On June 24, 2026, I had the opportunity to join partners from across the Commonwealth in celebrating the official launch of the Golden Gears program at 7 Acres Park in Everett on behalf of MassBike. It was a beautiful day to celebrate a new partnership between The Lab @ MassDOT and MassBike, made possible through a 2026 AARP Community Challenge Flagship Grant. Together with local community partners, we'll be working over the coming months to help older adults in Everett, Springfield, and Worcester discover the many benefits of bicycling and Bluebikes while staying active, independent, and connected to their communities.

Learn more about the Golden Gears program in the AARP announcement here.

The afternoon began with welcoming remarks from MassDOT Undersecretary of Transportation Policy Samantha Silverberg and Everett Mayor Robert J. Van Campen, who spoke about the importance of creating transportation options that help people of all ages stay active and engaged in their communities.

From there, we enjoyed a short ride along the Northern Strand Trail to the Bike to the Sea Bike Kitchen. Thanks to Bluebikes, everyone who wanted to ride had a bike, making it easy for the whole group to participate.

At the Bike to the Sea Bike Kitchen, Agnes welcomed us and shared how the organization uses bicycle education, repairs, and community programming to make cycling more accessible. It was inspiring to learn more about their work and the positive impact they're having in the community.

One of my favorite parts of the afternoon was reconnecting with friends and meeting new partners. It was great to see Jaclyn Youngblood again and to finally meet The Lab @ MassDOT team—Oussama Ouadani, Sophia Regazzini, Kristopher Carter, and Sam Grunebaum. After weeks of planning over Zoom and email, it was wonderful to finally meet everyone in person.

I was also happy to reconnect with Antron Watson, AARP Massachusetts' Age-Friendly Director. We made plans to get together in Worcester in the coming weeks to catch up on everything that's happened since MassBike received an AARP Community Challenge grant in 2022 and to explore future opportunities to work together.

The afternoon was filled with great conversations, new connections, and a shared commitment to making bicycling more welcoming and accessible for older adults.

Together with our local community partners, we'll be working over the coming months to help older adults in Everett, Springfield, and Worcester discover the many benefits of bicycling and local bikeshare systems—including Bluebikes, Metro Mobility, and ValleyBike Share—so they can stay active, maintain their independence, and strengthen their connections to their communities.