"Welcome, bike owners, to the MBTA," said MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas.

"By giving people yet another reason to choose public transportation, we continue our efforts to attract more customers by making the system easier to use and a lot more convenient. This is what quality customer service is all about."

It's Official. On September 22 Grabauskas announced that coming this spring, all buses that leave from the Charlestown Garage will be outfitted with bike racks with space for 2 bicycles per bus.

MassBike, Chelsea T Riders Union, and Livable Streets Alliance, all advocates of expanding transportation options for city residents, support the MBTA's bike rack installation plan.

The Charlestown garage is the MBTA's largest bus terminal, housing more then 250 buses, all of which will be equipped with racks to ensure that riders will have reliable, bike-accessible transportation. The MBTA plans to purchase nearly 300 bike racks at an estimated cost of $255,000, according to a Sept. 22 press release. Federal grant money distributed by the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization will fund the bike rack installation, according to the release. The Charlestown bus garage services routes in Allston, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Brighton, Burlington, Cambridge, Chelsea, Charlestown, Everett, Lexington, Medford, Malden, Revere, Somerville, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester and Woburn.

A particularly sweet victory came to the people of Chelsea and their T Riders Union. In the past, besides using a much longer route, the only way to get to Boston from Chelsea has been the Tobin Bridge, which does not permit bike riders. These new bike racks will now allow for Chelsea cyclists to arrive in Boston with their bikes. The announcement came one day before Chelsea’s T Riders Union planned protest for bike racks on the #111 and #112 routes that serve Chelsea. The group decided to hold the event as a celebration instead. Grabauskas later wrote a personal note to the Chelsea T Riders Union thanking them for their efforts.

Click here for a list of bus routes that will have racks installed
http://www.massbike.org/news/bikerack_buses_routes.htm

Excerpted from 9/29/05 The Daily Free Press MBTA MAKES ROOM FOR BIKES By Carlene Olsen

--------------------------------------------------- ---------

INJUSTICE WITH FAST-LANE-- Speaking of the #111 bus from Chelsea, did you know that it is not permitted to use the center FAST-LANE lane over the Tobin bridge because of safety concerns? Busses on the Mass Pike may use the FAST-LANEs because they are on the far right. So while residents of Chelsea are sitting in traffic, residents of Newton are zipping downtown. The Chelsea T-riders union is pushing for change. But can the MBTA and Turnpike Authority work together to solve this problem? We hope so.

MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas, responsible for 250 new Bike Racks on buses, and MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky will be special guest speakers!

MassBike's sixth annual Bike Night celebration
Monday, November 14, 6-9pm
Ryles Jazz Club
212 Hampshire Street, Cambridge

A fundraiser for bicycle advocacy work, tickets are $25 for MassBike members, and $35 for non-members (this includes a one-year MassBike membership).

Light appetizers and free bike valet parking! Additionally, please bring your checkbook, because each there is a terrific silent auction. Click here for a list of auction items.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino greeted the participants at September 25th Hub On Wheels citywide bike ride and festival with the intention to expand opportunities for cyclists and to work with state agencies, such as the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), to make travel easier for people on foot or bikes. Nearly 700 people participated in one of the event’s many bike rides that went through many of the city’s neighborhoods, Harbor areas, and off-road park and riverbank paths.

Newly appointed DCR Commissioner Stephen Burrington told the crowd that the state agency was committed to better maintenance of its cycling and pedestrian facilities and would involve them in planning for renovations on the Long Fellow, BU bridges, and Mass Ave. bridges.

Hub On Wheels Executive Director, Steven E. Miller, said, "Bicycling is good for physical health, good for reducing traffic congestion and pollution, and fun. It is also a way to bring people together from different parts of the city and suburbs to discover Boston’s neighborhoods, natural beauty, and fabulous diversity."

Cyclists came from as far as New York and Canada. Riders selected loops of 15, 25, or 40 miles, or participated in a 2-mile Family Fun Ride around the Park. Chris Carrigg, of Roslindale, commented, "Although I have lived here most of my life, I had never seen several areas that we rode through - and they are jewels!"

There were also performances by HiWheelers riding huge antique bikes, as well as, the Free Force doing jumps and tricks on their BMX bikes and the “Art Bike Extravaganza” featuring some seriously strange- wheeled contraptions. Mayor Menino took a turn driving the "Busycle", a 15- person pedal powered bus – which made its inaugural appearance at the festival.

WALKBOSTON SIDEWALK SAM EVENT

On October 20, WalkBoston held their Sidewalk Sam event, where volunteers brought attention to the sidewalks by livening them up with chalk drawings in Downtown Crossing. The group spoke with many of the passing commuters about the importance of keeping the Greenway walkable. One focus was the Intercontinental Hotel's design, which eliminates the sidewalk outside 500 Atlantic Avenue and appropriates that part of the public right of way for its private use.

WalkBoston protests that "The hotel's design does not conform to either the letter or the spirit of the guidelines for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, which were approved and adopted by State and City governmental agencies and citizen watchdog groups concerned with the Greenway." The group feels The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and the City of Boston have the power to stop it and should look into this issue.

http://www.walkboston.org


THE SOUND OF LAUGHTER IN CAMBRIDGE

Jessica Thompson, a Toronto based artist brings her "Soundbike" to Cambridge as part of the Art Interactive (AI) art show in Central Square.

The Soundbike is a portable sound piece that uses motion-based mini-generators mounted to an ordinary bicycle to broadcast the sound of laughter as the bike moves through the urban environment.

Jessica along with AI and LivableStreets produced a route through Cambridge, which a group of cyclist rode on September 15th along with the Soundbike. The Soundbike is on display at AI until Dec 11.

http://www.artinteractive.org


5TH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN RIDE IN JAMAICA PLAIN

A parade of costumed bike riders and rock songs rode in this years Halloween ride. Starting in Jamaica Plain at the Green St. station with about 40 bikers dressed up in all kinds of great costumes, the ride went through Cambridge, where the number swelled to about 60, then through downtown Boston and then home again to JP. The ride is put on by Chris Huggins, a seventh grade science teacher and his "Red Swede Stereo Bike" that has a "stereo system" controlled by an Ipod built into it. Huggins said he "started the ride as an alternative to just going out to the bars on Halloween."

http://www.truthserum.org

Budapest, Hungary has experienced its greatest Critical Mass bike ride ever on September 22, 2005. Estimates range between 24,000 and 30,000. This would therefore also make it one of the greatest Critical Mass rides in history.

The last year has seen a mushrooming participation in Critical Mass rides in the Hungarian capitol. The initial breakthrough came on World Carfree Day in 2004, when 4,000 riders participated. This was followed by an Earth Day Critical Mass ride on April 22 of this year with a staggering 10,000 people. The trend is still in progress. Bicycle messenger groups are in a large way to credit for organizing and publicizing this event. Otherwise organizations like the Hungarian Young Greens (Zöfi) and Clean Air Action Group have also helped in the organization.

This is especially good news for the city of Budapest, as it otherwise does not have a very good bike lane network, nor is motorized traffic usually very respective of cyclists. So far the city government has not showed very much interest in bike riders, but this is now changing, as the talk of the town has turned to bikes and Critical Mass.

Exerpted from 29 Sep 2005 indymedia.org

Safe Routes to School is a national and international movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to school. The program addresses the alarming trend toward child obesity and inactivity, while also reducing traffic congestion and air pollution.

SAFETEA-LU, the new federal transportation bill that provides $286.5 billion in funding through September 2009, became law on August 10, 2005. It includes a $612 million appropriation for a new national Safe Routes to School program that will provide benefits in all 50 states. Communities will use this funding to construct new bike lanes, pathways, and sidewalks, as well as to launch Safe Routes education and promotion campaigns in elementary and middle schools.

The first formal Safe Routes to School National Partnership meeting was held October 24-25 in Washington, D.C. Forty diverse groups met to identify goals for the budding national Safe Routes to School movement and initiate a productive partnership with the Federal Highway Administration.

One of the partnership's key goals is to maximize the effectiveness of the $612-million national Safe Routes to School program. More than 70 bicycling, walking, health, and government organizations have joined.

Of the funding for each state, between 10-30% must go to non-infrastructure activities, which includes teaching kids safe walking and biking skills (education, encouragement, etc.)

From the Bikes Belong newsletter

Nov 14(Mon): MassBike's sixth annual Bike Night celebration
6-9pm at Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge Special guest speakers include MBTA General Manager Dan Grabauskas and MassHighway Commissioner Luisa Paiewonsky. For tickets and information, call 617-542-2453 or visit www.massbike.org/news/bikenight.htm

Nov. 14 (Mon): EXTENDED COMMENT PERIOD ON INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL
End of business day Last day for sending comments to MEPA For information http://www.walkboston.org/

Nov 15 (Tue): WalkBoston FALL OPEN HOUSE
5:30 - 7:30 pm Liz Levin's home, 48 Appleton St. Boston For information http://www.walkboston.org/

Nov 15 (Tue): The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization wants to hear your ideas about the future of transportation in the region!
Open House, with two identical sessions held: 12-2 PM and 5-7 PM. Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization State Transportation Building 10 Park Plaza, Suite 2150 Boston, MA 02116 Phone: 617.973.7092 Fax: 617.973.8855

Nov 16 (Wed): MassBike's monthly Volunteer Night
5:30-8:00pm RSVP to Vance at vance@massbike.org or 617-542-2453.

Nov 22 (Tue): Still Hazy After All These Years: Fulfilling The Central Artery Project Transit Commitments
Central Artery Environmental Oversight Committee 3:00-5:00 p.m. Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr 60 State Street, 26th Floor Boston Guest speakers Kenneth Miller, Deputy Secretary for Planning, Executive Office of Transportation, Fred Salvucci, MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation and Peter Shelley, Director, Conservation Law Foundation Massachusetts Advocacy Center Please RSVP to Dan Wilson Central Artery Environmental Oversight Committee P.O. Box 275, Boston, MA 02133 Phone: 617-720-4343

Nov 29 (Tue): MassBike's Extra-Special Volunteer Night!
5:30-8:30 RSVP to Vance at vance@massbike.org or 617-542 -2453

Dec 3 (Sat): STEPPING OUT: THE DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
12:00 - 1:30 Meet at the corner of Washington and Avery Streets for a guided walk of the historic downtown entertainment district http://www.walkboston.org/

Dec 5(Mon): WALK TALK BY PHIL GOFF, ON THE PATHS OF PORTLAND OREGON
7:00 PM 60 State Street, 26th floor, meeting space of Wilmer Hale http://www.walkboston.org/

Dec 6 (Tue): Noam Chomsky Speaks To Benefit Bikes Not Bombs
7pm at the Central Congregational Church, 85 Seaverns Ave, Jamaica Plain (Coffee, bake sale, and klezmer/gypsy/circus orchestra in the basement at 6pm) PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS: go to http://www.active.com/ event_detail.cfm?event_id=1265962 or Call Bikes Not Bombs with credit card For more http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/