[*BCM*] MassBike Mid-November Update

[Dorie Clark]

MassBike Mid-November Update



Please Join Us at Bike Night: THIS MONDAY, NOV. 14



Bike Night is only days away!  Please join us this Monday, Nov. 14 from
6:00—9:00 p.m. at Ryles Jazz Club, 212 Hampshire Street, Inman Square,
Cambridge. This fun-filled benefit raises crucial funds that help MassBike’s
advocacy work throughout the year, and you’ll get to meet two leaders whose
work impacts bicycling every day—speakers MBTA General Manager Dan
Grabauskas and MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky.



You’ll enjoy light appetizers, free bike valet parking, and a great silent
auction featuring more than 100 items. Tickets are only $25 for MassBike
members and $35 for non-members (this includes a one-year membership to get
you started with MassBike!). Thanks to our business sponsors including Jason
and Fischer; Landry's Bicycles; Redbones BBQ; Quad Cycles; Seth Yurdin, Esq;
Belmont/Ace Wheelworks; Bay State Speedskating Club; Seyfarth Shaw; and
Continental Resources.



Save time and pre-register for Bike Night online:

http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1262914

MassBike Volunteer Nights: Please Join Us Next Wednesday, Nov. 16 and
Tuesday, Nov. 29

Gourmet pizza from Picco, friends, and envelope stuffing! We really need
your help with our monthly membership mailing (on Nov. 16) and mailing our
annual appeal (on Nov. 29).

Please join us from 5:00-8:30 p.m. on either night—or both!—for our monthly
Volunteer Night, sponsored by Picco in the South End. It’s a great way to
have fun and help the cause. You can find us at 20 Park Plaza, Ste. 528,
Boston (Arlington T stop). Secure bike parking available; please email for
details. Please RSVP to bikeinfo at massbike.org.

Berkshires Public Meeting on South Street Alternatives: Tuesday, Nov. 29



A Public Meeting for the South Street Alternatives Study has been scheduled
for Tuesday, November 29th at 7 PM at City Council Chamber, Pittsfield City
Hall. The purpose of this study is to analyze alternatives and develop a
regional consensus on a preferred course of action to improve north-south
mobility through the study corridor, defined as South Street (Rtes. 7 & 20)
from Housatonic Street to the southern City line, and the developing area to
its west. This meeting will discuss the alternatives being considered and
seek input from the Berkshires public on those alternatives.





Double Your Donation: Jason and Fischer Issues Challenge Grant for Bike
Night Pledge Drive



We are so close to our Bike Night Pledge Drive goal, but we need your help
to put us over the top. Bike attorney Andrew Fischer of Jason and Fischer
has issued a generous challenge grant—if we can raise $1500 by Monday, he
will match it with his own $1500 gift. We’re already halfway there and only
need another $800 from MassBike supporters like you to meet our goal and
double the impact of your gift. Please help us take advantage of this
wonderful offer and help us raise the final $800.



Click here to donate now to the Bike Night Pledge Drive and double the
impact of your gift

http://www.active.com/donations/campaign_public.cfm?key=bikenight



Meetings on New MassHighway Design Guidebook



MassBike has been working with MassHighway for more than two and a half
years to produce a new, bike-friendly highway design guidebook. The project
is now virtually complete and these new guidelines will be able to benefit
bicyclists on the road soon.



To learn more about the guidebook and to thank MassHighway for their efforts
to become more bike-friendly, please consider attending one of the following
meetings:





Falmouth Holiday Inn                                Nov 16 (Wed)
9:00 to 11:00 AM

Pittsfield Crowne Plaza                              Nov 17 (Thurs)
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Holyoke Holiday Inn                                  Nov 22 (Tues)
1:00 to 3:00 PM

Peabody Holiday Inn                                  Nov 30 (Wed)
1:00 to 3:00 PM

Worcester Beechwood Inn                         Dec 8 (Thurs)
1:00 to 3:00 PM

Taunton Holiday Inn                                  Dec 9 (Fri)
10:00 AM  to Noon

Boston State Transportation Building        Dec 14 (Wed)              TBD



To view the guidebook online (it will be available on Nov. 18), click here
http://www.mhd.state.ma.us



Contact Your Legislators to Help Rail-Trails



Senator Pam Resor of Acton, co-chair of the legislature’s Bicycle,
Pedestrian, and Rail-Trail Caucus, inserted a provision into the Senate
economic stimulus bill last week that would help rail-trail creation in
Massachusetts significantly. Her amendment, among other beneficial things,
earmarks $500,000 for towns to purchase environmental liability insurance
for rail-trails. It was accepted unanimously by the Senate. However, this
provision is not in the House bill and we need your help to ensure that it
survives the imminently upcoming “conference committee” between House and
Senate leaders, and remains in the final bill.



Please contact the following House and Senate leaders and ask them to stand
up for “The Resor Rail Trail Environmental Liability Insurance" amendment,
floor amendment #56.”

Senate President Robert Travaglini, 617-722-1500,
Robert.Travaglini at state.ma.us

Senator Therese Murray, Chair Ways and Means, 617-722-1481,
Therese.Murray at state.ma.us

Senator Jack Hart, Chair Economic Development, 617-722-1150,
John.Hart at state.ma.us

Speaker of the House Sal DiMasi, 617-722-2313,
Rep.SalvatoreDiMasi at Hou.State.MA.US

Representative Robert Deleo, Chair Ways and Means, 617-722-2380,
RDeleo at hou.state.ma.us

Representative Daniel E. Bosley, Chair Economic Development,  617-722-2370,
Rep.DanielBosley at hou.state.ma.us

Please also contact your local representative or senator, and ask them to
contact the members above.

To locate your legislators, click here

http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php



Want to Get More Involved with MassBike? Run for our Board—Deadline Monday



Are you interested in taking your bicycling advocacy to the next level? Each
December, MassBike members elect our Board of Directors. Our
organization--Massachusetts' statewide bicycling education and advocacy
group--is in a growth phase and needs talented advocates to help us grow and
become even more effective. MassBike Board members serve for three years and
are responsible for setting organizational goals, helping to accomplish them
with their time and expertise, and raising funds and maintaining fiscal
oversight of the organization.



If you’re passionate about improving bicycling conditions and would like to
harness your energy to help MassBike, we’d love to hear from you. This year,
we’re especially looking for candidates who have prior board experience and
have experience with fundraising and business/financial issues. We are also
eager for help from dedicated advocates with other skills. Please note that
our application deadline is Monday, Nov. 14.



To learn more about serving on the MassBike Board and to fill out our
application, please visit our website at
http://www.massbike.org/about/board.htm



MBTA Public Hearings



Want to learn more about what capital projects the MBTA is planning over the
next five years? Come to one of the following hearings, listed below. This
is a great chance to thank the MBTA for their decision to equip 250 buses
with bike racks, ask them to equip the whole fleet, and discuss issues of
concern to bicyclists, such as the need for bike racks at stations, bike
path creation on MBTA-controlled property, and more. The MBTA will kick off
each meeting with a 10 minute presentation and set aside the rest of the
time for public comment. You may also comment via e-mail at cipinfo at mbta.com
or send written comments to MBTA Budget Department, 10 Park Plaza, Boston,
MA, 02116.



Public hearings are scheduled as follows:



1. Memorial Hall Public Library, Andover, MA - November 30th @ 6 - 7:30 pm



2. Worcester Public Library - Saxe Room, Worcester, MA - December 1st @

6 -7:30 pm



3. Framingham Town Hall - Ablondi Room, Framingham, MA - December 5th @ 6 -

7:30 pm



4. Roxbury Community College - Dance Studio, Roxbury, MA - December 6th @

6 - 7:30 pm



5. Plouffe School - Cafeteria, Brockton, MA - December 7th @ 6 - 7:30 pm



6. Somerville High School - Cafeteria, Somerville, MA - December 12th @

6:30 - 8:00 pm



7. North Shore Community College - Lynn Campus - MBTA Conference Room Lynn,

MA - December 13th @ 6 -7:30 pm



8. State Transportation Building, Boston, MA - December 14th @ 5:30pm -

7:00pm



To view the MBTA’s five-year plan (known as the draft FY06 - FY11 CIP),
click here starting on Friday, Nov. 18.

http://www.mbta.com





Join MassBike



If you care about bicycling advocacy, you should be a MassBike member. All
year round, we are working across the state to improve bicycling conditions.
Please join your voice with 1600 other Bay State residents and become a
member. We truly appreciate it.



Click here to join MassBike

http://www.active.com/donations/campaign_public.cfm?key=massbike&CFID=749359
3&CFTOKEN=34423737




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