The Union Rider: September 2021
Sign the petition for bike lanes on Charles Street
We’ve been hitting the streets to build support among residents, businesses and visitors to Boston’s Charles Street for a 2-way protected cycle track (bi-directional bike lanes). Bikes make up 23% of all peak-hour traffic on Charles Street, yet there are five lanes for cars and none for bikes. Putting a protected bike lane here would help people reach local destinations along this road, while also filling a significant gap in the downtown bike network so people can safely access MGH and Cambridge via the Longfellow Bridge.
Now hiring: Community Organizer
The BCU is hiring a Community Organizer to focus on building our member base in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan. The Community Organizer will also create and coordinate events with partners and residents (bike rides, bike repair, bike talks) in those neighborhoods to increase access to bikes and to bring people into community engagement processes around critical projects being designed there.
This is a full-time position with benefits (health/dental/retirement/vacation) and a salary range of $48,000 – $55,000.
I Bike, I Vote
With your help, we reached more than 750 Boston voters in just 5 weeks leading up to the preliminary elections. Thank you to all who have volunteered so far!
The next step in this GOTV campaign is to get the two final candidates for mayor in Boston, as well as the final 8 at-large city council candidates, to answer questions about whether they support specific bike and bus lane projects, transportation policies and funding priorities.
Once we get those responses, we’ll need your help calling BCU supporters before the general election on November 2 to spread the word about where candidates stand.* We plan to make calls on the last 3 Tuesdays in October, and possibly more. Get in touch with Alex (ashames@bostoncyclistsunion.org) to sign up for a phonebank!
*As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we cannot endorse candidates, but we can still provide voter education. Plus, GOTV organizing demonstrates our power and influence to city council candidates, which they’ll remember upon taking office. The organizing we do now will have lasting impacts!
If you live in Cambridge or Somerville, check out the MA Vision Zero Coalition website for where candidates in your cities stand on transportation and housing issues.
Chain of Events
- September 30 — Celebrate new BlueBikes stations in Hyde Park (5-7pm in Cleary Sq) with the city of Boston. Get free giveaways and check out the new Hyde Park bike designed by Artists for Humanity.
- October 2 — Ride to the North End with West Rox Bikes (3-5 p.m.)Meet 3 p.m. at the Holy Name Rotary on Centre St. Casual pace, 8.8 miles each way (or take the T back)
- October 2 — Green New Dance Party! (4-6 p.m.)Join Dot Bike Kitchen, BCU, Dorchester Food Co-op, and A Trike Called Funk for a night of community, climate justice and dancing at the Nightingale Community Garden. RSVPs encouraged but not required: https://thetrustees.org/event/65007/
- October 5 and 7 — Connect Downtown: Cambridge Street, drop-in hours (3:30-6 p.m.) at the corner of Joy St and Cambridge St
Speak up for bike lanes on Cambridge Street! - October 9 — Group Bike Ride: All Bodies on Bikes (11:30 a.m.)Meet at JFK Memorial Park (Cambridge, MA)