The Union Rider: December 2020
As 2020 comes to a close, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support, and wish you happy holidays and a happy new year. May 2021 bring you joy, good fortune and plenty of nice bike rides.
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What we achieved in 2021, and what we’re working on next
Despite this year’s many challenges, we made great strides toward our mission. Among the highlights, we:
- Gained 6.5 miles of new bike lanes in Boston
- Gave subsidized BlueBikes passes to 130 limited-income riders
- Fixed 550 Bikes for FREE through Bike to Market
…and much more!
We have even bigger ambitions for 2021, and hope you’ll continue to be part of helping us achieve our collective vision for Boston. To read more about what we achieved this year, head here. To learn more about what we’re excited for in 2021, head here. And if you’d like to support our work with a tax-deductible, year-end gift, please do so at the link below.
Join our team!
Community Organizer
The Community Organizer will focus primarily on building our member base in Dorchester, Roxbury, Mattapan and Hyde Park, and on engaging residents in shaping a vision for safe and equitable transportation access through and to these neighborhoods.
Policy Intern
The Policy Intern will assist the BCU in researching and advocating for policies that promote biking throughout Greater Boston. This will include analyses of bike parking, winter maintenance of bike lanes, and more.
Thank you and farewell, Emmanuell De Barros
Emmanuell, the BCU’s community organizer for the past two years, is moving on to a new job in the new year. We are so grateful for his many contributions to the BCU. In his time with the BCU, Emmanuell grew our member base in Roxbury and Dorchester, built relationships between the BCU and other grassroots organizations, and coordinated our BlueBikes pass program during the pandemic. He also got to know many of you through Bike to Market and community pop-up events, Dotbike, the Roxbury street campaign, trainings and workshops, and more.
To join us in thanking Emmanuell for his work, reach him at his BCU email before January 8.
Donate for a chance to win!
Through the end of the year, everyone who donates to the BCU will automatically be entered in a raffle to win more than $1,000 in prizes, including a new bike, a titanium bike lock, a mystery swag package from Adventure Cycling Association, gift cards to local bike shops, and more!
Golden Cog Awards Recap
If you missed the Golden Cog Awards on Dec. 3rd, or just want to relive the joy and excitement of the event, check out clips or the whole program below.
- Full program
- 2020 year in review (advocacy and programs)
- Remarks from Mayor Walsh and City Councilors Wu and Campbell, two declared mayoral challengers, each sharing their vision for biking in Boston
- Vivian Ortiz’s intro before being named The People’s Bike Mayor of Boston
A big thank you to everyone who helped make the magical night possible, including Peter Cheung for his video production. And congratulations again to the Ride for Black Lives organizers and Vivian Ortiz on their well-deserved Golden Cog Awards!
What We’re Reading
- City removes bike protection, citing safety for drivers (Boston Globe)
- Protect essential workers by protecting MBTA service (Boston Globe)
- OPINION: Let’s think more about parkways and bikes, and less about the dreams of the auto-centric (Dorchester Reporter)
- Barcelona launches 10-year plan to reclaim city streets from cars (The Guardian)
Chain of events
- Tuesday, 1/19 — BCU Activist Group Meeting