Announcement
The Park&Pedal lot at DCR’s Christian Herter Park, 1175 Soldiers Field Road in Brighton will be closed from November 1st until Friday November 10th.
We apologize for any inconvenience.
Park&Pedal Takes Off – 200+ People Pedal from Herter Each Day
Look at all those cars that are not driving into Boston!
So it has finally happened. I guess it was inevitable that the word would get out. The Park&Pedal hub at Herter Park where I park each day is now, and has been for the last 4 weeks, totally full with more than 200 people parking and pedaling from there to their jobs. It is wonderful to see so many people that have changed their commuting habits due to this program. We have always said it is all about changing habits, and the evidence that that is happening is there to greet me every morning.
Even today, despite it being 66 degrees and rainy, more than 200 people chose not to pollute the air, not to add to traffic gridlock in Boston, not to pay exorbitant prices for parking near their jobs, and not to forego the opportunity to get some exercise on the way to work. It’s all very exciting, and it shows how a simple program can go a long way toward reducing our carbon footprint. Thank you to everyone who is doing their part!
A Ride for Better Bike Lanes in Boston
Last weekend, over 250 bicycles took to the streets of Boston surrounding the Public Garden. Their goal was to to highlight the need for protected bike lanes in the area. The city has seen a great deal of improvement to bike infrastructure in recent years, with the driving force being area cyclists and advocacy groups.
The city of Boston recently released a planning document that proposed protected bicycle lanes around the Public Garden. It’s been discussed before and never came to fruition, so the Boston Cyclist Union took the opportunity to organize a ride to show support for latest plan. Riders circled the area for several hours where multi-lane roads in some areas encourage high speed traffic without a place for cyclists on the road.
With so many programs encouraging biking in the city, proper infrastructure is more important than ever. Park&Pedal allows car commuters to leave their vehicles outside the city and cycle the remaining distance to work. This leads to more bikes and less cars in the most congested areas of the city, further highlighting the need for bike lanes and safe riding routes.
With Park&Pedal, Hubway, rising parking costs, employers offering cycling incentives, and limited space downtown, we can expect to see more and more bikes on Boston’s roads. It’s time to give all road users a place.
Park&Pedal Marches Into Spring (Early)
Today is March 9, and this is New England. When I went out the door this morning, it was in the mid 30’s, but sunny. Mid March is not a time when most people are thinking about riding their bikes to work. Yet today at the Herter Park&Pedal hub, I was very pleased to see well over 60 park and pedal commuters defying the calendar and riding to work. If there are that many this time of year, how many will there be when it starts to get warm and sunny out? Exciting times!
All the 60+ Park&Pedal users parked here are not driving their car into Boston!
Today’s Forecast: Cold and Dark – Yet Many Still Park&Pedal
It is December in Boston Massachusetts. Temperatures are dipping below freezing making commuting by bicycle a cold proposition. Tonight the sun will set at 4:12pm and it will be dark before many people get out of work. So riding a bike home from work requires riding in the dark, not something many people are willing to do. And as of yesterday (December 1st of each year) the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Park&Pedal locations are no longer “in season”. DCR has found it may need its parking areas to deposit snow from local roads and can’t guarantee their availability.
Yet, despite all these reasons not to ride, today there were 62 people parking and pedaling to work from DCR’s Herter Park&Pedal hub, one of 20 Park&Pedal hubs in the greater Boston area. These 62 people are extending the season past what was once considered a date when no one would be willing to ride and use the program.
By parking and pedaling today, those 62 people saved 887 pounds of emissions of carbon dioxide that they would have burned driving all the way to work. That is a whopping 7,750 cubic feet of greenhouse gases! In one day! At one location!
Great job park and pedalers! As time goes on, I am sure that more and more commuters will join you in realizing the health, financial, environmental, and time savings benefits that Park&Pedal offers.
Thanks you!
David Montague
Founder
Notice: Temporary Closure of Herter / Artesani
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Traffic Advisory: Artesani Parking Lot on Soldiers Field Road in Boston
WHAT: Beginning on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 10:00 pm and continuing through Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8:00pm, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will be closing the parking lot between Artesani and Herter Parks on Soldiers Field Road in Boston to accommodate the Head of the Charles Regatta. The parking lot will be off-limits to the public for parking during this time.
WHERE: The parking lot located at Artesani Park on Soldiers Field Road in Boston
WHEN: Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 10:00pm – Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 8:00pm
We apologize for any inconvenience, and encourage you to find another location for your Park&Pedal commute. See all the locations at http://www.parkandpedalmap.org/
Recap – Park&Pedal Newton Launch!
Park&Pedal has expanded once again! The City of Newton joined the network with 6 Park&Pedal locations added this year. On the morning of October 18th, we gathered at the newest site at Albemarle Park to celebrate with a kickoff event, commuter breakfast, and ribbon cutting with Mayor Setti Warren.
From left to right: Newton Director of Transportation Nicole Freedman; David Montague, Founder of the Park&Pedal program; Newton Mayor Setti Warren; Newton City Councilor Alison Leary; Councilor-at-Large Ruthanne Fuller; Newton DPW Commissioner James McGonagle; and Richard Fries, Executive Director of MassBike.
We would like to thank everyone who came to celebrate with us and to everyone who helped to make this event and Park&Pedal in Newton possible. Every additional Park&Pedal space makes a difference in reducing traffic congestion, decreasing vehicle emissions, and making healthy active transportation a possibility for everyone.
The event was a great opportunity for the cycling community of Newton and Boston to come together. The event featured free breakfast, bike giveaways, bike tune-ups, and support from many of the area transportation and cycling groups. Thank you to Belmont Wheelworks, Hubway, MassRIDES, Rejjee, Mass Sierra Club, Masschusetts Nature Conservancy, The Green Streets Initiative, MassBike, Landry’s Bicycles Newton, Rosenfelds Bagels, Newton Village Cafe, Anna’s Taqueria, Honest Tea, Russo’s, Shaw’s Supermarket Waltham, and Wegmans Chestnut Hill!
Belmont Wheelworks making sure everyone’s bikes are in tip top shape!
Bagels from Rosenfelds!
Newton’s own NewTV was on hand to get cover the event.
Landry’s Bicycles was tuning up bikes free of charge as well.
The Sierra Club promotes Park&Pedal as a great way to help the environment.
Breakfast burritos from Anna’s!
Thanks again to everyone who came to the Newton launch! You can see all the current Park&Pedal locations at http://www.parkandpedalmap.org/
NECN TV Talks Park&Pedal
New England Cable News sat down with Park&Pedal and Montague Bikes founder David Montague and Newton Massachusetts Mayor Setti Warren to talk about the impact of Park&Pedal on local business and the upcoming expansion into Newton.
Watch the interview below or head over to NECN.com >>
The segment appeared as part of NECN’s This Week in Business. With Park&Pedal aimed at commuters, the benefits are great for both employees and employers. When commuters Park&Pedal the last leg of their journey is by bike. Less cars are making their way to the workplace, parking costs and congestion are reduced, and the added physical activity makes for a healthier, happier, and more productive work force.
October 14: Park&Pedal Newton Launch
Park&Pedal has expanded into the City of Newton and we’re celebrating! Join us on the morning of Friday, October 14th in Albemarle Park in Newton for a launch event and commuter breakfast. In attendance will be:
• Mayor Setti Warren, Mayor of Newton
• Nicole Freedman, Director of Transportation for the City of Newton
• David Montague, Park&Pedal and Montague Bikes Founder
Montague bikes will be giving away a bicycle to one lucky winner and area bike organizations, advocacy groups, and food vendors will be joining us to make for a fun and festive morning.
RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/361123210943867/
Confirmed so far (more to come!):
• Free bagels from Rosenfelds Bagels
• Free pastries from Newton Village Cafe
• Free breakfast burritos from Anna’s Taqueria
• Free bike tune ups from Belmont Wheelworks
• Tea and Juice from Honest Tea
• Free COFFEE!
• Food donation from Russo’s Watertown
• Food donation from Wegman’s (Chestnut Hill)
• Food donation from Shaw’s (Waltham)
• Hubway
• MassRIDES
• Rejjee
• Sierra Club
• Massachusetts Nature Conservancy
• Charles River TMA
If you’re interested in participating in the event as a vendor, please contact us at info@parkandpedal.org
Park & Pedal is a free network of parking lot hubs conveniently located cycling distance from your city’s employment centers, allowing commuters to park in a designated spot, and pedal their bike to work, avoiding “last-mile” congestion.
The program provides a manageable step toward bike commuting, especially for those who live too far from work to cycle the entire distance. The goal is keep cars out of the city, and get more people on bikes!
Park&Pedal CO2 Display at Massachusetts Transportation Building
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted by human activities. According the US Environmental Protection Agency, transportation alone accounts for 31% of the CO2 released into the environment by humans, a close second only to electricity production.
Every car on the road contributes to the amount of greenhouse gas in our atmosphere, and with the average round trip commute in the US at 24 miles and getting longer, shifting our mode of transportation is a serious matter.
At Park&Pedal Fest 2016, the celebration event for the expansion of the Park&Pedal program, we built a display to illustrate a rather shocking reality.
The average American car commuter produces 230 cubic feet of CO2 every day.
Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack liked the display so much when she saw it at the event, she asked that it be installed in the offices of MassDOT.
Inside the lobby of the Massachusetts Transportation Building is the rather conspicuous black box shown above. The sign reads, “Volume of this box = ONE Commuer’s CO2 Emissions from ONE DAY”. Visible to everyone who enters the offices of MassDOT or the MBTA, the 10 foot long 230 cubic foot box is a reminder of the impact on the environment of every car on the road.
We wish it is was possible for everyone to use alternative transportation as the sole means to get to work, but not everyone lives close enough or conveniently enough to cycle/walk the whole distance, or take advantage of public transportation. Park&Pedal allows those car commuters without a green alternative to cycle part way, reducing the number of miles driven and the amount of greenhouse gases released into our atmosphere.