[BCM] bike racky

Mon Jun 8 01:36:33 EDT 2009

Some polite suggestions:

stop trying to assume one should re-create all of what Brookline and
Cambridge succeeded in doing without first studying how it is they did it.
It¹s not as simple as a vote with a roll call, and it¹s not the job of
elected officials to do the legwork required before and after appropriations
occur. If you think funding is an issue, for instance, find a civil
engineering firm to consider consulting pro bono, or offer the name of a
friend or professional group that might. If you make it clear to the City
you¹re willing to stand behind your own project, you will be amazed at how
willing they will be to step up and stand behind you. As someone who¹s done
a small project within a bike trail proposal for a town, I find it
fascinating how people think writing an E-Mail will make bike racks a
reality. 

Reality Check: City Hall roll call votes won¹t install the bike rack, your
elected officials aren¹t suppose to know where to place the bike racks, or
which kinds to order, or how to save money on them to make it feasible, or
who to contact to consult with, or anything like that. They might represent
you, but they also depend on you to help them help you.

For the cynics: Find a city you feel is as equally apathetic as Boston, yet
managed to one-up most cities that claim they¹re progressive on this issue.
Think MTA for LA Buses. Ever LA bus has one, and Mass Bike points to this
all the time. Bu did anyone bother to call someone behind that multi-year
campaign, ask them what lessons they learned, how they pulled it off? Or do
we think MTA are super cool and smart and decided to do it one day, and no
one resisted? (disclaimer: for all I know, MassBike people did this, it¹s
just an ex.)

There is always a way, and few problems exist in one part of the world that
were not successfully conquered in another part. Find that part of the world
with the solution, talk to the people behind the solution. Then, reverse
engineer it.

Oh, and if I may suggest: avoid the term Œracks.¹ it sounds more complicated
to build than a bike post. Racks sound complicated and expensive. Bike posts
sound like wooden roads you want to hammer into a natural park... When I
think of bike racks, I think of jackhammers and graffiti and hideously bleak
black paint, constructed by people who would, if it were up to them, paint
the SF Golden Bridge white or something.

Even if they did get more bike racks in Allston, we still can¹t convince
Allston to organize the real estate developers to lobby for planting trees
in place of concrete street islands. And that¹s not apathy, that¹s
stupidity trees always are cheaper than the rise in home values they
create.... Can¹t we just get trees on Comm Ave first? We all know the bike
racks will be painted some primary grayscale color, since it¹s Boston...
What¹s the point of adding some ugly thing like that?

On 6/7/09 10:43 AM, "Lee Peters" <leepeters at gis.net> wrote:

> I think the city trawls this list for that kind of info.  Be patient....or
> give a call to your city councilor's office.
>>  
>> ----- Original Message -----
>>  
>> From:  jb  fentner <mailto:symboliceon at hotmail.com>
>>  
>> To: BCM <mailto:list at bostoncriticalmass.org>
>>  
>> Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2009 3:18 AM
>>  
>> Subject: Re: [*BCM*] bike racky
>>  
>> 
>> I'm always appreciative when I see any evidence of this town  putting some
>> money in to doing things that help us out, but we REALLY need  some more
>> attention in Allston. The fact that there are just SO many folks who  ride
>> bikes in that area and very few places to lock up is really starting to
>> bother me. Every damn time I go to that convenience store near the Model   on
>> my way home from work I end up having to lock up to that bus stop overhang
>> thing. About a mile away, in Coolidge Corner where there seem to be less
>> cyclists there seems to be about fifteen thousand places to lock up.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>  
>> 
>>  From: leepeters at gis.net
>> To: list at bostoncriticalmass.org
>> Date: Sat, 6 Jun  2009 13:14:37 -0400
>> Subject: [*BCM*] bike racky
>> 
>>   
>> There are some sweet new racks on the  sidewalks of the Back Bay and
>> elsewhere in Boston.  Try them  out.
>>  
>>  
>>  
>>  
>> 
>>  
>> 
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>>  
>> 
>>  
>> 
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