Rahsaan Bahati ‘I’ve had to conform to get my foot in the door’
November 21, 2021: Velonews: Among his many accolades, Rahsaan Bahati is a 10time national champion, a brand ambassador for Giant, the founder of the Bahati Foundation, and the social impact manager at Zwift. His career in cycling is impressive by any stretch, but it’s even more so considering what Bahati says he endured because he is black. While the current spotlight on racial injustice and police brutality seems to be turning heads in a way it hasn’t in the past, Bahati says that the only thing that’s changed for him is that more people are finally paying attention.
Mass. Ave. Bridge to get protected bike lanes
November 19, 2021: Universalhub: MassDOT announced today it will add protected bike lanes to the Mass. The number of vehicle lanes on each side will be reduced from two to one, with the goal of slowing motorists down although the lanes will stay at two on each side at the ends to allow for turn lanes. If the pilot works, MassDOT will work with Boston and Cambridge to create more permanent solutions that make the road safer for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motorists. Reply All this investment in bike lanes when we c
World Day of Remembrance 2021
November 18, 2021: Mass Bike: This Sunday, November 21 is World Day of Remembrance. As a somber tradition every year, those who participate in World Day of Remembrance will pause to reflect on the humanity of those lost to traffic violence in Massachusetts. The purpose of World Day of Remembrance is to note that each fatal crash is not a statistic, but a person lost. Whether they were driving, walking, biking, or otherwise caught in a terrible circumstance, we remember a person with family members, mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and community members who still mourn.
Kittery residents say they don’t feel safe walking or cycling on town roads
November 18, 2021: Yahoo! News: KITTERY, Maine Spots like John Paul Jones Park, Shapleigh Road at Buckley Way and Madison Avenue, and Whipple Road at Wentworth Street and Rogers Road have been identified by community members as danger zones for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Guest Column How Mayor Michelle Wu Can Put Racial Equity in the Fast Lane
November 17, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: …bike lanes and transportation improvements can be contentious because there is a real risk that they will fuel gentrification. This is an important concern, and Wu will need to draw from the deep community relationships she has built throughout Boston to improve transit infrastructure in a way that is guided by community input in the neighborhoods who need it most.
Cambridge’s battle over bike lanes could be coming to a community near you
November 16, 2021: GBH: After the pandemic compelled some people to stop taking public transportation and spend more time working at home, state officials noticed a significant increase in cycling. Some communities saw a jump of more than 50 percent, said Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler, as people began riding their bicycles more than ever, both as commuting vehicles and for recreation.
Cyclist injured in Mattapoisett crash released from hospital, recovering at home
November 16, 2021: Sippican Week: MATTAPOISETT After spending more than a week in the hospital due to injuries sustained in an Oct. 31 crash in Mattapoisett, Judi St. Hilaire, the wife of Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan and a former Olympic runner, returned home Nov. 8.
American cycling has a racism problem
November 16, 2021: Washington Post: Today in the context of increasing calls for racial justice, cycling — as a leisure activity and as a way to get around — appears to have a diversity problem. USA Cycling recently revealed that its membership was 86 percent White, 83 percent male and 50 percent middle-aged.
Black cyclist brutally beaten by white man who says he’s making people nervous’ in the neighborhood
November 11, 2021: Daily Kos: It’s been over a week since 50yearold Black cyclist Elliot Reed was mercilessly beaten by a racist white man while riding through his neighborhood in Seabrook, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
Travel Guide Wayland’s Aqueducts and the New Cochituate Rail Trail
November 6, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: Initially stumbled on the Cochituate Rail Trail in Framingham by chance last year. Since then, two substantial bridges over major roadways were craned in, and earlier this fall, the trail’s new extension into Natick Center officially opened to the public.
City Of Boston City Council Supports Improvements To Mass. Ave. Bridge
November 5, 2021: Patch: Cyclists are up to 20% of the bridge’s daily traffic and the current bridge design does not prioritize safety or discourage drivers from speeding. Radar speed measurements taken on the bridge found nearly 100% of vehicles exceeding the 25 mph posted speed limit, with a median speed of 41 mph during daytime hours.
DA Driver was using Facetime when she struck, killed bicyclist with her car in Western Mass.
November 5, 2021: WHDH: NORTHAMPTON, MASS. (WHDH) A woman appeared in court Friday after officials say she had been using Facetime when she struck and killed a bicyclist with her car in Western Massachusetts.
A Roundup of Holdups
November 5, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: As the construction season draws to a close, we’ve been collecting updates from miscellaneous sustainable transportation projects we’ve reported on that are under construction (or were supposed to be) this fall.
Do You Bike at BU or Want To? New Survey Wants Your Thoughts
November 4, 2021: Boston University: Do you bike on Boston University’s campus? What is it about biking at BU that you like? What can be improved? If you don’t ride a bike on campus, why not? Calling all bicyclists, and wannabe-cyclists—it’s time to let your voice be heard.
Michelle Wu Can Be America’s First Actual Honest-to-Goodness Climate Mayor
November 3, 2021: Curbed She also wants to accelerate the rollout ofGo Boston 2030, an ambitious plan meant to lay down networks of accessible sidewalks and safer bike infrastructure.
Eyes On the Street: A Quick Ride on Boston’s New Transitway
November 3, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: When the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and MBTA announced the Columbus Ave. project in 2019, they took some heat from bike transportation advocates for not including any dedicated space for bike lanes as well.
But the BTD is planning a separate project that could go under construction in 2022 to provide a parallel bike route on traffic-calmed neighborhood streets, with physically separated, contraflow bike lanes on some segments, to create a high-quality bike connection between Franklin Park and the Southwest Corridor.
Transit Advocate Michelle Wu Will Be Boston’s Next Mayor
November 2, 2021: Streets Blog Mass:
“There’s been lots of planning, but not much doing,” said Becca Wolfson, executive director of the Boston Cyclists Union, at Wu’s election party on Tuesday night (editor’s note: Wolfson also serves on the StreetsblogMASS board of directors).
Wolfson expressed hopes that Wu show strong leadership by implementing long-stalled bikeway projects of regional importance – including the proposed Centre Street road diet in West Roxbury, and bicycle access through Beacon Hill along Charles Street.
Yari DeJesus is getting women on wheels and into the outdoors
November 1, 2021: The Scope Boston: During the pandemic, many women have turned to healthy outdoor alternatives to get back to the community, and DeJesus is teaching them how to do so safely and effectively.
Letters to Globe: E-bikes are here — the question is where should they be?
October 30, 2021: The Boston Globe: State lawmakers first need to settle on a category for rule-setting.During the pandemic, many women have turned to healthy outdoor alternatives to get back to the community, and DeJesus is teaching them how to do so safely and effectively.
Where do bikes—and bike networks—fit in the infrastructure bill debate?
October 30, 2021: Northeastern University A shift towards biking would inevitably carry with it questions of transit equity. There is a long history of bike reliance in communities of color in the U.S., but also a deep stigma that associates biking with “carlessness,” and poverty. There is also data showing that biking in Black neighborhoods was associated with over-policing.
‘Worcester loves Major Taylor’: Museum opens in Courthouse Lofts
October 29, 2021: MassLive: ‘Worcester loves Major Taylor’: Museum opens in Courthouse Lofts dedicates to world champion Black cyclist who broke barriers.
Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor: The first black American world champion & his fight to the top
October 28, 2021: BBC: On a freezing cold December night, thousands gathered at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Advocates Petition for Protected Bike Lanes on Mass. Ave. Bridge Before Year’s End
October 28, 2021: Streets Blog Mass A coalition of local sustainable transportation organizations is petitioning MassDOT to reconfigure the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge over the Charles River before the end of this year in order to control reckless driving and provide space for protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.
Impaired driver struck bicyclist before fleeing scene, crashing into telephone pole in NH
October 27, 2021: WHDH: An impaired driver struck a bicyclist before fleeing the scene and crashing into a telephone pole in Hudson, New Hampshire on Tuesday night, police said.
Dorchester’s Mass. Ave. Bikeway Project Delayed ‘Til 2022
October 27, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: The City of Boston announced Wednesday afternoon that a physically separated, two-way cycletrack planned for Massachusetts Avenue between Melnea Cass Blvd. and Columbia Road in Dorchester will be delayed until the 2022.
Castelli Ride with Reggie aims to set Zwift world record with HBCU fundraiser
October 26, 2021: VeloNews: Reggie Miller is shooting for 20,000 riders to join him on Nov. 6 ride to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Massachusetts Considers Letting Electric Bikes In Bike Lanes
October 23, 2021: The Associated Press via WBZ4: BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts lawmakers are considering whether to begin allowing electric bicycles in bike lanes.
Currently electric bikes are prohibited on bike paths because they’re categorized as mopeds, though advocates for bicyclists say the law is largely unenforced.
Petition for Protected Bike Lanes on the Mass Avenue Bridge
October 22, 2021: The Boston Cyclists Union is soliciting signatures on a petition asking the State to improve safety for people bicycling on Massachusetts Avenue over the Harvard Bridge (commonly known as the Mass Avenue bridge).
Boston Cyclists Union Explanation of its Mass Avenue Bridge Petition
Massachusetts Avenue across the Harvard Bridge (commonly known as the “Mass Ave Bridge”) is one of the busiest bike routes in the region. It’s also one of the most dangerous. Although Boston and Cambridge have protected bike lanes at both ends, the state controls the bridge and has yet to follow suit. We’re determined to change that this year.
Do you want protected bike lanes on the Mass Ave Bridge? Then sign the petition!
We are calling for short-term safety improvements (a lane reduction to reduce speeding and make space for wider bike lanes separated with flex posts ) right now. These changs can’t wait.
Nearly 100% of vehicles exceeded the four-lane bridge’s 25 mph speed limit, with a median speed of 41 mph, according to recent observations. Squeezed between speeding cars and a concrete wall, with nothing in between, are people on bikes—who make up 25% of all traffic during peak PM hours.
Reducing room for vehicles would reduce speeding, while making room for a barrier between cars/trucks/buses and bikes. In general, the model we support has one northbound and one southbound vehicle lane, with turn lanes only where necessary, and new accommodations to improve bus service (i.e. queue jumps at lights). You can find more of the nitty gritty here.
Memo to cranky Providence residents: Real cities have bike lanes
October 21, 2021: The Boston Globe: You can’t even go to South Water Street in Providence anymore, at least not without wearing a bulletproof vest and duct taping your AirPods to your ears. Nothing screams thug like a skinny person in bicycle shorts.
Said absolutely no one ever.
Yet here we are with another round of complaints about how bike lines are destroying the fabric of the city, ruining small businesses, and terrorizing innocent walkers who just want to take selfies on the pedestrian bridge without getting run over by Mayor Jorge Elorza on his Huffy.
Increasingly popular e-bikes are everywhere — and live in a legal gray zone in Massachusetts
October 21, 2021: The Boston Globe: As she got older, the steep grade of Mt. Vernon Street became harder and harder for 82-year-old Joan Doucette of Beacon Hill to pedal up on her bicycle.But since she switched to an electric-assist bicycle, known as an e-bike, the hill is no match for her.
State House Update: New Bills Would Tackle Racial Profiling, Traffic Enforcement Cameras, E-Bikes
October 19, 2021: Mass Streets Blog: This fall, Massachusetts lawmakers are taking up a backlog of legislation that had been set aside during the pandemic, when lawmakers were focused on the public health emergency and its economic fallout.
Massachusetts company producing hand-built e-bikes dubbed ‘Watt Wagons’
October 18, 2021: WCVB: NEWTON, Mass. With gas prices going up, people are looking for any alternative to the pump, and for some, it’s all about the pedal power.
One Massachusetts company says they’ve been preparing for just this moment.
Rooted Vermont announces $10,000 in scholarships and reserved spots for women
October 18, 2021: VeloNews: The race has also announced that 50 percent of the entry slots will be reserved for women and women-identifying athletes.
Hand-cylist competes in Boston Marathon
October 9, 2021: The Weirton Daily Times: Come on Monday morning!
Former area man competing in Boston Marathon in handcycle division
When everything you need is here
October 8, 2021: Boston Globe: The promise of the 15-minute neighborhood, where your daily needs are within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride, is moving from blue-sky thinking to a blueprint for action.
Inspired By Wife’s Breast Cancer Battle, Man Bicycling From NYC To Boston
October 7, 2021: CBS Boston: He said his wife Patricia was his inspiration behind the challenging ride.
“My beautiful wife about 5 years ago we discovered she had cancer. We fought very hard and today she in cancer free. Thank god,” Goncalves said. “I know how difficult it is to take it day by day. It is such a difficult time for the family and friends so I said I need to do something to help and bring money. I did something that I love to do – be outside – and it was amazing.”
Unclaimed Bikes Could Be Redistributed To Support Public Good
October 6, 2021: Patch.com: “Everybody needs bikes but we would try to get the bikes to the folks who most likely are not able to necessarily buy one.”
Plans for I-90 megaproject near West Campus moving forward
October 6, 2021: The Daily Free Press: Plans for renovating an intersection of roads, trains and pedestrian pathways adjacent to Boston University’s West Campus took shape last week after State officials held a Sept. 29 meeting on what’s poised to be the region’s next infrastructure megaproject.
Blue Cross Blue Shield offering free Bluebike use in Boston area on Sunday to mark World Mental Health Day
October 6, 2021: The Boston Globe: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts is offering free Bluebikes rides on Sunday to mark World Mental Health Day, the health insurance giant said Wednesday.
Both ways on the Carriage Lane
October 4, 2021: Village14: Now that the days have become cooler, the nighttime temperatures have started to drop, and the water at Crystal Lake is too cold for even a quick dip, here’s some unexpected good news to warm you up. This past week Newton took a big step forward on the proposed plan for legalizing two-way bicycling on the Commonwealth Ave Carriage Lane.
Eyes On the Street: The New Lechmere Takes Shape as a Bike Commuting Hub
October 4, 2021: Streets Blog Mass: It’s still under construction, but the new Lechmere station on the Green Line extension in Cambridge is poised to be a major connection point between the new Community Path, a growing network of new physically-separated bike routes, and the MBTA’s rail system.
Riding for a reason: Cycling coalition offers diversity ride starting in Scituate
October 3, 2021: Patriot Ledger: SCITUATE – The New England Cycling Coalition for Diversity will host a ride celebrating the cyclist Henry Ar Foon at 9 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 10 in Scituate.
The ride is one of several cycling events put on by the group, which was created last year amid the national reckoning with racism that followed the murder of George Floyd.
With the installation of protected bike lanes comes a fast-moving issue for council race
October 1, 2021: Cambridge Day: A springtime study about bike lanes replacing on-street parking continues to send out shock waves, and is now playing a role in November’s elections.
MBTA ridership rebounds, somewhat, from pandemic
September 30, 2021: Bay State Banner: As riders come back, many embrace walking, bikes. A report released Friday by CommercialCafe, a commercial real estate blog, found that, in August, the number of people searching for directions on public transit in Boston was up 30% compared to before the start of the pandemic in January 2020.
Biking While Black in Minneapolis
September 21, 2021: Sierra Club: The simple freedom of moving yourself through space in a fraught city
Press Release: Celebrating Henry Ar Foon on Sunday, October 10th at 9am
September 27, 2021: The New England Cycling Coalition for Diversity (NECCD) is delighted to announce a brand-new, custom-designed diversity ride starting in Scituate celebrating Henry Ar Foon on Sunday, October 10th at 9am. Rain date is October 17th.
Welcome to Bike Month!
September 3, 2021: CITY of BOSTON – Boston Bikes. Mayor Kim Janey
Welcome to Bike Month!
This year, like last, we are celebrating Bay State Bike Month in September. We’re sharing some upcoming events in this newsletter, but be sure to check the statewide calendar for even more ways to enjoy this month.
Women’s learn-to-ride workshops
Our 2021 workshop series continues this month, with both basic skills workshops and street skills workshops. All are offered in both English and Spanish.
Saturday, September 11 at 10 a.m. in Lower Roxbury: Basic skills for adult women who haven’t ridden a bike in a while or ever. Join the waitlist!
Saturday, September 11 at noon in Lower Roxbury: Street skills for adult women who want to build their confidence on trails and low-stress streets. Sign up!
Saturday, September 25 at 10 a.m. in Lower Roxbury: Basic skills for adult women who haven’t ridden a bike in a while or ever. Join the waitlist!
Saturday, September 25 at noon in Lower Roxbury: Street skills for adult women who want to build their confidence on trails and low-stress streets. Sign up!
Saturday, October 9 at 10 a.m. in East Boston: Basic skills for adult women who haven’t ridden a bike in a while or ever. Sign up!
It’s Bike Month all month long with Mattapan Food and Fitness!
Every Saturday in September, check out the Mattapan Square Farmers Market and celebrate bike month with MFFC.
September 4: Giveways including helmets, t-shirts, bike parts, and books
September 11: Live music, more giveaways, and a vaccination clinic
September 18: Kids bike rodeo!
Spember 25: Live music and more giveaways
Lunch and learn: Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking
Listen to a panel presentation at noon on September 9. Organized by the Stepping Strong Injury Prevention community, this panel features four women leaders from the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, WalkBoston, Zuckerberg San Fransico General Hospital, and Boston City Council.
Bike-y book talk at the West End Museum
In 1894, Annie Cohen Kopchovsky left from the West End on an around-the-world cycling trip. On September 9 at 6:30 p.m., her great-grandnephew Peter Zheutlin will discuss his new historical fiction novel, SPIN, based on her incredible life. You can get a ticket with a donation to the Museum.
Roslindale community bike ride
You’re invited to join Roslindale Village Main Streets and the Roslintrail Committee on a family-friendly bike ride at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Septmeber 19. The 7-mile ride includes stops at local businesses and lots of smiles. Sign up today with a $5 donation.
Celebrate bike share in Hyde Park!
Our public bike share, Bluebikes, will soon be available in Hyde Park! Celebrate with us on September 20 at our new Cleary Square bike share station. Between 5 and 7 p.m., we’ll have giveaways, snacks, and kid-friendly activities. You will get to see our new “unicorn” bike that celebrates Hyde Park and was designed by youth at Artists for Humanity.
Beginner’s bike ride for women
We are co-hosting a free beginner bike ride for women, led by women, on Saturday, September 26! Join us and Women on Wheels for a slow-paced ride along the Neponset River. If you have your own bike, please bring it. If you don’t, you can sign up to borrow a bike. Helmets are required and can also be borrowed. Sign up!
Boston builds more protected bike lanes
July 30, 2021: One local road saw a sizable change in cycling activity after a protected bike lane was introduced, a study found.
Vivian Ortiz is Boston’s New Bicycling Mayor!
July 27, 2021: Welcome @mattapanviv new #Boston‘s #BicycleMayor! She aims to build a more #inclusive #cycling community, focusing on people and their experiences. She hosts weekly #bikerides and teaches cycling.
NEWEST BICYCLE MAYOR IN THE WORLD (6TH IN THE USA)!
July 13, 2021: BIG congratulations to Vivian Ortiz, the newest Bicycle Mayor in the USA as part of the Global Bicycle Mayors and Leaders Network
CRW President’s Mid-Term Report
July 13, 2021: Club membership is more dynamic than ever. I (Rami Haddad) regularly receive encouraging comments about obvious presence of diverse community on most of our rides this year, supported by diverse set of ride programs
New Film “The Black Cyclone”
July 3, 2021: John Legend is producing a new film about black cycling champion Marshall Walter ‘Major’ Taylor. The ‘Black Cyclone’ charts the legendary rise of Taylor, once called ‘the fastest man in America’
How Boston’s Annie Londonderry Pedaled Her Way Into History
June 22, 2021: We (WBUR) bring you the story of a remarkable, and complicated, Boston woman: Annie Cohen Kopchovsky. A Latvian immigrant, living in the West End, she was a wife and working mother of three.
Kansas City Starts Initiative To End Traffic Deaths Despite Speedbumps Shown In Other U.S. Cities
June 22, 2021: A 2017 University of Pennsylvania study found Black pedestrians are more likely to experience a traffic fatality death. Kansas City holds a similar disparity. Black residents in Kansas City make up 28% of the city’s population, yet the police report Black pedestrians made up 35% of traffic fatalities in April 2021.
The Real Problem With Wheelie Kids
June 17, 2021: In April, social media users circulated a video of police officers stopping a group of mostly Black and Latino teenagers riding their bikes through Perth Amboy, New Jersey. But the real problem wasn’t the kids—it was the fact that to some, the sight of Black and Brown kids on bikes is a threat in itself. That needs to change.
He Biked the Coast of Oregon to Support the LGBTQ+ Community Outdoors
June 16, 2021: Mikah meyer is crossing one state after the next, with the goal of making the outdoors a safe space for all.
Arrested Mobility: Addressing Racial Inequities in Bicycling
June 16, 2021: The reckoning with systemic racism has reached into nearly every corner of American life, including how bias affects people of color in bicycling.