Four ways we made biking better in Boston this year
As 2020 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on our proudest achievements this year. Your support makes all our work possible. So please, if this list leaves you inspired, consider a year-end donation to the BCU today.
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More miles of new bike lanes than ever before
This year, our advocacy led Boston to build 6.5 miles of new bike lanes — after adding only 7 in the previous four years combined. We mobilized hundreds of people across Boston to speak up for these changes to support essential travel during the pandemic, and a sustainable recovery after it. In 2021, we’ll build off this effort to get even more bike lanes in more parts of Boston.
Increasing access to biking
Early this year, as more people turned to bikes due to COVID, we launched a program to provide subsidized Bluebikes passes to Bostonians with limited incomes. Thanks to funding from the Wagner Foundation, we gave more than 130 people access to a full year of BlueBikes for just $5.
Supporting essential trips
We also heard early this year from many people eager to know when our free bike repair program, Bike to Market (B2M), would begin its 11th season. With support from B2M’s longtime partners, we convinced the city to permit bike repair at farmers markets as an “essential” service. At the end of the season, we fixed more than 550 bikes!
A bigger movement and more political power
In a testament to our growing strength in numbers and the dedicated engagement of our movement, more city councilors than ever are calling for faster progress on road safety and bike/bus/walking projects. This year, we spurred hearings on mobility and safety during the pandemic; got all three candidates in Boston’s 2021 mayoral race to address our year-end event about their plans for biking; and rolled back some proposed cuts to the T. Now THAT is the power of our strength in numbers!
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As 2020 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on our proudest achievements this year. Your support makes all our work possible. So please, if this list leaves you inspired, consider a year-end donation to the BCU today.
Remember: Everyone who donates through the end of the year is automatically entered in a raffle for more than $1000 in prizes.
