[IMC-Boston-Dispatch] Fwd: [massbike-boston] MassBike Victory: MBTA Buses to Get Bike Racks

[Pete Stidman]

--- Dorie Clark <bikexec at massbike.org> wrote:

> From: "Dorie Clark" <bikexec at massbike.org>
> To: <bikexec at massbike.org>
> Subject: [massbike-boston] MassBike Victory: MBTA
> Buses to Get Bike Racks
> Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2005 16:38:35 -0400
> 
> Boston, MA: The Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition
> (MassBike), the statewide
> advocacy group dedicated to making Massachusetts a
> better and safer place to
> bicycle, today lauded the MBTA and its new General
> Manager, Daniel
> Grabauskas, for its plan to put more than 250 new
> bike racks on buses.
> 
> 
> “We are extremely pleased that General Manager
> Grabauskas and the MBTA have
> taken this important step toward making transit
> accessible for all users,”
> said MassBike Executive Director Dorie Clark.
> “Bicycle access on buses has
> long been a priority for MassBike and the tens of
> thousands of bicyclists in
> Greater Boston, and we look forward to working with
> the T to build on this
> success.”
> 
> 
> 
> The rack-equipped buses, housed out of the MBTA’s
> Charlestown garage, will
> be serving dozens of routes in Cambridge,
> Somerville, Chelsea, Everett,
> Medford, Malden, Revere, Charlestown, Burlington,
> Lexington, Bedford,
> Belmont, Arlington, Waltham, Watertown, Allston,
> Brighton, Woburn, and
> Winchester.
> 
> 
> 
> “Welcome, bike owners, to the MBTA,” said
> Grabauskas.  “By giving people yet
> another reason to choose public transportation, we
> continue our efforts to
> attract more customers by making the system easier
> to use and a lot more
> convenient.  This is what quality customer service
> is all about.”
> 
> 
> 
> In all, the MBTA plans to purchase close to 300 bike
> racks (some will be
> kept as spares) at an estimated cost of $255,000. 
> Federal grant monies
> distributed by the Boston MPO are funding the
> program.  Installation is
> scheduled to begin in the spring of next year.  MBTA
> Bus Operations staff
> will closely monitor the bike rack program, and then
> make recommendations on
> whether to expand the program to other bus garages
> and routes.
> 
> 
> 
> MassBike has a history of working with the MBTA to
> improve conditions for
> bicyclists. In 1985, MassBike won the right for
> cyclists to bring their
> bikes on the T at certain times. In 2000, MassBike
> successfully encouraged
> the T to eliminate the “special pass” requirement in
> order to carry one’s
> bike on the subway, and in 2004, the MBTA worked
> with MassBike to
> dramatically expand cyclists’ hours of access on the
> subway. MassBike has
> more than 1600 dues-paying members across the
> Commonwealth, and represents
> the 750,000 Bay State residents who bicycle
> regularly.
> 
> 
> 
>  ####
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dorie Clark
> Executive Director
> MassBike
> 617-542-2453
> bikexec at massbike.org
> 


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