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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'>Well said!<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>Jon Ramos<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Thursday, April 05, 2007
2:21 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Boston Critical Mass<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [*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>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I am ALL FOR a Malden ride. I bike commute to Boston
from Maden, and it has been my experience that drivers in Malden, Medford,
Everett are not concerned / aware enough about cyclists in their
area.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>- Jon<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>----- Original Message
----<br>
From: Basil Sharpe <bsharpe@redcoatpublishing.com><br>
To: Boston Critical Mass <list@bostoncriticalmass.org><br>
Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2007 1:22:34 PM<br>
Subject: RE: [*BCM*] My thoughts<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<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 Boston that needs more awareness
to Cyclist. So do areas such as Medford and Malden . On
the March 07 ride and as we got to Harvard Square , I heard a few folks suggest
that the CM ride go to Medford instead of the usual ride to Cambridge Brookline
etc. I can tell you first hand after riding home from Beverly to
Medford for the past 4 plus years, it’s these close proximity towns to Boston
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
Medford cop told me this once. I know Crit Mass can’t do everything
but I just want to float the idea to going to Medford because I think Medford
people need in a far more desperate way than Cambridge or Brookline people do
to be exposed to Crit Mass. Cambridge people are far more accepting to
bicycles than Medford people are. And Medford is in very close proximity
to Boston . A ride here could be a good thing. I’ve just found
that people in Cambridge and Brookline are more accepting to cyclists than
Medford people are. To go to Medford with a crit mass ride
would just spread the idea that much more and could be very rewarding.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Basil</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font><o:p></o:p></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>
</div>
<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 Boston
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, Brookline Village ,
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"
target="_blank">(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 Boston 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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message and any attachments are intended only for the use of the addressee and
may contain information that is privileged and confidential. If the reader of
the message is not the intended recipient or an authorized representative of
the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use or action taken in
reliance upon this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received
this communication in error, please notify sender immediately [by replying to
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>_______________________________________________<br>
Boston Critical Mass mailing list<br>
list@bostoncriticalmass.org<br>
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To unsubscribe email list-unsubscribe@bostoncriticalmass.org<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>8:00? 8:25? 8:40? <a
href="%0ahttp://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/?fr=oni_on_mail&#news">Find
a flick</a> in no time<br>
with the<a href="%0ahttp://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/?fr=oni_on_mail&#news">Yahoo!
Search movie showtime shortcut.</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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