By Terry Gleason, BedfordBike@gmail.com

Introduction

CRW has asked me to contribute articles to WheelPeople from my perspective on cycling community advocacy. I hope that these articles will serve to educate CRW members on local, regional, and national issues that directly affect their safety and enjoyment of cycling.

Although I know some of you from an occasional CRW ride or social event, I probably know more of you from our common interest in making bicycling more accessible for all types of riders. Below is a short summary of my related bicycling experiences.

After 50+ years of bike commuting to work (Minneapolis, then Bedford and Lexington), I am now mostly retired. I spend one day a week at the Lowell Bike Connector Shop helping to recycle donated bikes into the local communities and introducing bicycle skills at the elementary schools.

My past and present bicycling efforts and achievements at the local level include:

• "Gold Bicycle Friendly Business" League of American Bicyclists certification for MIT Lincoln Lab
• Community Preservation funding from the Town and State for bicycle shelters at our schools and a Fix-it Station at Bedford Depot Park
• Snowplowing the Minuteman Bikeway
• Bicycle/Pedestrian Master Plan for the Town of Bedford
• Multiple Complete Streets workshops
• Award-winning Safe Routes To School Program

The Importance of Bicycling Advocacy

Many CRW members are aware and supportive of the roles MassBike at the State level and the League of American Bicyclists (LoAB) at the National level play in advocating for programs and funding to make safe biking more accessible to all types of users.

An excellent example of change through advocacy is the Vulnerable Road User Bill recently enacted in Massachusetts which included the new 4 ft passing law. Massachusetts joined a handful of states that require at least 4 ft clearance when a motorist passes a bicyclist or other vulnerable road user.

Has your town installed the new signs? If not, why not?

Perhaps a phone call, letter, or email from someone like YOU (a resident who frequently rides a bike in your town) could help to make that happen.

How Can CRW Members Get Involved?

As a regular feature in WheelPeople, I will share my insights on how members, individually or working with others in their community, can advocate at the local level for changes that can have a major impact on the health of bicycling in their area. I will focus on efforts that will bring improvements for 'utilitarian' or 'transportation' bicyclists, as well as for cyclists who ride for recreation and fitness.

This month, I am sharing a concrete (and easy!) example of how concerned cyclists can advocate as individuals.

The Boston Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) serves the 97 towns and cities in the Greater Boston Area. The MPO recently launched a Vision Zero Program. The Vision Zero goal (an international movement) is to significantly reduce serious injuries and death on our roads.

The MPO Vision Zero website provides two links to provide feedback on general issues or specific problem spots in MPO communities. The first link is a 10-minute survey where you can provide general comments on road safety in your community. The second link is to an interactive map. Here, you can view issues in the MPO region identified by others, and add your own concerns. Both the survey and the interactive map allow you to categorize your comments based on mode, e.g., motorist, pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, public transit.

Checking out the MPO Vision Zero website and sharing your knowledge there about road safety issues in your area is a great first step to getting involved in bicycling advocacy.

Future Articles

In upcoming issues of WheelPeople, I will address several bicycling-related issues, including default lane width striping, funding opportunities, Bicycle Friendly Community and Business accreditations, driver education improvements, navigating the MassDOT 'Crash Data Portal', transportation funding inequities, plus issues members express interest in

Does your town have an upcoming election or important vote with relevance to bicycling? As a 501(c)3 organization, CRW cannot endorse candidates, but our members can publicize relevant upcoming town elections and forums and encourage us to show up.

Comments, suggestions, and alternate opinions are always welcomed. Click on “Add Comment” below to share your thoughts and get a public conversation going.

One of my goals is to have advocates in all the communities where we live or ride regularly. If you are already an active bicyclist advocate and/or wish to do more in your community, please contact me via email and describe your situation.

You can reach me at: BedfordBike@gmail.com [please include "CRW" in the Subject]