MassBike Party at Aeronaut Brewery

Biking is hot! At least, that was the clear message from the crowds and company at MassBike Coalition's event on Sunday, April 28 at Aeronaut Brewery. It's not every day you rub shoulders with star Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley at a local biking event.

During the event, Congresswoman Pressley delivered an impassioned speech on bike justice being synonymous with humanity. She referenced a famous picture of Martin Luther King Jr. riding a bike, emphasizing that one of the fundamental freedoms is the ability to move freely.

She also highlighted how the introduction of the bicycle in the 19th century significantly advanced the emancipation of women. As the co-founder of the Future of Transportation Caucus and the Congressional Bike Caucus (yes, there is such a committee in Congress!), she is a charismatic force of nature is a great partner to have on our side as we push for a better connected biking network in Massachusetts.

We were also joined by State Senator Will Brownsberger, the president pro tempore of the Massachusetts Senate, who is a passionate cyclist and advocate for bike lanes. He tackled a common argument against bike lanes—that "nobody's using them"—with a poignant observation: We don't just need bike lanes, he said, we need a bike network--because if you're riding on a lane which suddenly ends and you find yourself on a 4 lane freeway with no protection, it's unlikely that anybody is going to frequent those lanes in the future.

Aside from the speakers and panelists, I was just impressed at how many people showed up:

Aeronaut was packed to the gills with community members wanting better bike infrastructure, not to mention dozens of non-profits with booths and tables who were engaging with attendees.

In an overflow room at Aeronaut Labs, I met Mark Chase, who is a Tufts faculty member and the founder of Neighborways Design. Mark helps communities like Somerville redesign streets for people who walk and bike, safely connecting neighbors to schools, parks, playgrounds, and business districts. The project incorporates public art and traffic calming features, including dedicated bike lanes. It's a wonderful concept that I discovered at this event, and I met many other champions of a greener, safer, more bike-friendly world--some of whom you'll meet in future posts.

Mark Chase

Kudos to MassBike coalition and in particular, their absolutely dynamic executive director, Galen Mook (pictured below), for making this event a reality!