[*BCM*] Opinions on move by MassBike

[Anne Wolfe]

Ok, so let me make sure I got this clear......
1) MassBike's goal is to double its membership.  Not advocate for better biking conditions or safety or whatever in the greater Boston area, but to double its membership.
2) Members of the brand spanking shiny new group should consider not getting involved in biking infrastructure advocacy, and just leave that to MassBike.  Is this group a part of them or not?  And with MassBike showing a less than stellar track record of actual accomplishment on this, it needs people to stay OUT of this issue (as in, rebuff them) because why????
 
I went out with a friend last night, who mentioned that MassBike was setting up this metro chapter, etc.  I laughed and told her what I'd been e-mailing about all day.  She made her case, which interestingly was almost exactly word for word the MassBike line about T access and "we sponsored four bills!" and "we held social events!". I put my counter arguments.  I won, mostly because she knows of my other work with non-profits and the type of bang I demand from my charity donated dollars.  She won't be renewing, and she's taking her rather impressive financial commitments and next year channelling them into other biking organizations.  She's a smart cookie, and she knows what she wants.  If enough of my concerns are shared by the community as Pete asserted, why aren't people organizing for what they DO want?  If I wasn't about to lead the country for eight months, I'd offer to lead the charge.  If the issues are still leaderless when I return (and at this rate, sounds like they may
 well be), I'll make the offer to organize again and see if we can get stuff done.

countrybob at comcast.net wrote:
Pete, good talking to you on the train after the MassBike meeting. I sent in the following comments this morning and tommorows posting on Massbikes topica group should be some good overall commentary as well. 
 
Re: MassBike -- Metro Boston Chapter meeting
 
Last nights meeting was lively and took place in a well chosen room that featured whitewashed walls with almost primative oil paintings which complimented the tribal circle motif on the floor that we circled around in chairs. 
I'd like to voice my opinions on some of the issues that were brought up last night:
1) MISSION of the Boston-Metro chapter: 
Since a goal of Mass Bike as a whole is to double it's membership this year, I would like to see the short term objective to increase the membership of Mass Bike. Since outreach is a slow growth process, it makes sense to try and connect directly to existing Boston-Metro groups involved in bicycling and, as suggested at the City Hall meeting on Bicycling in Boston in January, pedestrian advocacy groups. The mere mention of co-existing with BCM brought cries of anarchy but most acknowledged that BCM has a younger and more diverse membership than that currently in MassBike. I think we should drop the labels first and seek out some kind of peacefull accomodation which results in participants of the critical Mass Bike ride and subscribers to their mail list finding it in their interest to join the new MassBike-Boston chapter. We'll have to deal with the few knuckleheads who run red lights and challenge cars at intersections ourselves at a later date.  
2) GEOGRAPHY
It seemed that there was a concensus to include the "MAPC" region and a map was distributed that looked like it was out of a community planners guide to the ill-effects of urban sprawl (to me). Someone, sorry didn't jot down your name, presented data regarding the population of Boston (not including people who live in Basements) as around 750,000 and that doubles if you include Cambridge and surrrounding towns. I think we should stop right there. By reaching out further we would only make the efforts of the group redundant with that of Mass Bikes. 
Another idea I had, which I didn't voice, was to link the Bikes on the T program to this Boston-Metro chapter. The geography of the region would then be all communities served by the T and the mission would be to represent those who bike and/or walk in conjuction with Public Transporation. We can  then seek membership from other groups such as the T riders union and the Pedestrian advocates in the City of Boston. 
 
OTHER COMMENTS:
To get increased membership, we need more people biking! I have found that many people don't bike in the Boston "metro" area because they are fearfull of aggresive drivers, harassment, muggings, and even stray bullets! (That reminds me of  why I used to not like visiting New York City). I would like the Boston Chapter to be more of a support group to help people overcome these fears and provide direct assistance with legal ,insurance, and police issues when accidents and incidents do happen.
 
I would like to see this chapter group consider not getting involved in the infrastructure plans for bike lanes, parking, etc..  Until the state comes up with design guidelines for roads that include bikes, it seems an "uphill climb" trying to get conformnity on local plans. These tasks should remain with the MassBike group. 
 
P.S. I have a photo show of bikes and bikers at Toscanini's Ice Cream/Coffee shop at 844 Main St. in Central Square (Cambridge) during the whole of the month of February. The show is entitled, "The End of Hydrocarbon Man" and you are all invited! Comments appreciated. 

 
-------------- Original message -------------- 

> Hey I'm writing a story for Indymedia about this 
> announcement that MassBike will be opening a Metro 
> Boston Chapter. 
> 
> How do people on this list feel about it? 
> 
> Will they be able to affect change here in Boston? 
> 
> Can you imagine a different sort of group, one 
> separate from MassBike? 
> 
> What kind of group would y'all support?? 
> 
> 
> 
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