This Thursday, Livable Streets is having a summer social. It will be in the Boston Society of Architects new space, at 290 Congress street just off the Greenway. The exhibit space is currently hosting a show called "Let's talk about bikes" which is about Boston bike culture and ostensibly about the impact of the bicycle on the city. I missed the opening, but was there for the Hubway birthday party last week.
 |
| So let's get this straight- the woman in a nice dress is a "recreational rider" not a "commuter" ?!? |
 |
| The Elusive "Mayor's Bike" a specially painted Hubway which is normally in the circulating fleet |
 |
| #4 With a bullet |
Do you like Basketball? Or Hockey? Or do you take the commuter rail out of North Station?
If so, you may be particularly interested in a meeting on Wednesday August 8th about the possibility of a cycletrack on Causeway street all along the front of the Boston Garden. The city would really like to put one in, but is getting pushback from local businesses, so getting cyclists there to speak up in favor of it is critical. I don't know if you're ever ridden there around game time, but it's really a zoo, with cabs lurching in and out. I can absolutely guarantee that a bike lane will become a double-parking lane if it's not physically separated somehow. Information here
Finally- and this is a ways out, but sounds great- Spokes 2012 in Somerville on September 8th will be a celebration of bike culture of all sorts in Union Sq. I'm kind of toying with the idea of riding as a "civilian craft" with SCUL!!! I'm way too timid to go to one of their normal "missions" but I might just tag along if there are enough other people going too. There's a "taste of Somerville by bike" tour too, and you have to sign up for that ASAP if you're interested- it may even be full by now as there were only 20 spots.
Your list of bikeable cities might be quite different if Seattle were not so hilly. Just sayin'
ReplyDeleteIf the dude in the suit coat is a commuter, the lady in the skirt can be a commuter too.
ReplyDeletePeace :)
The woman in the dress is a "casual" rider--sounds even a step below "recreational". And maybe it's different on the Boston side, but on the Cambridge side of the river, I never see anyone in a suit on a bike.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm hoping the Spokes event has good weather--I'd love to see Pee Wee's Big Adventure outdoors!
oops- yes you're right. "casual" does sound one step below "recreational".
DeleteI don't see suits very often on either side of the river, but I see a lot of dress pants/ dress shirts/ ties that could become a suit with the addition of a coat, which might be in a backpack or at the office.
I never wear suits, but if I did, I probably wouldn't wear the coat, especially this time of year.
Speaking of happenings, I just saw this on the Bostonbikes.rg website:
ReplyDelete"Women & Family Cycling Initiative
Boston Bikes is starting a new initiative to support women who bike and encourage more women to bike in Boston and the surrounding area. Starting next week, we’ll be asking women “Why do you bike?” or “Why don’t you bike?” in an online forum and at two farmers markets (August 14th from 4 — 6 at the Copley Square Farmers Market and August 21st from 4 — 6 at the Food Project in Roxbury at the Dudley Town Common).
Email womencycling@cityofboston.gov for" more info I presume.
BTW,I went to the Causeway St meeting this evening, the city presented basically the same thing that they showed in August 2010. A decent crowd showed up - I think most of the crowd spoke, most telling the State that they could do better to serve pedestrians and that they need to do much better for cyclists. The State said that they have looked extending lanes/cycletracks all the way to North Washington St (Keany Sq), but that there is just not enough room.
Mark