Worcester. The ride was the final installment of our 3-part Worcester AARP bicycling series, where e-bike program participants and youth were also invited to participate in an intergenerational experience.

We gathered at the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitors Center, a state park that highlights the history of the industrial revolution that began in the area and Worcester’s role in cycling history going back to the late 1800s. Along with e-bikes and standard road and mountain bikes, participants got the chance to check out a “penny-farthing” bicycle!

Over 30 riders joined to enjoy the Blackstone River Bikeway and some adjacent low-stress roadways. The participants were a mix of older adults, Worcester e-bike program participants, and Worcester Earn-a-Bike. We were also joined by Antron Watson, Age-Friendly Director of AARP Massachusetts, and Devon Kurtz from the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor. 

This was the first group ride for many of the e-bike program participants and acted as a networking opportunity for the e-bike riders. “It was a nice ride at a great location, with good energy,” said Alex Salcedo, MassBike’s E-Bike Grant Manager, “and a lot of biking tips were shared among the e-riders.” 

Thanks to AARP Massachusetts, the Blackstone River Valley Heritage Center, and Worcester Earn-a-Bike for the support of this group ride. We’ll be continuing to host group rides and bicycling workshops in Worcester as part of our AARP Intergenerational Program this fall, you can learn more information at www.massbike.org/events.