This has been a watershed year for biking in the Bay State, and for MassBike. We are seeing record numbers of people on bikes, more media coverage than ever before, and bike projects and programs popping up all over the state. This year the state made real progress living up to its sustainable transportation policies, Boston launched the wildly successful Hubway bikeshare system, and public health organizations started funding projects to help communities become more bicycle-friendly. MassBike was a strong partner in all of this.

But with all this progress, too many projects still fail to take bicycles into account, many bicyclists and motorists still do not know how to interact safely, and bicycle projects and programs are too often the victim of dwindling budgets. Donate today to ensure that bicycling is a priority in Massachusetts.

Now, the most serious threat we face may be coming from Congress. House leaders have vowed to eliminate funding for biking and walking, including the popular Safe Routes to School program that helps get more kids biking and walking daily. Meanwhile, the Senate wants to cut funding for biking and walking by 30% and increase competition for the slashed funding.

MassBike has been working longer than any other organization in this state to fight for bike programs and projects, and we have seen a lot of success this past year because of this hard work. From local communities, to state agencies and legislators, to Congress, MassBike has been driving decision makers to improve and encourage biking in the Bay State.

Your past support has helped us achieve a lot. It is only because of that support that we have been making a difference! Here are just a few recent accomplishments:

• • Filed the Vulnerable Road Users Bill, which will increase penalties and educate motorists who injure or kill bicyclists and pedestrians.

• • Worked with Senator Kerry and Senator Brown to defend bike funding twice, and ensured that Massachusetts has bipartisan support for programs that create safe roads for all users, including bicyclists.

• • Partnered with MassDOT to address statewide problems ranging from construction zone bike safety to bicycle access on regional transit systems.

• • Empowered underserved communities to improve public health and make their streets safe through our work with local advocates in East Boston and Roxbury on roadway improvements and policy changes.

• • Directly educated 2000 children and adults about safe bicycling, and reached thousands more with our outreach campaigns.

Looking forward to 2012, we have an ambitious plan of action. We are going to keep working with the legislature to move the Vulnerable Road Users bill out of committee. In March we will be hitting Capitol Hill in DC (just as the transportation funding debate comes to a head), and there is a lot of work needed before then to make sure our delegation continues supporting biking. We’re looking at innovative ways to expand the reach of our education program. And we’ve got big plans with our public health partners to get more people biking in underserved communities all over the state.

We can make Massachusetts a better place for bicycling, but we can’t do it without you. The lion's share of our funding comes from our members and donors, so please donate today by clicking here.

Thank you for your support. Safe riding and enjoy the holiday season!