Bikehouston and Michael Payne

[nadir mir ali]

Dear all,

I had lunch today with Michael Payne,  executive director of Bikehouston.
It was inspiring to meet Michael.  He left a high paying job working in the field of wind energy in Amsterdam to become head of Bikehouston.
He has taken a grassroots approach to building this organization to give voice to the Houston cyclists and improve the livability of our metropolitan area. 
He is looking for our participation at many levels to improve our city....

1. We all can become members of Bikehouston at what ever level we are comfortable with.

2. Volunteer or time and get our children involved in the organization.

3. Make a donation

4. Consider joining the organization depending on our skill level in advisary capacity

5. Bring Michael as a speaker at local events in Clear Lake to increase awareness of the benefits of cycling.

6. Invite him to the meetings of space city cycling club so that our local cyclists are made aware of the efforts of Bikehouston.

7. Start a grassroots effort to have dedicated bike lanes in the Clear Lake Area. 

I don't have access to my computer since there is construction at home and thus doing this on my android.  So please bear with me and forgive the typos.

In the near future I would like to get Micheal here to meet all of you,  perhaps right after the bike ride on Saturday or Sunday late morning. 

Please drop in a note and let us know how you can participate.

Please see the Bikehouston newsletter for August below.

Nadir

“By showing me injustice, he taught me to love justice. By teaching me what pain and humiliation were all about, he awakened my heart to mercy.  Through these hardships I learned hard lessons. Fight against prejudice, battle the oppressors, support the underdog. Question authority, shake up the system, never be discouraged by hard times and hard people.  Embrace those who are placed last, to whom even bottom looks like up”

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Michael Payne" <michael.ar...@gmail.com>
Date: Sep 18, 2014 5:12 PM
Subject: Fwd: BikeHouston sends you its latest newsletter Spoke&Word #6
To: <nadir...@gmail.com>
Cc:

A copy of our last newsletter for your reference.

Michael Payne

Executive Director

BikeHouston

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: BikeHouston <newsl...@bikehouston.org>
Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 9:19 AM
Subject: BikeHouston sends you its latest newsletter Spoke&Word #6
To: michael.ar...@gmail.com

View this email in your browser September 2014 Back to School, Back to Cycling We hope that you all had a great summer vacation, but when the calendar turns to September normal routines return – we are back to work, back to school and back to cycling. BikeHouston’s calendar is bursting with bicycle events and with slightly cooler days and evenings we look forward to enjoying some great rides. September Highlights BikeHouston would like to highlight a few upcoming events: the Park-to-Port ride, the Tour de Cure, the Magical Museum Mystery Tour and the Bike-to-Game event. BikeHouston is looking for some enthusiastic volunteers who would like to act as corner marshals for the Park-to-Port ride on September 13th. In this Spoke&Word we’ll tell you all about it, or visit www.bikehouston.org to sign up. The Tour de Cure is a week later and benefits the American Diabetes Association, an organization that supports research to find a cure for diabetes. Make a difference and support the Tour de Cure. A day later, there is a fundraising ride for the new Bicycle Museum. Check out BikeHouston’s calendar for more details. The last ride is on September 28th, where you can combine cycling with the soccer game between the Dynamos and the Chicago Fire. Moonlight Ramble This ride takes place in October, and BikeHouston is already working to ensure that the Moonlight Ramble is an unforgettable experience for all Houstonians. It doesn’t matter if you are a veteran cycler or a rookie the Moonlight Ramble is not to be missed. Mark your calendars: the ride is at midnight on Saturday, October 25th. Keep reading to discover more volunteer opportunities to help make the Moonlight Ramble a smooth run. Keep an eye out for further announcements on our website and Facebook page. Enjoy cycling.   Houston’s First Bike Lane in Downtown The City of Houston has announced that it will convert one lane on Lamar street in downtown into a dedicated bike lane, separated from the other lanes by armadillos or zebras. The lane itself will be painted green and will run in both directions. This three-quarter mile bike lane will connect the Buffalo Bayou trails with Discovery Green in downtown. As BikeHouston’s executive director Michael Payne recently stated in the Houston Chronicle, “The key here is the physical separation, which makes cyclists feel more comfortable because their space is defined. When you’re on a bike route you’re right out there with the traffic. The whole objective here is for Houston to develop infrastructure that makes people feel comfortable, safe and encourages them to get out of their houses and cars and to use their bicycles both for recreation and for transportation.” Click here to read the full article. Hopefully this downtown bike lane will be only the beginning. Houston’s cycling revolution has just begun, so let’s keep it rolling. If you haven’t already signed up, become a member of BikeHouston by visiting www.bikehouston.org. BikeHouston executive director Michael Payne had some media appearances after the City of Houston announced its first  dedicated bike lane in Downtown. Follow these links to read and to watch them. Greeting from Michael Payne A quick note to say thank you to everyone who has joined or renewed as a member in the last month. Support for better cycling conditions in Houston continues to grow one person at a time. Please understand that your help is critical to our mission irrespective of your membership level. As you have likely now heard, August was a big month for Houston for two reasons. To begin with, we have announced our first separated bikeway, which is a major cycling milestone for any city, as it represents a higher level of understanding and cooperation among city officials. Second, we have now completed the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) phase of our Bicycle Master Planning process. The request was open for 30 days and resulted in proposals coming in from a variety of joint ventures representing national and local planning firms. BikeHouston holds a voting seat on the Selection Committee and I am currently reviewing the proposals. I must say it is exciting to think about Houston post-implementation.     In September we will be proceeding with a scoring process and possible interviews before proceeding to contract negotiations. We hope to issue a Notice to Proceed in November such that the project can be complete and ready for review by Mayor Parker before her departure. We need to be uniting cyclists as members now to be credible when we ask them to make the serious investments to construct the priorities which will be identified through the Master Plan. Simultaneous with this effort I am interviewing candidates for our staff openings and looking for office space. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you are interested in supporting on either of these issues. In brief, we are making progress on multiple fronts. By taking the time to join as a member, or volunteer at one of our events you exercise your right to accelerate this transition. Grab the momentum and make a contribution today. Thank you. Michael Payne, Executive Director BikeHouston Needs Volunteers for the Park-to-Port Ride on September 13th Always wanted to celebrate someone’s 100th birthday? If so, then this is your chance. Both Hermann Park and the Houston Port Authority turn one hundred years old this year – two big reasons to throw a party. The Park-to-Port ride will be held on Saturday, September 13th. BikeHouston will be part of this special birthday celebration and will be present at the start as well as along the route. We will need volunteers to tell attendees about BikeHouston’s goals and dreams for our city and to sign up new members. We will also need volunteers to help make the Park-to-Port ride safe for the riders. Would you like to be a BikeHouston corner marshal and help cyclists to stay on the correct route? Please follow this link to sign up and together we will make this a truly great birthday party celebrating two worthy Houston landmarks. Have You Got One Already? BikeHouston has a webshop where you may order T-shirts, hats, and some cute baby tees. Do you want one? Don't look any further, because everyone can wear BikeHouston's gear. Order yours here today. BikeHouston Awarded a Generous Grant from Houston Endowment BikeHouston is grateful and proud to announce that Houston Endowment has given a generous grant to help BikeHouston develop its staff capacity. In January of 2014, BikeHouston picked up the pace in its transition from an all-volunteer organization to a professionally staffed non-profit. The BikeHouston board felt that in a city the size of Houston we were ready to make the transition. The grant from Houston Endowment is helping us to achieve this goal. Elizabeth Love is the program officer for Houston Endowment’s Environment Program, a portfolio focused on supporting efforts to cultivate healthy urban environments. She notes that “a safe and connected bikeway network is a key strategy to enhance mobility in a fast-growing area like Houston, while also positively impacting public health, environmental quality and connectivity to jobs and local amenities. We at Houston Endowment believe that with its technical credibility, strong relationships and programmatic track record, BikeHouston can play a significant role in Houston's evolution and, we are eager to see BikeHouston engage all cyclist groups within the Greater Houston area.” Apart from the grant which will cover some staff costs, Houston Endowment has awarded fifty thousand dollars to BikeHouston to support the Bicycle Master Plan that the City of Houston is developing. According to Love, “BikeHouston has worked hard to encourage the City to initiate such a plan. Houston Endowment’s leadership believes in the value of planning and thinks BikeHouston will bring energy and expertise to this process.” Houston Endowment was founded in September 1937 by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones, who strongly believed in empowering a community by giving back to their chosen hometown. Houston Endowment is committed to positively impacting lives in the Greater Houston community and supports organizations like BikeHouston. The foundation awards annual grants totaling around $75 million dollars. For more information about Houston Endowment, please visit their website at www.houstonendowment.org. BikeHouston is Ready to Hire Thanks to a generous grant by Houston Endowment, BikeHouston is looking to fill several staff positions. These key roles will help BikeHouston to grow its membership and to establish itself as a force shaping Greater Houston. The faster we can unite cyclists in the area the faster this will become a reality. As a result of the grant, BikeHouston is looking for a Development director, a Government Affairs director and a Communications intern. Part-time as well as full-time positions are possible. BikeHouston is flexible and above all is in need of dedicated staff members who have lots of energy and can work on their own with little guidance. Go to www.bikehouston.org/jobs, read the full job descriptions and consider applying for one of them or forward this link to a friend you think might be interested. Spread the word: BikeHouston is hiring. Follow BikeHouston on Social Media You can follow the latest news and reports on our Facebook page. Take a look, leave a comment and like us. We have crossed the 4000 likes threshold and are already looking forward to that other milestone of 5000 likes. Or if you are more a Twitter oriented person go to our account there @bikehouston and start following us for news, announcements and redirects to more bike trends, other advocacies and cycle fans. BikeHouston is on its way to reach 2000 followers on Twitter and you can make it happen. Join BikeHouston in real life and on the web.   Facebook Twitter Website FaceBoard > James Neff Board member, 42, Insurance & Employee Benefits Sales S&W: Who taught you cycling? JN: “I learned cycling at the age of six through my grandparents. Growing up I would spend the summers with them.  They let me cycle between two parked cars, so I could find my balance without falling.” S&W: Why are you cycling now? JN: “Eight years ago I started cycling again, for fun and for exercise, and I got hooked. I do some organized rides, and I especially enjoy the MS150 which I have done seven times. I had not trained much for the first one. I sort of jumped right in to it. Friends taught me how to ride in a group and explained the rules to me.  But I like to go riding on my own too, both within Houston or a bit out in the country.” S&W: Why did you join BikeHouston? JN: “I met former board member Doug House at the Moonlight Ramble, the annual evening ride that BikeHouston organizes at the end of October. He suggested I join BikeHouston and now I am a board member. I will continue to work to grow BikeHouston and to help the organization be recognized by all Houston citizens. ” S&W: What is the best of cycling in Houston? JN: “There are so many things to see and do in Houston.  Getting out and riding my bike gives me the opportunity to see these things and to meet new individuals who share the same interests.” S&W: Do you have any tips for newcomers? JN: “Find people to teach you the ropes about cycling in the city, people who can explain the rules, as well as the unwritten ones. Take a Traffic skills 101 offered by BikeHouston.  I was very fortunate that I had patient friends.”   Wanted: New Board Members BikeHouston is evolving. The organization is expanding its board, hiring staff and looking for its first office space. For more information about our openings please visit www.bikehouston.org/jobs, read the descriptions and consider applying. Wanted: Office space We are looking for 800 to 1,500 square feet of office space, preferably in or near downtown. Ideally we will find a bicycle-friendly landlord who will help support our cause. If you have suggestions, please contact Michael Payne, BikeHouston’s executive director, at mpa...@bikehouston.org or Regina Garcia, the board’s chair, at rga...@bikehouston.org. Bike-to-the-Game Event Asks for BikeValet BikeHouston’s BikeValet services are in demand following the great experiences at the Sunday Streets events in April, May and June as well as at Mid-Main on May 1st. BikeHouston has now been asked to provide another BikeValet at the Bike-to-the-Game event on September 28th. The ride starts at Lucky’s Pub in the Heights and makes a tour through downtown Houston. The ride ends at the BBVA Stadium where Houston’s own soccer team the Dynamo will play the Chicago Fire. BikeHouston will set up a BikeValet at the stadium. If you don’t want to ride along, but would like to encourage others to ride their bikes, come help us at the BikeValet. Go to www.bikehouston.org and sign up.   Review Monthly Social: Lawyer’s Special at Black Lab Put three lawyers in a room and get them talking about the risks of cycling and who would dare to step on his or her bicycle again? If you listen to all their talk about what can go wrong, it might scare you. But it could actually encourage you to take action instead. Don’t stop cycling, just remember to ride smart. Follow the rules: be visible and predictable, courteous and cautious. As a cyclist you are vulnerable, and you don’t have much protection. The best thing to do is to try to avoid being in a crash. But if it happens, call 911. Obtain any eye witness’ contact information, don’t say the crash is your fault, go to see a doctor and get a lawyer. If you think that the responding police officer does not properly perform his job, contact BikeHouston by sending an e-mail to Michael Payne, our executive director, at mpa...@bikehouston.org. We might be able to help you out. Thanks again to Trent Stephens, John Neese and Sammy Ford for their expertise and willingness to share this information with everyone at the BikeHouston Monthly Social. Above all else, keep cycling, keep safe and have fun. The next BikeHouston Monthly Social will be held at D&T Drive Inn on Wednesday, September 24th. Tough Mountains, Awesome Scenery: Welcome to the Giro d’Italia Every year, hundreds of professional cyclists converge on Italy to compete for the ‘pink jersey’ (a bit less famous than France’s yellow one) in one of the big cycling tour events in Europe. This event is not only for professionals but also for fans. This spring, BikeHouston member Tommy Elder [63] went to the Giro d’Italia to experience the Giro firsthand, although he did not compete with the pros. It started a few years ago, a friend of Tommy’s told him about the Tour de France event the Australian company BikeStyle organizes and Tommy became interested and decided to go along. A year later, he did the Giro event trip and this year he went for the third time to Italy. “It is an awesome experience. Northern Italy is one of the most beautiful places on earth. I like the snowcapped mountains, the little villages and the green valleys. The Dolomites are very rocky mountains, there is less dirt than in the Alps and there are fewer trees at the higher elevations.” No flat spots The eight-day cycling trip started on May 22nd and ended on June 2nd . “On average we rode 40 miles a day. That might not sound like much, but the roads get steep and there are no flat spots.” The 35 participants circle around the Giro stages, sometimes doing the same route a day before or after the race, sometimes taking a different route and crossing the race a few times to watch the start, the finish or a spectacular climb. “Our tour guides were amazing, they found us the best spots. Of course sometimes it was messed up and the roads were already closed before we could get through, but that was expected. It was a circus because there were so many people. You couldn’t do it on your own. No way. We have been really close to the racers too. It is an Australian company so there are always lots of guys from Australia in the group and now I even root for Australian racers in the different tours.” Alpe d’Huez Tommy Elder does not engage in any mountain training for this kind of trip. “There are no mountains around Houston. The first serious mountain I ever climbed on my bike was the Alpe d’Huez as part of the Tour de France trip. I make sure I stay fit and this company BikeStyle takes care of the rest. I do it the easy way: I rent a bike through them and I stay in hotels instead of going camping. I basically only have to carry my luggage from the bus to the hotel.” “This year was my third Grand Tour and on September 2nd I leave for Spain to watch the Vuelta a España. For me the best part of my spring trip to the Giro d’Italia was the day we spent around Sella Ronda, a famous, gorgeous mountain range with very picturesque villages. It is hard to describe what makes it so beautiful, so you had best go and check it out yourself.”   Back to the Future: the Moonlight Ramble The last Saturday in October is Moonlight Ramble time. It might seem you made this famous ride only a few weeks ago, but it is again just around the corner. BikeHouston feels privileged to be able to organize this ride in our very own Bayou City. This year marks the 42nd annual Moonlight Ramble and we again expect thousands of riders. This means that we need lots of volunteers to help make the ride run as smoothly as possible.   We will put a sign-up sheet on our website and will announce the event on Facebook and Twitter very soon. For now, we just ask that you mark your calendar for this midnight ride on Saturday, October 25th. We’ll keep you posted via upcoming correspondence. Review: White Linen Night 2014 Once upon a time there was a beautiful night in one of Houston’s most bike-friendly neighborhoods The Heights. On August 2nd Houstonians dressed in their finest white linen came to 19th Street for a special Evening of Art, Culture and City Life. BikeHouston joined the festivities courtesy of an invitation from the Blue Line Bicycle Laboratory, located at 3302 White Oak Drive. A most dedicated group of volunteers signed up new members for BikeHouston that evening. BikeHouston says: Thanks to y’all and let’s do it again next year.   BikeHouston Support BikeHouston when you shop on Amazon.com Now you can support your favorite bicycle advocacy group whenever you shop on Amazon.com. Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to BikeHouston. Click the link to get started. Calendar   September September 7: BikeHouston Bayou Ride starts at 8 am at Market Square, every first Sunday of the month; September 13: Park-to-Port ride starts at 9 am at Hermann Park, an easy tour to celebrate the centennial of both Park and Port; September 16: Board meeting BikeHouston at 7 pm at Central Market on Westheimer Rd. Welcome to all; September 20: Tour de Cure starts at 6.30 am from Katy Mills Mall; September 21: The Magical Museum Mystery Tour starts at 7.30 am from Merrel Center, Katy; September 24: BikeHouston's Monthly Social at D&T Drive Inn at 1307 Enid Street, 6 - 8 pm; September 26: Critical Mass at 7.30 pm at Market Square. For a fun two hour ride through Houston;   October October 5: BikeHouston Bayou Ride starts at 8 am at Market Square, every first Sunday of the month; October 25: the Moonlight Ramble starts at midnight, keep an eye out for more details on BikeHouston's Facebook page and website; Stay up-to-date Visit our website calendar or check our Facebook event page for new events as they are listed. Next Board Meeting Board meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month, and are open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend. Our next board meeting will be at 7 pm, Tuesday September 16 in the Central Market Community Meeting Room located at 3815 Westheimer Rd. Bicycle Tweets   @StrongTowns Wouldn't cities be safer with more people biking instead of driving, helmets or not? http://buff.ly/1qlmGIS  — Strong Towns‏ @StrongTowns Aug 28, 2014   @BikeHouston We are fighting for cyclists' rights Like the peloton, our group accelerates when everyone pulls a bit. Pls join http://BikeHouston.org  today. — BikeHouston ‏@BikeHouston Aug 31, 2014   @HoustonCM Unicycle Ghost Bike plaque for Joseph Farley. Donate to the Houston Ghost Bike project. — CriticalMass Houston‏ @HoustonCM Aug 30, 2014   Contact Do you have questions or suggestions for BikeHouston staff or board of directors? Go to www.bikehouston.org/leadership and you will find all the names and e-mail addresses. We welcome your input. Share Tweet Forward to Friend Copyright © 2014 BikeHouston, All rights reserved. You are receiving this newsletter because you are a current BikeHouston member, or you have participated in a BikeHouston event and signed up with your email address. Our mailing address is: BikeHouston 1302 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX, United States PMB 682 Houston, TX 77019-3908 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences