May 29, 2009 Walk/Ride Day Newsletter

Here is a summary of our most recent edition of our newsletter! You can view the articles in full and all of our upcoming events here.

May 2009 Update    Dear Green Streets friends,    This is a great time of year to get out of your car! Even if you are not in an area with formal Walk/Ride Day celebrations, you can celebrate them on your own or start them in your own community. To motivate you, here are a few quotes from notable bicycle enthusiasts:   "To get to know a country, you must have direct contact with the earth. It is futile to gaze at the world through a car window."                         --Albert Einstein   "Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride."                         --John F. Kennedy Celebrations come in all shapes and sizes. The key is to celebrate those people who go green already while enticing those who don't to join in. We can help you figure out simple and fun ways to introduce Walk/Ride Days to your community, workplace, school or retail establishment. Harvard Square's Patios in Bloom This Walk/Ride Day is also the Patios in Bloom event in Harvard Square! You can walk your way to good food and special deals at a number of Harvard Square restaurants! Some of the participating restaurants also offer Walk/Ride Day incentives! Participating Walk/Ride Day sponsors include Grendel's Den and Veggie Planet. The event will run throughout the day on Friday, so come for lunch or dinner! Check the Harvard Square website for more information.   Boston's Bike Friday's Start This Month! Boston's signature summer bicycle activity -- Bike Friday -- will be kicking off on the May Walk/Ride Day! This is a great opportunity to give bike commuting a try if you live and/or work in the Boston area. Escorted bike convoys will depart from points outside Boston and descend on City Hall Plaza for free breakfast and entertainment at 7:30 am. Registration is free, but you must register ahead of time for convoys. And stop by the Green Streets table to paint cool stencil designs on your own clothes or bags!   The next Bike Friday Walk/Ride Days are July 31, August 28, and October 30. (There's also a Bike Friday on June 19.)   It's Not Too Late to Receive Zipcar Cash When You Donate to Green Streets!! Don't miss the opportunity to get Zipcar Cash for your donation to Green Streets in the month of April! New Zipcar members receive a dollar-for-dollar match of their Green Streets donations of up to $75 in Zipcar credit, and current members receive up to $50. You can make donations to us on-line, by mail, or in person at the Walk/Ride Day Big Green Party in Harvard Square.    Walkable Cities and Suburbs Would you be willing to get rid of your car in order to live in a special community? That is exactly what some families of Vauban, Germany did! This suburban community is proving that you don't need to own a car in order to live outside of the city. You can read the full article and interesting responses in the New York Times here! You don't have to pack up and move to Germany to find a walkable suburb! You may even already live in one. Click here to read a recent article in the Boston Globe on walkable Boston suburbs!   Please Check In on Walk/Ride Day! Here are some of our recent raffle winners:   Susi Ecker was entered in the Walk/Ride Day Raffle by checking in through our web site. Susi bikes 25 miles a day for her commute to and from work. She takes her bike on the T and even on a recent trip to Portland Oregon! Susi was the recipient of an EMS gift card.   Chris O'Connor was also the lucky recipient of an EMS Gift Card. Chris participated in Walk/Ride Day by walking the 2 miles of his daily commute.     Catherine Allen was the winner of a Green Streets T-shirt. Catherine walked four miles to get to work on Walk/Ride Day.   Beverly Neugeboren also won a Green Streets T-shirt by checking in on-line. Beverly walks to work everyday!   Don't miss out on your chance to win prizes like these as well as many others! Check in here for the May Walk/Ride Day!    And let us know how it goes!!! With best regards, Janie Katz-Christy, Director Green Streets Initiative, Inc. www.GoGreenStreets.org walk-ride-days@comcast.net