Steve Miller proved to be an excellent interview subject today as he explained yesterday's Boston NBG Day. As you will hear, he had about 30 people there, got key media coverage before hand and did a great job of making sure everyone had a great time! He talks about the teenage cyclists from Bikes Not Bombs, the HiWheeler that was there and even offers a lot of hope for Boston bicycling ! And when you get a chance to get a listen, you will hear a man who is an excellent and articulate spokesperson for the two wheel cause there in the Tea Party town. Yahooo!!
The following podcast:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/NBG@bikeroute.com/1680-1-20050504-SteveMillerNBGDay5-04-05.mp3
can also be found at our northeast ride flank:
http://www.bikeroute.com/NationalMayorsRide2005/2005NE.html
where the interview we did yesterday with Mike Lydon of Mass Bike can also be found!!
Pittsburgh is gearing up for Troy Bogdan's arrival on May 21 as he and other cyclists complete the Washington DC to Pittsburgh leg of National Bicycle Greenway's 4th Annual National Mayors' Ride 2005. The ride into the city will be capped off at an event on Pittsburgh's North Shore, located between PNC Park (home of the Pittsburgh Pirates) and Heinz Field (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers).
Michael Sobkowiak, communications director of Venture Outdoors, will host the site's celebration, which offers a magnificent view of the skyline and the "Point" where The Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers join together to flow into the Ohio River. Venture Outdoors is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making the outdoor recreation community a vibrant centerpiece of Western Pennsylvania and the tri-state region (Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio). Rosemary Fischer, a Sr. Executive Assistant for Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, said, "This event celebrates all the outdoor events that citizens can take advantage of in Pittsburgh, like biking, rowing, kayaking, fishing, and swimming. This is a perfect venue for the 4th Annual Mayors' Ride."
Local bike clubs will meet the cyclists at the Eliza Furnace Trail and escort riders to the North Shore. Arrival is planned for 12 noon, where hundreds of Pittsburghers are expected to gather in support of the Ride and NBG. Mayor Murphy's Proclamation will be presented to the cyclists and selected riders will speak. Venture Outdoors will also host lunch for the long-distance riders.
Patty Block
On May 3, at 4:30 PM, bicyclists will gather in Boston City Hall Plaza to receive a Mayoral proclamation and send it off for the start of the northeast leg of the National Bicycle Greenway Mayors' Ride, a 53-city tour to show how bicycles can improve the health of cities as well as that of its commuters.
The Boston rally will include people on old-fashioned HiWheelers, teens participating in earn-a-bike workshops, bicycle commuters, and members of local bike clubs and advocacy groups. It is being organized by the Boston Bicycle Festival, a non-profit working in partnership with the city to promote bicycling as a way of making Boston a better place to live and work. Other participating groups include MassBike and Bikes Not Bombs.
Boston Bicycle Festival Executive Director, Steven E. Miller said, "The Boston contingent is part of a national effort, culminating in San Chicago, IL on July 30, to raise public awareness that cycling, in addition to being fun, is part of the solution for concerns around the need for better nutrition and more physical activity, transportation and environmental pollution, and the desire to increase the attractiveness of urban areas as a place for young families to live and work."
Road cycling is now the country's most popular recreational activity, according to the Outdoor Industry Association, involving more than 78 million participants compared to golf at 25 million.
The Boston Bicycle Festival is developing a sustainable, year-round program that brings large numbers of people together from different neighborhoods and towns to celebrate bike riding and the host city. It's signature event will be an annual city-wide bike ride and celebration based in Franklin Park. The first annual Boston Bicycle Festival will occur in September 2005 in affiliation with the city's on-going 375 Anniversary.
The Festival's goals include: (1) Bringing people together to celebrate Boston's parks, neighborhoods, cultural diversity, and architectural beauty. (2) Sharing Boston as a welcoming community in which to live and work. (3) Promoting health through biking activity throughout the city.
For the Boston NBG Day event. all are invited. Most people will simply gather at city hall plaza, but some intend to gather at the Park St. T-station and then bike over.
For more information, contact:
Steven E. Miller
Executive Director
Boston Bicycle Festival
280 Lincoln St.
Allston, MA 02134
p: 617-686-1050
email: info@bostonbikefestival.org