Whether we ride every day or just occasionally, we are all cyclists. We ride because it is good for the environment, our health, our communities, and just for the fun of it. There as many reasons to ride a bicycle as there are places to ride. But no matter what your reasons are for getting on a bike, we know that when people ride bikes, great things happen.

MassBike is your resource for bicycling education, advocacy, outreach, and fun throughout the Bay State. But we need your support to ensure that we can continue to be the voice for bicyclists in Massachusetts!

We have been advocating for bicycling in Massachusetts for 35 years, and whether you are a new member or have been supporting us from the beginning, we have achieved some remarkable accomplishments thanks to you. Here are a few examples of our most recent successes:

• Protected federal funding for bike lanes, bike paths, Safe Routes to School, and Recreational Trails from repeated attacks in Congress.
• Organized the first-ever Massachusetts Bike/Walk Summit at the State House, bringing together legislators, staff, and community advocates to build support for legislation that makes biking and walking safer in Massachusetts. We got Beacon Hill moving!
• Won broad support for our still-pending Vulnerable Road Users Bill from legislators, advocacy groups, and ordinary citizens who want safer streets.
• Fought resurgent attacks on bicyclists’ rights to use Massachusetts roads and parkways.
• Helped ensure that MassDOT’s ongoing Accelerated Bridge Program meets the needs of bicyclists.

But even with these successes there is still work to be done. Your support is critical to help make it happen!

Still to come in 2012, we will be rolling out our new Bikeable Communities Training statewide in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, helping local communities make real progress on bicycling. Our work in Boston’s under served neighborhoods will continue with the Boston Collaborative for Food and Fitness. MassBike bike safety instructors will fan out across Massachusetts to teach thousands of schoolchildren and adults. And we are proud to be working with Transportation for Massachusetts to solve the state’s long-term transportation problems.

Your support allows MassBike to continue working on important projects in your community and around the state, from the local level all the way to Washington, D.C., wherever bicyclists need a voice. We need you to contribute to make sure that we win the laws, policies, and funding that bicyclists need.

We can make Massachusetts a better place for bicycling, but we can’t do it without you. Please support our important work today by following this link.