[*BCM*] Opinions on move by MassBike

[Tom Revay]

>On 1/28/2005 at 6:22 AM Anne Wolfe wrote:
>Ok, so let me make sure I got this clear......

Good thing, too, because you don't.

>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.

MassBike has a two year strategic plan.  One part of it is to reach 2000 members, which I think is a modest goal, but we *are* our membership and we depend upon our members for their volunteering energy, information about local conditions, and yes, funding.  But other no less significant parts of the plan include advocacy, safety education, media outreach, fund raising, working with state, local and national government officials, legislative action, and so on.  

That's why MassBike will lead a group to Washington, DC to meet with Massachusetts' Congressional delegation during the National Bike Summit in March.  It's also why we're sponsoring at least two Bicycle Driver Training courses in the early spring, and why we're hosting a League of American Bicylists League Certified Instructor course on Patriot's Day weekend in April (which I plan to take).  We are now setting up our Commuter Seminar lunchtime presentations for 2005, in which we go into places of employment to discuss how they and their employees can encourage bicycle commuting.  We held dozen or more of these in 2004, and I personally gave three of them.

You also don't appear to understand the importance of the MassHighway design manuals, and our role in their revision.  These are the books that the highway department uses when they build or rebuild roads.  They specify lane widths, shoulder sizes, drain gratings, intersection layouts, traffic controls, surface treatments, and yes, bike lanes, crosswalks, curb cuts and other facilities.  They're used in every town and city in the Commonwealth, and they're currently undergoing the first substantial revision in decades.  Their timetable for release isn't up to MassBike -- it's the highway department's job to produce these things, after all, and they're doing it by command of the Governor, so if you want them out sooner rather than later, tell him -- but the fact that our ED was chosen to chair the committee that would produce the bicycle & pedestrian specifications is very significant.  

And there's the police training, the "Kid's Club" youth outreach, the Bikes on the T work ... there's a lot we're doing.  All with a paid staff of three people and lots of volunteers.

You would know about the strategic plan, its action items if you had gone to the links that I offered you yesterday, and read the MassCyclist for the last few issues, or the frequent MassBike Updates that are sent out via email and available on-line.  And while you might argue that some people don't have on-line access (hence, we still mail them the quarterly MassCyclist, which was redesigned and expanded last year), you clearly do.  

So I don't know why you haven't.  All a friend can say is, ain't it a shame?

...............................Tom