Boston Cyclists Union

Two years ago, someone driving a tractor trailer hit and killed Joe Lavins as he rode his bike through Porter Square.

Change cannot come quickly enough to South Boston, where a spate of recent crashes — including one in July that killed a toddler — has the city eyeing long-awaited improvements to roadways throughout the neighborhood.

Boston is kicking off a project to identify potential improvements impacting all modes of mobility in the Allston and Brighton neighborhoods, and they want your help outlining the study’s scale. As a first step in that process, the Boston Planning & Development Agency will host a meeting on Wednesday, September 12, to provide a general…

It’s time once again for Biketoberfest, the Bike Union’s annual party and fundraising bash, and you’re invited to join us and 300 of your favorite and future bike friends for this night full of food, fun, drinks and dancing!

After the public meeting on July 17, the Boston Planning and Development Agency launched an online poll to hear from people who live and work in and near Jamaica Plain. There are 22 projects to choose between in the survey and we know they will not all get funded. In thinking about which projects will…

William J. Day Boulevard in South Boston is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, according to a road safety audit, and changes are coming to address that problem. What those changes will look like is now up to you, as the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) are seeking public…

New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat returns to Boston this summer for a second-straight year of whimsical fun that brings together bikes, beer, music and more all in a single celebratory day. What’s more, proceeds from the event flow to the Bike Union — which means you can revel with fellow cyclists and partygoers while…

A bill that would ban the use of cell phones while driving is stalled on Beacon Hill — and we need your support to convince lawmakers they can no longer punt on this life-saving measure. Massachusetts banned texting while driving in 2010, but did not prevent drivers from holding their phones for other purposes, such…

The Longfellow Bridge has re-opened after more than five years of construction, to full beneficial use. Due to heavy campaigning by us, our partners, and YOU, the bridge is much safer than it was going to be! Flex posts have been implemented to create physical separation between people biking and driving, speed feedback signs are…

This post originally appeared on Practical Visionaries. It is reposted here with permission. You can read the original article here. By Liza Burkin “Our aim is to recruit bike commuters for the ride,” said Jon Ramos — Boston resident, architect, Team Dad, and co-creator of Bos/tréal, a bike ride from Boston to Montreal that raises funds…

It’s been more than a month since you’ve received an update on the Longfellow, and a lot has happened! The Boston City Council unanimously passed a resolution last month endorsing our proposed striping design, joining the Cambridge City Council, which passed a similar resolution in April. Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and Rep. Mike Capuano also…

In 2013, Boston’s Bike Network Plan called for completing 21 miles of protected bike lanes by 2018. Yet now, five years later, Boston has built barely 6 miles of that promised network. In contrast, Minneapolis built more than 6 miles of protected bike lanes last year alone. Even more impressive, New York City built 25 miles of protected bike lanes last…

Dear Friend, In the spirit of Bike Month, we’re giving away a free bicycle to one lucky person who donates to or joins the Bike Union in the month of May. It’s our small way of thanking you all for your continued support toward making biking better in Boston.  Click here to join or renew. SPRING…

We interviewed Ivette Castillo, an Everybody Rides rider for this year’s Bos/tréal trip. What kind of cyclists are you? Mostly I’ve been an urban cyclist, commuter, use my bike primarily to get around the city, run errands or meet up with friends if the weather isn’t gross. What motivated you to apply for the trip?…

Protected bike lanes on the Longfellow Bridge are a no-brainer. Bikes comprise nearly half of all traffic on the bridge during the peak 8 a.m. hour. Yet without adequate infrastructure to handle that volume, cyclists will be exposed to unnecessary dangers when the bridge reopens next month. On Monday, we delivered to the Massachusetts Department…

Today, we moved one step closer to securing protected bike lanes on the Longfellow Bridge — and we couldn’t have done it without your help. More than 3,100 people signed our petition asking the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to reconsider its unsafe and outdated design for the Longfellow Bridge. And today, we delivered that petition to MassDOT…

The Bike Union is hiring a Community Organizer! The Community Organizer will engage the public in the Boston Cyclists Union’s mission, campaigns, and story. They will work with all parts of the organization (staff, board, members, interns, and volunteers) to assist with the development and implementation of the Boston Cyclists Union’s Bikeways for Everybody campaign,…

About the Boston Cyclists Union The Boston Cyclists Union (BCU) is helping Bostonians lead healthier lives by promoting the everyday use of the bicycle for transportation. Among other things, we teach bike repair, educate new riders, and organize neighborhood residents who would like to voice support for friendlier street designs, bike paths, and public spaces.…

As you may have heard, the Longfellow Bridge, connecting Cambridge and Boston is scheduled to be “reopened” this May — without safe passage for people biking. You can read more in this post. Based on the fact that the last 5+ years of construction have proven that we will do fine without two lanes for…

Here’s what you can do: Send a personalized email (template below) to Mayor Walsh asking him to include the Boston Bike Budget in his budget this year, and forward the email to your local district city councilor and the four at-large (city-wide) councilors. Contact info is below. If you can, print out your letter, sign…