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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>It’s not just <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> that needs more awareness to Cyclist. So
do areas such as <st1:City w:st="on">Medford</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Malden</st1:place></st1:City>. On the March 07 ride and as we got
to <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Harvard Square</st1:address></st1:Street>,
I heard a few folks suggest that the CM ride go to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Medford</st1:place></st1:City> instead of the usual ride to Cambridge
Brookline etc. I can tell you first hand after riding home from <st1:City
w:st="on">Beverly</st1:City> to <st1:City w:st="on">Medford</st1:City> for the
past 4 plus years, it’s these close proximity towns to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> drivers who could also stand to learn
a thing or two regarding bicycles. Time and Time again people in this Medford
Malden area respond to Bicycles as if they are for kids and belong on the
sidewalk. In fact, a <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Medford</st1:place></st1:City>
cop told me this once. I know Crit Mass can’t do everything but I just
want to float the idea to going to <st1:City w:st="on">Medford</st1:City>
because I think <st1:City w:st="on">Medford</st1:City> people need in a far
more desperate way than <st1:City w:st="on">Cambridge</st1:City> or <st1:City
w:st="on">Brookline</st1:City> people do to be exposed to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Crit</st1:City> <st1:State w:st="on">Mass.</st1:State></st1:place> <st1:City
w:st="on">Cambridge</st1:City> people are far more accepting to bicycles than <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Medford</st1:place></st1:City> people are. And <st1:City
w:st="on">Medford</st1:City> is in very close proximity to <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>. A ride here could be a good thing. I’ve
just found that people in <st1:City w:st="on">Cambridge</st1:City> and <st1:City
w:st="on">Brookline</st1:City> are more accepting to cyclists than <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Medford</st1:place></st1:City> people are. To
go to Medford with a crit mass ride would just spread the idea that much more
and could be very rewarding.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Basil<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'> bostoncriticalmass-bounces@bostoncriticalmass.org
[mailto:bostoncriticalmass-bounces@bostoncriticalmass.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Ian Thistle<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, April 05, 2007
1:03 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> list@bostoncriticalmass.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [*BCM*] My thoughts</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>So I have been stewing over the last day and here are some points I'd
like to bring up for discussion.<br>
<br>
First, I offer my sincerest condolences to the family and friends of the young
man who died. I didn't know him personally but it seems like I
easily could have. I'm not sure if his name has been officially
released, so I'm not going to say it, but he was a friend of friends of
mine. It's a terrible tragedy that I'm sure will stick with us for a
long time. <br>
<br>
What I'm upset about is this: Anyone who rides frequently in <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> could have told
you that the area where he was hit is very dangerous. One of the
first responses on this list called it a "highway," and I
agree. People drive very fast and the road is needlessly
narrow. You always have to watch out for Northeastern / MassArt /
SMFA students crossing the street without warning and yet it's the quickest
route from downtown to Mission Hill, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Brookline</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Village</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>, and so
on. <br>
<br>
Sometimes it unfortunately takes a tragedy for things to change. I'd
have hope that the area would be improved, except the area of Cambridge St
where Kirsten Malone was killed three years ago (if I remember correctly) is
still just as dangerous as it was the day she died. Similarly,
anyone could have told you that area was really dangerous before she was
killed. <br>
<br>
Now, MassBike does some good things, but for a cycling advocacy group, they
haven't done much to make things better for cyclists <i><span style='font-style:
italic'>in the city</span></i> (at least that I can tell in the four and a half
years I've lived here). One of their major recent victories was securing
$40 million of funds for bike paths <a
href="http://www.massbike.org/projects/federal_bikepath_funding.htm">(link
here)</a>. Most of these are in the rest of the state, and the ones that
are in the Boston area aren't ones I will ever ride, nor do most of my biking
friends. I don't want to stereotype, but they seem to mainly be for
"weekend warriors" rather than commuters. No matter who rides
them, bike paths are in my opinion counter to the safety of cyclists, since
they get overwhelmed by joggers and rollerbladers and they reinforce the idea
to drivers that cyclists belong <i><span style='font-style:italic'>off the road</span></i>.
<br>
<br>
I don't want to pin it all on MassBike, as I fully support a lot of the things
they are doing. I guess what I'm mostly looking for is some way to get my
voice heard, as a cyclist on the streets of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City> who sees the city as needlessly
forboding to cyclists. <br>
<br>
Lastly, I wanted to voice to everyone that while being scared to ride is a
natural and understandable reaction to this death, that they shouldn't stop
riding. Fewer bikes on the streets makes it harder for everyone still
riding, not to mention increasing pollution and lowering personal health. <br>
<br>
Be safe,<br>
Ian<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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