Beer, Free Snacks, Roller Sprints Racing, Good Times!

This year's Annual Meeting, a fun, open-to-the-public event, will be held at Coogan's Pub in Boston.

Come out and join us Wednesday, December 9th at 6:00-9:00pm. The annual meeting will start at 6pm, with a quick review of our 2009 successes with Executive Director David Watson, followed by Q&A. Learn what MassBike has been up to and hear about our future plans.

Then the real fun starts! You can get a drink from the bar and enjoy some free snacks donated by Coogan's. We will be watching a great short movie "The Impossible Journey" by John Bonner. After you have a drink (or two) and are limbered up, we are going to have Roller Sprints provided by Open Bicycle!

If you have never experienced the fun and excitement of indoor roller racing, now is your chance! Picture two bicycles side by side on rollers (don't worry, they use a fork stand, you don't need to balance), the crowd counts down 3,2,1 and they are off! The first person to pedal 300 meters wins! High drama, loads of fun, and thrilling to watch! Come out, challenge your friends, challenge yourself, or maybe just watch other people go for the win! Bicycles provided so you don't even need to have your bike to race! This is a great time, and something you don't want to miss.

The Details:
What: MassBike Annual Meeting
When: Wednesday December 9th 6pm to 9pm
Where: Coogan's Pub, 171 Milk Street, Boston
Why: Beer, free snacks, good people, Roller Sprints!
Cost: Free (suggested donation to support MassBike $5)

MassBike Board of Directors seek new members



Our Board of Directors is responsible for the governance and strategy of MassBike. The Board meets six times per year and holds an annual planning retreat. Time commitment would between two and five hours per week. Board members are expected to be leaders in MassBike's activities and represent the organization throughout Massachusetts.

We need talented board members to help steward and grow the organization. We are looking for candidates who can help lead fundraising, membership recruitment, and can build the capacity of MassBike.

If you know anyone who can commit time and other resources to help build the capacity of MassBike, please ask them to submit a one-page letter of interest to Board President John Siemiatkoski ([email protected]) that includes the following:

1. Name and contact info


2. Why are you interested in serving?


3. What skills, talents and resources would you bring to the board?


4. Brief statement of experience:
   
   
   
   1. Fundraising
   
   
   2. Membership recruitment
   
   
   3. Bicycling advocacy
   
   
   4. Non-profit board service
   
   
   5. Volunteer service
   
   
   6.  MassBike involvement
   
   
   
   

Qualified candidates will be contacted for additional information and will be provided with additional details.

This weekend MassBike parked somewhere just shy of 100 bikes at the International Bike Film Festival! We fit around 70 bicycles at a time, which is none to shabby for just three parking spaces.



It's something for businesses to consider: fitting more customers into a smaller space. Bike valet and on-street bike parking are also a great way to attract bicyclists to your shop or event. Show bicyclists some love and they'll show it right back. Got an event that can use bicycle valet parking? Contact us for more details.

Thanks go out to our fantastic volunteers who did most of the work parking all those bikes! Find out how you can be a bicycle valet or other ways you can volunteer here.

Through the hard work of the MassBike Pioneer Valley Chapter, 29 new buses owned by the Pioneer Valley Transit Agency will be fitted with bike racks. PVTA buses in the Northern Tier serving the Five College system already had bike racks (year-round, thanks in part to MB/PV's efforts), but the Southern Tier buses had no racks. MassBike/PV has been lobbying PVTA for years to include bike racks year-round on those buses too, including letters to key officials and comments on the Regional Transportation Plan. That advocacy has finally paid off! PVTA has agreed to install bike racks on all buses that serve these three Southern Tier routes as a pilot to begin in March 2010:

R-10 (Westfield State College/West Springfield/Springfield Bus Terminal)
B-23 (Holyoke Veterans Park/HCC/Westfield Center)
R-25 (South Hadley/Granby/Holyoke Veterans Park/Holyoke Mall)

Thanks to all of you who made comments about the need for these racks when the opportunity arose. If you would like to read the original letter right click (or control click on a mac) and select save target as, or save file as, to read. here

Buy Food, Benefit Bicycling!



MassBike is pleased to announced our participation in the Shaw's Community Rewards program. Now you can raise money for MassBike's advocacy and education programs when you go grocery shopping. Shaw's will donate 1% of purchases made by MassBike supporters every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
To sign up, simply register your Shaw's Rewards Card:

• Go to www.shaws.com/community rewards



• Click on the "Shoppers Login or Register with your Shaw's Rewards Card" link



• Once you've logged in, click "Sign Me Up"



• Use your Shaw's Rewards Card to sign up for the program



• Enter MassBike's Community Rewards identification number 49001022294 to start contributing!

MassBike, has teamed up with the LivableStreets Alliance, WalkBoston, and the Institute for Human-Centered Design to urge Highway Administrator Paiewonsky to improve pedestrian access to the Longfellow bridge. The existing proposal to repair the bridge did fix the pedestrian access, but did so by removing the bike lane as you approached Charles circle on the Boston side. This improved proposal maintains these important pedestrian access improvements while keeping the bike lane. You can read the entire letter here (pdf).

The MABPAB is the Massachusetts Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, which is a very important forum for MassBike to influence statewide policy on bicycling. The MABPAB was established by law, championed by MassBike and WalkBoston, to "oversee the state's bicycle and pedestrian activities and advise the bicycle and pedestrian program office [now part of MassDOT]." Bicycling advocates occupy seven seats on the board, appointed by the Governor. The board meets monthly and often invites transportation officials for Q&A sessions; recent guests include the Secretary of Transportation and Boston's Director of Bike Programs. The board often sends comment letters to the Governor and agency heads offering advice on bicycle and pedestrian issues both general and project-specific.

Highlights from yesterday's MABPAB meeting:

• Federal stimulus money is funding a number of bicycle and pedestrian projects, including $4.8M for secure bike cages and other bike parking at MBTA stations, $3.6M for the Alewife Greenway to connect Somerville and Medford to the Minuteman Bikeway and Alewife Station, $8M for Nonantum Road in Watertown including significant bike/ped improvements, and over $15M for the North Bank Pedestrian Bridge from Cambridge to Charlestown.


• $30M in funding for 12 bridges needed for the 48-mile Blackstone River Bikeway project has been "lost" due to the transfer of Accelerated Bridge Program resources from DCR to MassDOT.


• Boston got $20M in federal stimulus funding to resurface 27 miles of roads, including adding 4 miles of bike lanes (the other roads are not suitable for bike lanes).


• Boston has changed its policies on minimum road lane widths and will now consider 7-ft parking lanes and 10-ft travel lanes, which will free up additional space for bicycle and pedestrian accommodations such as bike lanes and wider sidewalks.


• The board endorsed a letter to MassDOT supporting the addition of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations to the Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project in Newburyport, Amesbury, and Salisbury. This is a $300M project, one of five "mega-projects" in the Accelerated Bridge Program. While bikes/peds are not usually permitted on interstate highways in Massachusetts, this is the best opportunity available to provide a way for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross the Merrimack River to access Salibury, Amesbury, an expanding trail network and beaches.

Join The 13th Annual Jingle Ride & Open House Holiday Celebration brought to you by Ciclismo Classico and MassBike

Two Great Events to Celebrate the Season
If you can't make it to the ride, please join the party afterwards!

Join Our 13th Holiday Jingle Ride Expected to Be the Biggest & Most Festive Yet

Bring Your Holiday Cheer, Your Friends and Your Bike - Sunday, December 13 This year's event will benefit MassBike!

THE TRADITION CONTINUES! Don't miss what has become the most anticipated Ciclismo event of every holiday season, the 13th Annual Jingle Ride.

On what has become our most colorful, cheerful and musical ride of all, donations collected at this year's ride will benefit The Massachussetts Bicycle Coalition. MassBike promotes a bicycle-friendly environment and encourages bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and advocates for better bicycling across the entire state.

So get out your most festive and warm riding gear and get ready to pedal!

Warm Up at the Post-Ride Party
Please join us at the post-ride party at 3:30pm at Lauren Hefferon's house for warm and tasty food and drink, celebrating great rides and good friends in with true Ciclismo and Italian hospitality! Please join the party even if you can't make it to the ride!

THE DETAILS

When Sunday, December 13, 2003 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
10:30 am: Registration
11:00 am: On time departure

What The Jingle Ride is a leisurely and festive 10-to-25 mile round-trip bike ride from Arlington Center to Boston, including the Charles River Bike Path and some of Boston's most festive streets. We'll ride into town, have lunch at Quincy Market before spinning back to Arlington via Boston's historic Public Garden, Newbury Street, and the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge.

Bring your best singing voice, costume, jingle bells and bike decorations!

Starting Point Jam N' Java, 594 Mass. Ave in Arlington Center (MAP)

View Larger Map
If you would like to meet us in Cambridge or downtown, call 617-640-4837 for time and place. There will be fun prizes for best costume, best decorated bike, and more!

Need a great costume?
Check out Eastern Coast Costumes, 329 Moody Street, Waltham, Massachusetts, 1-800-924-6836.

We'll provide free coffee, treats for kids and a repertoire of Christmas Carols to sing. We'll stop for hot toddies and other goodies along the way. Don't forget jingle bells for your booties and remember those layers!

Special thanks to our prize sponsors:



Landry's Bicycles for providing $25 gift certificates
Colavita USA for the Colavita gift basket
Urban AdvenTours for a coveted "I Bike Boston" T-shirt


Please RSVP
To RSVP for Jingle Ride and Post-Ride Celebration: email us here.
To RSVP for the Post-Ride Celebration ONLY: email us here.
Please include your NAME and NUMBER of PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY.


Ride for a Cause
Each year, we ask participants to make a holiday donation to a local non-profit organization. 100% of donations collected will benefit MassBike.

Donations will be collected at the ride's starting point. Cash and checks are accepted, payable to MassBike. Suggested donation is $25 per rider.

Not yet a MassBike member?
Donate $40 at the ride and a new one-year membership is included. Member benefits include local bike shop discounts of 10% or more, discounts at bike friendly B&Bs;, discounted cycling skills classes, and much more! Visit MassBike.org for full member benefits.

I can't make the ride, but I will make a tax-deductible donation to MassBike.

I can't make the ride, but I will join the Open House Holiday Celebration at Lauren Hefferon's home (email name and number of guests).

Open House Holiday Celebration
After an invigorating ride full of holiday spirit, all riders are invited to the home of Lauren Hefferon, Director and Founder of Ciclismo Classico, for a post-ride holiday celebration with lots of munchies and drinks.

Open House Location Lauren's House, 13 Marathon Street, Arlington. 3:30pm - 5:30pm

See you on Sunday, December 13 at Jam N' Java in Arlington Center!

We need your help! MassBike has been around for a long time, and during that period we have collected all sorts of wonderful information. One bit of information that a lot of you seem to enjoy is our list of paths and trails statewide. The problem is that the list is woefully out of date.

That's where you come in! You probably know your local paths and trails much better than we do, you might even know where there is a website we can find more information, maybe you are working at getting more paths or trails built and they are not even on our list!

Here's how you can help:

1. Look at the list (link)
2. If you spot an error, either list it in the comments here, or contact us
3. Be sure to include as much info as you can, descriptions of the trail, websites, phone numbers, maps, etc all help
4. Be sure to let us know if this is an existing trail or one that is being planned

We can't offer much, but we will be sure to let everyone know that it was you that helped and your efforts will go towards making this resource better for everyone.

That's right, we tweet (?) now. Yet another way for you to stay in touch with all the many fun and exciting things going on around here. Follow us by clicking that little button on the lower right, or click here.