Green Streets Initiative

Green Streets Donor Raffle Winner: George Lynde

"I am a sculptor and painter who first learned of Green Streets when I was working on a public art project jointly with the Cambridge Arts Council and the Museum School. I had the idea that whatever bicycle parking existed in the City of Cambridge – no matter how insignificant – should get its due and be celebrated. A brass band was to perform in front of each of several bike racks, followed by the reading of a formal commendation honoring that rack. The purpose behind celebrating these humble facilities was to call attention to the need for more bike-friendly infrastructure in Cambridge, even though the City is already quite bike friendly. It's just that we have a long way to go in this Country to catch up in the area of alternatives to the automobile.

 

Well, the brass band idea never reached realization, but in the process I met Janie Katz-Christy and have kept in touch with her and even become a modest financial contributor to Green Streets. Hopefully we will collaborate soon on another important project, perhaps a Ferris wheel system for parking bikes in congested urban areas.

May Walk/Ride Day continue to grow and be successful."

George Lynde

http://georgelynde.com/

Photo: George Lynde (L), classmate Sabri Reed, and Millennium Pharmaceutical's Christian Tolentino at a Walk/Ride Day breakfast, January, 2009.

Volunteer Profile: Graphic Designer Colin T. Barr

Colin Barr is Green Streets' graphic designer. He has helped our organization grow by creating attractive and clear collateral material that promotes our events and mission. Colin is committed to creating graphic design that reflects both message and tone of his clients and reaches target audiences with humor and meaning intact.

It is a pleasure to work with Colin.  He is able to creatively interpret our text and ideas into graphic design and he gently urges us in directions that will allow us to keep our message strong but also widen and deepen the message that we are sending. He is great at  working within limited resources of both budget and time and his work has always exceeded our expectations.

Colin started out volunteering with us about 2 years ago. He really wants to see community groups like ours succeed so donates about a third of his work. For Colin to continue his good work with community groups, he needs more paying clients.

If you are in need of graphic design help, we highly recommend Colin. You can reach him at 617-312-4859 or  barr.colin.t@gmail.com

Kennedy/Longfellow School Celebrates Walk/Ride Days with Music

As well as the ubiquitous and famous green hand stamps school that greet school children across the Boston area, students at the Kennedy/Longfellow School in Cambridge are greeted by music on Walk/Ride Days.  School music teacher, Steve Mossberg plays folk standards such as "This Land is Your Land" and "The Green Grass Grew All Round" as the students enter the building. 

Students, teachers, staff in others schools, how do you celebrate musically or otherwise at your school on Walk/Ride Days? Let us know! We hope that the many students, staff and families in Cambridge who walk, bike and take the bus to school know that they are keeping the community greener, safer and healthier. Thank you!

Museum of Science Staff Go Green

The Boston Museum of Science recently added indoor, locked bike parking for its employees. According to Baylor Bennett, MOS employee, the bike cage is very well used. Baylor has been reaching out to even more MOS employees, to encourage them to go green - and wear green! - on Walk/Ride Days.

Visitors are encouraged to walk, bike or take the T to the Museum of Science between April 24 and May 2 and, in addition to the regular exhibits and programs, celebrate the 4th annual Cambridge Science Festival. There are many special events at the Museum of Science, the MIT Museum and other locations across Cambridge.  Go to www.cambridgesciencefestival.org to view the complete schedule of events. 

Walk/Ride Days are also part of the Cambridge Science Festival on April 30th.  Now is your chance to get a great picture of green travel at your school, workplace or in your neighborhood.  Send us a picture and we will get it on the GreenStreets Initiative website before April 30th.

Who are we?? Here's some feedback from a Harvard Square institution, Passim Folk Music Club and Cultural Center

 
 Here's a note from Dan Hogan, Executive Director of Passim, a world-famous, Harvard Square landmark.

Here are a few tidbits.

I think we may be one of the greener organizations in Cambridge.  We have 7 staff.  3 of us ride bikes to work, two walk (from Somerville), one takes a bus, and one uses her car (from Concord).  And we do it all winter.  One of our night managers rides his bike as well.

I’ve been commuting by bike since I moved back to Cambridge at the beginning of 2005.   For 3 years I biked to downtown Boston.  Not only is it great for the environment, but it’s remarkably efficient – I can generally beat anyone in a car to any destination within 20 minutes of my office or home, plus I get great exercise and really enjoy the scenery.

After 15 years with my trusty old Myata, I finally broke down and got a true commuter bike this summer – Trek Soho – instead of a water bottle, they give you a coffee/tea thermos!  It has roller brakes, a carbon-composite belt (instead of a chain), and an 8-speed Shimano Nexus 8 rear hub, which is protected from the elements, so that it’s great in the winter.

Cheers,

Daniel B. Hogan

Executive Director

Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center

26 Church Street, Suite 300

Cambridge, MA 02138

Tel:  (617) 492-5300

dan@passimcenter.org

http://www.passimcenter.org

Captions

Upper picture:

Passim Staff

Lower Left, Mallory Coppenrath, Assistant Club Manager – rides bike from Somerville

Lower Middle, Karen LeCompte, Business Manager – takes bus or walks

Lower Right, Sarah Fleischmann, School of Music and Outreach Coordinator – walks (from Davis Square)

Upper Left, Susan Scotti. Marketing & Publicity Coordinator – takes car from Concord

Upper Second from Left, Matt Smith, General Manager – walks from Davis Square

Upper Second from Right, Dan Hogan, Executive Director – rides bike from Cambridge

Upper Right, Jim Ricciuti, Director of Development – rides bike from Cambridge

Lower picture:

Denise Jillson, Executive Director of HSBA, and Dan Hogan on a "Harvard Square Bike Along, with Chef Jody Adams of Rialto " on Friday, August 28th, 2009.

Less Travel on Christmas—Walk/Ride Day December 25th— Thoughts from Cambridge, MA Walk/Ride Day coordinator

Last year my parents came to visit at Christmas—they took Amtrak and it was a lovely Green Christmas. This year health problems prevent them from visiting and after spending a nice Thanksgiving with them we will be at home. It’s a calm and happy choice and a green choice. Gifts from my parents arrived a few weeks ago but the biggest gift was already given to me by my parents. No guilt. Even when you are 40 and have a child as tall as you are it still feels good when your parents say that you made a good choice.

In 2010, most of us will still travel more miles and produce more carbon than most citizens of the Earth but lets resolve to not let guilt and misplaced obligation be the motivating factor.

- Sarah Fresco

"Wasting" or "Investing" Time: Traveling with Your Children By Foot and Public Transit

My 12 year old daughter's training in how to use public transit began when she was young; we didn't have a car and she learned early!

 

Tonight, though we now own a car, we are on our way by bus again... this time from E. to N. Cambridge, via the  87 bus (Lechmere to Davis Square). We've done this many times before but tonight I will remind her and coach her so that tomorrow, after a sleepover at her friend's house, she will take the bus home alone.

 

Every trip you take with your child on public transit is training them for future freedom.  I like looking at this site. I find views that reflect some of mine.  Other parents draw lines at other places but more walking, more buses and more experiences will hopefully make younger and older generation feel safer and happier and able to Go Green more often.

Please let us know what you see from where you live!

Sarah Fresco

sarah.cambridge.walk.ride.days@gmail.com

New Cambridge City-Wide Coordinator!

My name is Sarah Fresco and I am the new Cambridge Coordinator for the Green Street Initiative's Walk/Ride Day Program.  I am a Cambridge resident, a parent of two children and a long time bike commuter.  The story goes back further than that.  I walked as child.  A lot.  My mother did not get a driver's liscence until I was 12 and by then the habit was well establish and while there were plenty of times I had to get rides in the suburban community that I lived in I was not willing to give up the freedom of walking.

I became a bike commuter after college.  It wasn't easy to find a job in 1992.  Recessions were not new then and they are not now.  I had a job in Newton and I lived in Jamaica Plain.  It was cheap and fun to ride my bike to work so I did it.  Every day.

It was an unseasonably mild February when my daughter Rabiah was born 13 years ago.  Even an inveterate walker and intrepid bike commuter feels the necessity to qualify the fact that my husband and I brought her home from Beth Israel Hospital on the 47 bus.

After 3 months of maternity leave I was back on my bike visiting clients for the Somerville Cambridge Elder Services where I was working as a casemanager.  Cambridge has a long history of "alternative transportation"  In fact judging by what my clients told me about their lives walking, biking and riding the street cars was the norm not the exception only a few decades ago. 

Twelve years have passed.  We have a second daughter and I have worked as a nanny and for the last four years as the Operations Coordinator for The Uphams Corner Charter School in Boston.  In June The Uphams Corner Charter School closed and after a series on emails and conversations with Janie I came to realize that the organization skills and the passion I had for making alternative transportation a part of my daily life could benefit the Green Streets Initiative.  I feel fortunate to be coming into the organization at a time when we are truly ready to reap the rewards of the hard work that Janie and many others did over the past few years.  People in Cambridge know what Walk/Ride means and it is a happy fun meaning that we can all share in.

Back Stage: The woman who's been adding interested folks to to our email list!

This from Betsy Bouche, whom Green Streets thanks for doing a fantastic job adding names and contact info of people who come to conferences and other places and want to receive our newsletters!

"I've been doing transcription and data entry part time for years and those skills are the best way I know to give back to the community. I got rid of my car about a year and a half ago, and get around by walking, public transportation and occasionally Zipcar (which I joined on a recent Walk/Ride Day). I grew up locally & I've been in Somerville since the '70s.  In other aspects of my life, I grow vegetables in my backyard and do as much of my shopping as possible at farmers' markets.

And, I'm always looking for work, so if people are looking for someone with my office skills, feel free to give them my contact info!"

Walk/Ride Day Celebrations at the King Open School

The King Open School in Cambridge MA has a very well planned out system for their Walk/Ride Day celebrations. It includes all grades and all students! You can see the full size image with all the details at the following links:

Powerpoint File

PDF File