Somerville Bike News, December 2015

[Somerville Bicycle Committee]

Hello Somerville Cyclists,

Even though winter is coming, there's a lot of bike stuff going on in and around Somerville in the next few weeks.

Boston Bike Party, start at Copley Square
Friday, December 11, 2015, gather at 7 PM, roll at 7:30 PM

Join Boston's monthly celebration on wheels. This month, the theme is presents; you are encouraged to wear an ugly holiday sweater, stick a bow on your helmet, or package yourself in seasonally themed wrapping paper.

The source: http://bostonbikeparty.com/presents-lookbook/

Winter Hill Better Block Festival, next to 328 Broadway and behind the Post Office
Saturday, December 12, 2015, 4-8 PM, and Sunday, December 13, 2015, 12-4 PM

Ice sculpture, yard games, a skateboard park, live music, food and drinks from Bloc 11, mulled wine, cider, and eggnog from Daddy Jones Bar, Pennypackers and other food trucks, a chili cook-off, and a made-in-Somerville marketplace.

The bike angle is that the city will be temporarily demonstrating a contraflow bike lane on Marshall Street. The event will also include bicycle and pedestrian demo installations on Marshall St. and Broadway and the bike committee will have an info table if you have questions about biking in Somerville.

All the details: http://www.somervillebydesign.com/planning/neighborhood-planning/winter-hill/tbb/

Somerville Bicycle Committee Meeting in the basement of City Hall
Tuesday, December 15, 2015, 6:30-8:30 PM

Please join us for the monthly Somerville Bicycle Committee meeting and hear about all the great bike-related accomplishments of 2015 and our plans for 2016. We meet at City Hall on Highland Ave in the basement employee lounge. To find us, look for all the bikes parked outside the room.

Bike Talk at Aeronaut Brewery
Wednesday, December 16, 2015, mingle at 5:30 PM, talk at 6:00 PM

For the past 19 years, SCUL, Somerville's friendliest bike gang, has been building crazy bike-ships. Every Saturday night, they pilot their ships around the local star system, blasting funk music. Skunk, the Fleet Admiral of SCUL, will explain the history of the group and tell his crazy stories. He will be good!

SCUL: http://www.scul.org/skynet2.0/public/home
Skunk: http://skunkadelia.com/
Aeronaut Brewery: http://www.aeronautbrewing.com/

Illuminations Bike Tour, starting at the main entrance of Somerville High School
Saturday, December 19, 2015, 5:50 PM

Take a biking tour of the greatest Christmas lights in Somerville. Dress warmly and make sure you have lights on your bike for safety. The ride will take around 90 minutes at a pace suitable for kids; we will be accompanied by a police escort. If there is heavy rain, snow, or wind, the event will be canceled.

Event flyer: http://www.somervillebikes.org/eventsrides.html

Tell your friends in Cambridge to vote for improved bike infrastructure by Friday, December 12.

Cambridge allows its residents to allocate some of its budget directly by voting at http://pb.cambridgema.gov/ There are 3 bike infrastructure projects on the ballot that your cycling zealot friends in Cambridge should vote for: #7 (green bike lanes in Inman and Central Squares), #9 (protected bike lanes like on Ames Street in Kendall Square), and #10 (shared lane markings and signage on Mass Ave).

Last year, a project needed around 900 votes to win, and each Cambridge resident, age 12 or older, can vote for up to 6 projects, so your friends have influence. Cambridge residents vote here: http://pb.cambridgema.gov/

In wheeled solidarity,
Brandon Stafford, on behalf of the Somerville Bicycle Committee