Sure, Greater Boston is one of the greenest urban areas in the country. The emerald necklace cuts through us like a botanic knife, and all but the most developed parts of town have at least a patch of grass on properties.
But there's always room for more, and in an age that begs for more eco-friendly and self-sufficient lifestyles, a porch garden can add a nice, economical touch to even the most run-down triple. Kristina Johnson of Allston has turned her porch into a garden oasis. With $100 and a lot of work, she purchased a dozen pots and plant containers to grow both food and decorative plants.
"Both me and [my boyfriend] have found ourselves getting up earlier, just to come out there, read and enjoy the garden," Johnson said.
And although she chose plants that require cultivating, plants requiring less effort, such as aloe and ficus trees, are relatively self-sufficient and can add a lot to the wood and iron flats just outside your door.
Garden Tip
Although fall is around the corner, you can still plan for next year. Also, with your entire garden in pots, you can survive the harshest part of the year - moving season.
This article originally appeared in The BostonNOW weekend edition, in the Adobe section.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
There is a You in BzzAgent
Everything at the tips of your fingers. It has been the promise of the digital age, expanding the voice of the people – your voice – into virtually every facet of American life. But in this new, more people-powered world, can the market itself be democratized? And if so, can the democratization of the market turn a profit? David Balter certainly thinks so, and he’s got the company to prove it.
An internationally recognized founder of the Boston-based word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing firm BzzAgent, Balter has taken it upon himself to harness the cultural mainstay of insisting to your friends that you know what’s cool, and packaged it into a guerrilla advertising strategy that is more effective than a cartoon character on a lightbright.
Functioning under the understanding that 80% of consumers trust WOM more than any other kind of communication, Balter’s BzzAgent has enlisted thousands of volunteer agents to simply try some free stuff out. The catch – if you like it, you have to tell your friends – a small price to pay for free food, fragrances, and other fineries.
The Direction in a Directionless Youth
David Balter didn’t know what to do with himself when he grew up. To the contrary, his future plans as a child changed from day to day. “I went through all these random phases,” he recalled. “I remember one time I wanted to be a chef, and my parents bought me this crepe machine. I practiced making crepes for family events.” He also dabbled in hotel management, writing, and others. “As a kid I just wanted to do everything. I had a different passion every year.”
The whirlwind of goals led him somehow to a BA in psychology from Skidmore College, a period in his life that “most people try to forget,” and in entering the work force, he decided that he’d make for a career in cellular phone technology. Realizing that the industry might not be for him due to an acute lack of knowledge of anything phone related, he fell into an accounting job at an entertainment promotions firm, Retrofit. “Had I gotten an accounting job with a farming company, I probably would have become a farmer,” he joked, confessing that his involvement in Retrofit brought him into the marketing industry.
But marketing appeared to be a comfortable fit for Balter – he soon bought and eventually sold the company that employed him, moving onto the almost ill fated online entertainment marketer, 360 Merch. A beneficiary of the nineties online boom and a victim of its subsequent fall, 360 was a sinking ship when Balter unloaded it to a competitor. “I actually called up five competitors offering to sell, and four of them promptly hung up the phone on me, and the last one said ‘really, I’m coming right over.’ I really lucked out on that one.” Able to escape from the doomed vessel, Balter also earned his marketing sea legs, completing the first part of his unlikely journey to become a marketing pioneer.
Something to Buzz About
The idea for BzzAgent came to Balter at work one day when he was about thirty, when a co-worker came to his desk raving about some great book he’d just read. “It occurred to me then,” he said of his epiphany, “how much time people are willing to give to tell you about products that they like.”
With the basic idea of trying to harness WOM, such as he had experienced at work, the young entrepreneur approached five companies, attempting to sell his marketing idea. “They politely declined my offers,” he admitted. Undeterred, he built the initial website platform and went back to the same companies that had previously rejected his offer, proposing them the same service again – but this time for free. Most of them said no. One of them said yes – Penguin Publishing Group.
Taking on the Penguin book “The Frog King,” a novel about working in the book industry by then freshman author Adam Davies, Balter’s infant BzzAgent had its first crack at creating a –well – a buzz around a product. The book’s projected sales for the first year were met within two months of Balter’s marketing experiment. Balter was surprised by the immediate success, and more importantly, so were the folks at Penguin.
But “maybe you guys got lucky,” they told Balter. “Maybe it was just a good book. Do it again.” Rising to the challenge, Balter was given “The Art of Shen Ku,” a book that had flat-lined in sales. The ultimatum – if you can make it sell again, we’ll start paying you. And sell the book did. The previously bottoming out travelers book tripled in sales following Balter’s bzz. Penguin is now a regular BzzAgent customer.
Spreading the Word (of Mouth)
BzzAgent’s initial success with Penguin back in 2001 led to a foundation for the company to build. Currently harnessing the input of over 250,000 volunteer agents all over the country, and recently expanding into the United Kingdom, Balter’s company has worked with over 150 companies, including Energizer, Sun Microsystems, Ralph Lauren, Tabasco and many more, on over 350 campaigns.
But sometimes the buzz isn’t necessarily a good thing. While Balter insists that BzzAgent does create quite a stir about many products, assigning BzzAgents products is not a sure-fire way to make a product all the rage. “Sometimes the product doesn’t meet expectations for the agents, and they don’t activate. But that’s just part of the natural equation of what we do. You can’t make someone like a product.”
The negative buzz can be just as useful to companies as the positive though, in that they learn about a product’s shortcomings. “The client can learn where the products have issues, and why people aren’t talking about it.”
Past and Future
As the company grew, Balter’s role has changed. He’s thinking about the future, and promoting his vision. He still does much of the daily grind, though. “I feel that I have to know the pulse of how [BzzAgent] works.” He still reads reports, meets with clients and strategizes about new markets.
Often shocked about his company’s success, he also sees a bit of inevitability in what BzzAgent is doing. “It’s up to people now to define what companies do,” he declared. “It’s time for companies to pay attention to what people want and what they want to do.”
This article originally appeared at Experience.com, an online magazine about young entreprenuers and college students, on August 23, 2007.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Bike Community Considers "Guerilla" Approach
Gathering for their second informal meeting, a group of concerned cyclists met on Sunday at MIT’s Riverside Boathouse to discuss safety and awareness in the community for bicycle riders.
Spearheaded last month by Jaffney Roode, a Boston bike courier, and organized this month by Brookline cyclist Veronique d’Entremont, the group discussed different ways to make Boston a better place to ride and "create some empathy between bicyclists and non-bicyclists."
Citing disappointment with the city on the bike issue - the city-sponsored "bike week" was referred to by the group as "depressing" - activists discussed a number of ways to approach the mounting problems Boston cyclists face including radio public service announcements, bike safety pamphlets, erecting "ghost bike" monuments for every bike-related death in the past ten years, and putting up street signs and erecting bike ramps for curbs where necessary. The latter approach, referred to by Jeff Ferris of Jamaica Plain’s Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop as "guerrilla actions" favoring bike safety, garnered the most immediate support from the group. While Ferris and others have already constructed and placed a number of ramps on and off curbs throughout the city, a small committee from the meeting has been set aside to brainstorm for this angle specifically. According to the group emails since the meeting, the intention of the group is to put up high-quality signs around the most dangerous streets, such as Massachusetts Avenue, depicting a cyclist and encouraging drivers to share the road and inform them more clearly about cycling law. While attempting to inform others of the rules of the road, some of the group voiced concern regarding the legality of their own activities. Ferris quickly defended the ultimately accepted idea. "We are cyclists putting up signs because nobody else is," he said. "If the city is going to come down on you for putting up a ‘be nice to bikers’ sign, well... who looks like the bad guy?"
According to Massachusetts law, bicycles are considered vehicles, and are thus permitted an entire lane on roads that do not have bicycle-specific lanes. The proposed extralegal strategy of the group seems to stem from city government disinterest in helping cyclists. Roode had unsuccessfully attempted to contact Allston-Brighton City Councilor Jerry McDermott to discuss the recent death of cyclist Kelly Wallace, while other group members expressed concern that city planning ignores cyclists. Expressing aggravation with cyclist rights, Boston bike commuter Jacqueline Genetti said "there aren’t enough bike lanes, there’s not enough awareness, and whenever something happens, it’s always the biker’s fault." Echoing a similar sentiment, Ferris declared, "In my mind, Boston is actively making itself worse for biking."
The group, although not yet finalizing a date or time, has committed to continue meeting on a monthly basis, with smaller action groups meeting on off-weeks to implement the ideas that the core group comes up with and refine them. Although avoiding any type of formality as an organization, and at one point referring to themselves as something of a "dinner club" the advocates have allied themselves rather closely with the non-profit bike advocacy organization, MassBike, who can be reached at www.massbike.org.
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 19, 2007.
Spearheaded last month by Jaffney Roode, a Boston bike courier, and organized this month by Brookline cyclist Veronique d’Entremont, the group discussed different ways to make Boston a better place to ride and "create some empathy between bicyclists and non-bicyclists."
Citing disappointment with the city on the bike issue - the city-sponsored "bike week" was referred to by the group as "depressing" - activists discussed a number of ways to approach the mounting problems Boston cyclists face including radio public service announcements, bike safety pamphlets, erecting "ghost bike" monuments for every bike-related death in the past ten years, and putting up street signs and erecting bike ramps for curbs where necessary. The latter approach, referred to by Jeff Ferris of Jamaica Plain’s Ferris Wheels Bicycle Shop as "guerrilla actions" favoring bike safety, garnered the most immediate support from the group. While Ferris and others have already constructed and placed a number of ramps on and off curbs throughout the city, a small committee from the meeting has been set aside to brainstorm for this angle specifically. According to the group emails since the meeting, the intention of the group is to put up high-quality signs around the most dangerous streets, such as Massachusetts Avenue, depicting a cyclist and encouraging drivers to share the road and inform them more clearly about cycling law. While attempting to inform others of the rules of the road, some of the group voiced concern regarding the legality of their own activities. Ferris quickly defended the ultimately accepted idea. "We are cyclists putting up signs because nobody else is," he said. "If the city is going to come down on you for putting up a ‘be nice to bikers’ sign, well... who looks like the bad guy?"
According to Massachusetts law, bicycles are considered vehicles, and are thus permitted an entire lane on roads that do not have bicycle-specific lanes. The proposed extralegal strategy of the group seems to stem from city government disinterest in helping cyclists. Roode had unsuccessfully attempted to contact Allston-Brighton City Councilor Jerry McDermott to discuss the recent death of cyclist Kelly Wallace, while other group members expressed concern that city planning ignores cyclists. Expressing aggravation with cyclist rights, Boston bike commuter Jacqueline Genetti said "there aren’t enough bike lanes, there’s not enough awareness, and whenever something happens, it’s always the biker’s fault." Echoing a similar sentiment, Ferris declared, "In my mind, Boston is actively making itself worse for biking."
The group, although not yet finalizing a date or time, has committed to continue meeting on a monthly basis, with smaller action groups meeting on off-weeks to implement the ideas that the core group comes up with and refine them. Although avoiding any type of formality as an organization, and at one point referring to themselves as something of a "dinner club" the advocates have allied themselves rather closely with the non-profit bike advocacy organization, MassBike, who can be reached at www.massbike.org.
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 19, 2007.
An Allston Icon Mourned
ALLSTON — For more than three decades, Harold Madison Jr., better known as Mr. Butch, walked the streets of Boston. A staple in the Kenmore Square area from the 1970s until gentrification forced him towards Allston in the 1990s, he had since become a part of the community’s experience, a homeless beat philosopher with a smile that people can’t stop talking about, known in equal measure for his panhandling, drinking and guitar-playing.
Mr. Butch was a familiar sight and one that, since last Thursday, has been sorely missed, following a motor scooter accident early that morning.
Toni Fanning, owner of Ritual Arts in Allston, and a long-time friend of Mr. Butch, has been helping assemble a memorial service for the fallen Allstonian. Somberly talking about her homeless friend, she tried to articulate Allston’s "tremendous loss."
"People expect to see his smile," she said. "They expect Mr. Butch here. He’s part of this neighborhood."
An outpouring of sympathy for Mr. Butch has cropped up all over the Internet, where thousands of funny and friendly tales of Allston’s de-facto mascot have been posted. One site went so far as to campaign for the placement of a memorial statue in Mr. Butch’s likeness.
"You couldn’t imagine what it was like here the day it happened," recalled Fanning of the depression overwhelming Harvard Avenue.
Butch panhandled regularly in the neighborhood, and numerous people donated to him upon every encounter. Remembered by friends as "good with money," he had local merchants hold his savings in various "banks" at their stores. When he was low, he’d go to friends and pick up his money. Ultimately, he had saved enough to purchase a Vespa motor scooter. It was that purchase that ultimately led to his death.
Fanning, like many in Allston, didn’t immediately strike a bond with the mercurial Mr. Butch.
"When I met Butch, I was intimidated," she recalled. "Here was this big, black man — he was much bigger then — and I wondered ‘why would people idolize this homeless guy who seems to be mooching off of everybody?’"
Her lack of understanding didn’t last long. By the time Butch made his way to Allston, Toni accepted him as a friend and neighbor.
"He wasn’t anyone to be afraid of," she said. "He was here for happy days. He looked out for people. I wish I had the guts to live [like him]."
Audrey Valmas of Allston, another employee at Ritual Arts, also has fond memories of Mr. Butch.
"I saw him here all the time, probably at least three times a day," she said. "He was always pleasant, always smiling. He just had a charm to him."
"There was nothing traditional about Mr. Butch," Fanning added. "Oh, he loved living in the streets, and he just didn’t want to go into housing. He considered the whole city his home — maybe even the whole world... His cousin said he could live ten lifetimes and never know as many people and achieve the notoriety Mr. Butch did. We’ve gotten calls all over the country asking about him."
Fanning, as well as other merchants and Butch’s family, have assembled a memorial service for him on Sunday, July 22. The "parade" to celebrate Butch will start at the intersection of Harvard Ave. and Commonwealth Ave. at 7 p.m., and will feature a "New Orleans-style" brass band, as well as friends and family. A church service will be held at 8 p.m. at the International Community Church on 557 Cambridge St. in Allston.
A memorial featuring Mr. Butch’s possessions is currently in the window of Re:Generation Tattoo at 155 Harvard Ave. Donations for his service are being accepted at that location.
(Bulletin reporter Lydia Mulvany contributed to this story).
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 19, 2007.
Mr. Butch was a familiar sight and one that, since last Thursday, has been sorely missed, following a motor scooter accident early that morning.
Toni Fanning, owner of Ritual Arts in Allston, and a long-time friend of Mr. Butch, has been helping assemble a memorial service for the fallen Allstonian. Somberly talking about her homeless friend, she tried to articulate Allston’s "tremendous loss."
"People expect to see his smile," she said. "They expect Mr. Butch here. He’s part of this neighborhood."
An outpouring of sympathy for Mr. Butch has cropped up all over the Internet, where thousands of funny and friendly tales of Allston’s de-facto mascot have been posted. One site went so far as to campaign for the placement of a memorial statue in Mr. Butch’s likeness.
"You couldn’t imagine what it was like here the day it happened," recalled Fanning of the depression overwhelming Harvard Avenue.
Butch panhandled regularly in the neighborhood, and numerous people donated to him upon every encounter. Remembered by friends as "good with money," he had local merchants hold his savings in various "banks" at their stores. When he was low, he’d go to friends and pick up his money. Ultimately, he had saved enough to purchase a Vespa motor scooter. It was that purchase that ultimately led to his death.
Fanning, like many in Allston, didn’t immediately strike a bond with the mercurial Mr. Butch.
"When I met Butch, I was intimidated," she recalled. "Here was this big, black man — he was much bigger then — and I wondered ‘why would people idolize this homeless guy who seems to be mooching off of everybody?’"
Her lack of understanding didn’t last long. By the time Butch made his way to Allston, Toni accepted him as a friend and neighbor.
"He wasn’t anyone to be afraid of," she said. "He was here for happy days. He looked out for people. I wish I had the guts to live [like him]."
Audrey Valmas of Allston, another employee at Ritual Arts, also has fond memories of Mr. Butch.
"I saw him here all the time, probably at least three times a day," she said. "He was always pleasant, always smiling. He just had a charm to him."
"There was nothing traditional about Mr. Butch," Fanning added. "Oh, he loved living in the streets, and he just didn’t want to go into housing. He considered the whole city his home — maybe even the whole world... His cousin said he could live ten lifetimes and never know as many people and achieve the notoriety Mr. Butch did. We’ve gotten calls all over the country asking about him."
Fanning, as well as other merchants and Butch’s family, have assembled a memorial service for him on Sunday, July 22. The "parade" to celebrate Butch will start at the intersection of Harvard Ave. and Commonwealth Ave. at 7 p.m., and will feature a "New Orleans-style" brass band, as well as friends and family. A church service will be held at 8 p.m. at the International Community Church on 557 Cambridge St. in Allston.
A memorial featuring Mr. Butch’s possessions is currently in the window of Re:Generation Tattoo at 155 Harvard Ave. Donations for his service are being accepted at that location.
(Bulletin reporter Lydia Mulvany contributed to this story).
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 19, 2007.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Community Challenges High-Rise Land "Swap Scheme"
NORTH END — A large contingent of North End residents came out Monday night to the North End Waterfront Neighborhood Council’s monthly meeting to hear a new proposal about the future of 585 Commercial Street, a waterfront property currently flanked by community tennis courts and the Steriti Memorial Skating Rink.
A proposal by Byron Gilchrest, president of the development firm Gilchrest Associates, would move the tennis courts, which are on state- owned land, next to the skating rink, allowing for an 800-plus unit condominium high-rise to be built on the corner of Commercial and North Washington Streets.
Although the "swap scheme," as Gilchrest called it, would cost more to build and would require him to give up more valuable land than he would receive in return, he argued that the new proposal, his third on the project, would be most beneficial to the North End, allowing for clearer views of the Old North Church from the Charlestown Bridge as well as a more direct view from Hull Street to the water.
In addition, Gilchrest added that he would create a third walkway to the waterfront from Commercial Street and build a handicapped-accessible ramp from North Washington Street to the Waterfront and build a new marina to replace the rather ailing fishing pier currently off the coast of the park.
Community activists overwhelmingly opposed Gilchrest’s proposal, primarily due to his interest in building a structure that would be as high as 95 feet at its tallest point. The lot is zoned for only 55 feet, and Gilchrest is asking the city for rezoning.
"The rule is 55 feet," declared Robert Skole of the North End. "Why can’t you follow the rules and let us live in peace?"
Accused of exploiting the North End for profit by angry residents, many of which were shouting out of turn, Mr. Gilchrest responded, "Yes, profit. It is more profitable for me to build a 95-foot building than it is to add a floor to the existing building." The existing building on 585 Commercial Street is 46 feet. When further challenged about the rarity of buildings in the North End and waterfront exceeding 55 feet, Gilchrest quickly shot back. "The building we’re in [The Pilot House] is 90 feet."
Against the public outcry of setting a precedent for tall buildings in the North End, "building a wall around the neighborhood," said one concerned neighbor, Gilchrest addressed how much red tape he needed to go through in order to succeed in his proposal. For the land swap alone, he would need a two-thirds vote from the state legislature and a signature from the Governor - not an easy task. Regardless, it still seemed too easy for members of the community concerned with effects on their fast-growing neighborhood. Sheila Ross, another member of the community, declared that "if this one goes through, there will be more."
The units themselves also drew criticism from the community. The new structure, which would house one- and two-bedroom condos exclusively, would also not include any affordable housing on-site. Although, according to Gilchrest and his lawyer, William G. Ferullo, 15 percent of the development will be affordable housing; it will be "off-site," and built simultaneously somewhere else in the North End. This particular effort to accommodate the community's demand for such housing, Gilchrest admitted, had no precedent that he was aware of in the city.
Although there was no resolution regarding the proposal at the meeting - no vote was scheduled - opposition vowed to organize against the swap scheme as well as the entire project to build a 95-footer. The North End Waterfront Neighborhood Council, which was brought under fire by residents at the meeting for not asking tough enough questions in regards to the project, has also appointed a subcommittee including council members Matthew Black, Bill Musto and Jay Kuhlow. Their next meeting will be held on September 10 at The Pilot House on Lewis Wharf.
This story originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 12, 2007.
A proposal by Byron Gilchrest, president of the development firm Gilchrest Associates, would move the tennis courts, which are on state- owned land, next to the skating rink, allowing for an 800-plus unit condominium high-rise to be built on the corner of Commercial and North Washington Streets.
Although the "swap scheme," as Gilchrest called it, would cost more to build and would require him to give up more valuable land than he would receive in return, he argued that the new proposal, his third on the project, would be most beneficial to the North End, allowing for clearer views of the Old North Church from the Charlestown Bridge as well as a more direct view from Hull Street to the water.
In addition, Gilchrest added that he would create a third walkway to the waterfront from Commercial Street and build a handicapped-accessible ramp from North Washington Street to the Waterfront and build a new marina to replace the rather ailing fishing pier currently off the coast of the park.
Community activists overwhelmingly opposed Gilchrest’s proposal, primarily due to his interest in building a structure that would be as high as 95 feet at its tallest point. The lot is zoned for only 55 feet, and Gilchrest is asking the city for rezoning.
"The rule is 55 feet," declared Robert Skole of the North End. "Why can’t you follow the rules and let us live in peace?"
Accused of exploiting the North End for profit by angry residents, many of which were shouting out of turn, Mr. Gilchrest responded, "Yes, profit. It is more profitable for me to build a 95-foot building than it is to add a floor to the existing building." The existing building on 585 Commercial Street is 46 feet. When further challenged about the rarity of buildings in the North End and waterfront exceeding 55 feet, Gilchrest quickly shot back. "The building we’re in [The Pilot House] is 90 feet."
Against the public outcry of setting a precedent for tall buildings in the North End, "building a wall around the neighborhood," said one concerned neighbor, Gilchrest addressed how much red tape he needed to go through in order to succeed in his proposal. For the land swap alone, he would need a two-thirds vote from the state legislature and a signature from the Governor - not an easy task. Regardless, it still seemed too easy for members of the community concerned with effects on their fast-growing neighborhood. Sheila Ross, another member of the community, declared that "if this one goes through, there will be more."
The units themselves also drew criticism from the community. The new structure, which would house one- and two-bedroom condos exclusively, would also not include any affordable housing on-site. Although, according to Gilchrest and his lawyer, William G. Ferullo, 15 percent of the development will be affordable housing; it will be "off-site," and built simultaneously somewhere else in the North End. This particular effort to accommodate the community's demand for such housing, Gilchrest admitted, had no precedent that he was aware of in the city.
Although there was no resolution regarding the proposal at the meeting - no vote was scheduled - opposition vowed to organize against the swap scheme as well as the entire project to build a 95-footer. The North End Waterfront Neighborhood Council, which was brought under fire by residents at the meeting for not asking tough enough questions in regards to the project, has also appointed a subcommittee including council members Matthew Black, Bill Musto and Jay Kuhlow. Their next meeting will be held on September 10 at The Pilot House on Lewis Wharf.
This story originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on July 12, 2007.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Spinning Their Wheels for Safety
Rattled by a spike in recent bicycle-related deaths in Boston, cyclists from the Boston area came together on Sunday at the Democracy Center in Cambridge to discuss bicycle safety. Participants focused primarily on possible legislation and education efforts that could be implemented city and statewide to protect cyclists as well as pedestrians and drivers from injury and death.
Organized by Boston bicycle courier Jaffney Roode, almost two dozen riders discussed a number of issues facing the cycling community. In part, the gathering was inspired by the death of Kelly Wallace, a young woman who was was killed on May 6 when her bike was hit by a car in a crosswalk near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue in Allston.
"Cyclists are really upset and feeling disempowered," Roode said, explaining the forum’s objective.
Passing around an inner tube of a bike tire, which signified that it was your turn to speak, the group had an impassioned discussion about bike rights, laws and etiquette, ultimately focusing on how to educate new riders about the rules of the road.
Although often ignored, cyclists throughout the city have long noted the dangers of riding in Boston, which has been sited by some trade magazines as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities for cycling.
Because of the perception of bicycles as toys, many of the group testified, and not as vehicles, many bike accidents go unreported in Boston. Coupling that with the city’s apparent unwillingness to release bike-related accident statistics was used to explain the lack of understanding of the issue that has silently plagued the city for years.
"To raise an issue," said Diane Akerman, a cyclist that commutes downtown daily, "you need to prove that there is a problem." Without hard statistics, though, that becomes a difficult task.
This was not to suggest that all bike injuries are the fault of drivers. The consensus of the group was that it is the ignorance of road rules by both car drivers and cyclists that has led to many accidents.
"It’s not that people are just jerks that just want to see cyclists crushed under wheels," argued Mike Gintz of Somerville. "It’s that they just don’t know. To cars, [cyclists] are pedestrians that should be on the sidewalk, [which is illegal], whereas pedestrians see us as blobs of steel that should be on the road."
In light of this, Gintz and others feel that bikes "need to be legitimized as vehicles with laws."
And although the Romney administration vetoed the MassBike-endorsed "Bicycle Bill of Rights and Responsibilities," almost identical legislation, now titled "The Bicycle Safety Bill," was recently reintroduced into the state legislature and was voted on Wednesday, June 13, three days after the meeting.
In addition to advocating for pro-cyclist legislation, the group emphasized responsibility for themselves, suggesting bullet-point handouts to give to both cyclists and motor vehicle operators to inform them about the cohabitation of the road by cars and bikes. MassBike Advocacy Associate Nadav Carmel also highlighted that MassBike, a non-profit bicycle advocacy group, offers classes to new city cyclists taught by volunteers to help people adjust to Boston’s difficult cycling environment.
Complaints about inadequate, or inaccurate, information given at college orientations was also raised. While many colleges in student-swelled Boston don’t mention cycling rules at all, it was reported that Boston University encourages their students to ride on the sidewalk — an act legally prohibited in Boston.
Another bicycle safety issue risen at the meeting included recklessness by MBTA bus drivers, who many feel have no respect for cyclists on the road.
Fundamentally, though, it was the goal of the meeting to change people’s habits — both cyclists and those around them. To do that, the group emphasized that bikes need to be looked at as vehicles.
"We need to be acknowledged more in the community," explained Akerman. "Laws will help that. Drivers need more education, and bikers need more education."
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on June 14, 2007.
Organized by Boston bicycle courier Jaffney Roode, almost two dozen riders discussed a number of issues facing the cycling community. In part, the gathering was inspired by the death of Kelly Wallace, a young woman who was was killed on May 6 when her bike was hit by a car in a crosswalk near the intersection of Cambridge Street and Harvard Avenue in Allston.
"Cyclists are really upset and feeling disempowered," Roode said, explaining the forum’s objective.
Passing around an inner tube of a bike tire, which signified that it was your turn to speak, the group had an impassioned discussion about bike rights, laws and etiquette, ultimately focusing on how to educate new riders about the rules of the road.
Although often ignored, cyclists throughout the city have long noted the dangers of riding in Boston, which has been sited by some trade magazines as one of the nation’s most dangerous cities for cycling.
Because of the perception of bicycles as toys, many of the group testified, and not as vehicles, many bike accidents go unreported in Boston. Coupling that with the city’s apparent unwillingness to release bike-related accident statistics was used to explain the lack of understanding of the issue that has silently plagued the city for years.
"To raise an issue," said Diane Akerman, a cyclist that commutes downtown daily, "you need to prove that there is a problem." Without hard statistics, though, that becomes a difficult task.
This was not to suggest that all bike injuries are the fault of drivers. The consensus of the group was that it is the ignorance of road rules by both car drivers and cyclists that has led to many accidents.
"It’s not that people are just jerks that just want to see cyclists crushed under wheels," argued Mike Gintz of Somerville. "It’s that they just don’t know. To cars, [cyclists] are pedestrians that should be on the sidewalk, [which is illegal], whereas pedestrians see us as blobs of steel that should be on the road."
In light of this, Gintz and others feel that bikes "need to be legitimized as vehicles with laws."
And although the Romney administration vetoed the MassBike-endorsed "Bicycle Bill of Rights and Responsibilities," almost identical legislation, now titled "The Bicycle Safety Bill," was recently reintroduced into the state legislature and was voted on Wednesday, June 13, three days after the meeting.
In addition to advocating for pro-cyclist legislation, the group emphasized responsibility for themselves, suggesting bullet-point handouts to give to both cyclists and motor vehicle operators to inform them about the cohabitation of the road by cars and bikes. MassBike Advocacy Associate Nadav Carmel also highlighted that MassBike, a non-profit bicycle advocacy group, offers classes to new city cyclists taught by volunteers to help people adjust to Boston’s difficult cycling environment.
Complaints about inadequate, or inaccurate, information given at college orientations was also raised. While many colleges in student-swelled Boston don’t mention cycling rules at all, it was reported that Boston University encourages their students to ride on the sidewalk — an act legally prohibited in Boston.
Another bicycle safety issue risen at the meeting included recklessness by MBTA bus drivers, who many feel have no respect for cyclists on the road.
Fundamentally, though, it was the goal of the meeting to change people’s habits — both cyclists and those around them. To do that, the group emphasized that bikes need to be looked at as vehicles.
"We need to be acknowledged more in the community," explained Akerman. "Laws will help that. Drivers need more education, and bikers need more education."
This article originally appeared in The Boston Bulletin on June 14, 2007.
Thursday, May 3, 2007
Helicopters buzzing over Franklin Park are no flight of fancy for many
Helicopters buzzing over Franklin Park are no flight of fancy for many
Community activists and residents from Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester converged in Franklin Park’s Golf Clubhouse Tuesday night for a public hearing, sponsored by the Boston City Council’s Aviation and Transportation Committee, regarding fears that a helicopter landing pad has been proposed for the area.
The rumored helipad in question would cover a substantial part of Franklin Park’s flat surface, which is currently set aside for athletics.
City Councilors Charles Yancey, Chuck Turner and John Tobin heard testimony from Boston Police Department Deputy Superintendent Rafael Ruiz, BPD Superintendent Robert Dunford, Parks and Recreation Department Commissioner Toni Pollack. The testimony from all three indicated that there is not now – nor has there ever been – a plan to build a helipad within Franklin Park or any of Boston’s other green spaces.
Concern over the helipad arose following newspaper reports suggesting the proposal. Speculation further escalated after a state police helicopter landed in Franklin Park to pick up a Boston Police Department passenger during a homicide investigation.
According to Dunford, there have "only been three landings ever" in Franklin Park – all of which were for the purpose of State Police helicopters picking up Boston Police Department "observers." When questioned about why Franklin Park was used for picking up these officers, Dunford cited "convenience" as the primary motivation.
Yancey didn’t think convenience was a good enough excuse for landing a helicopter without permission from the parks department, the Franklin Park Zoo or any other organization involved with the Emerald Necklace. It was a sentiment echoed by Councilor Turner, who requested a guarantee from the BPD that Franklin Park would not be used in the future for helicopter landing without express permission.
Although the prospect of a helipad physically being built in Franklin Park was dismissed as hearsay at the meeting, community leaders were unable to get a promise from the police that helicopters would not land there in the future. Although, at one point, Dunford stated that helicopters would land in Franklin Park "only in the case of an emergency," he also defined the situation in which a Boston Police officer was picked up by State Police for the aforementioned homicide investigation as an emergency situation.
Christine Poff, director of the Franklin Park Coalition also spoke at the hearing. Explaining the regular use of Franklin Park for sports and community activities, she declared, on behalf of a supporter, "I would support landings [in Franklin Park] only if they do an equal amount of landings in the Boston Public Gardens."
Poff then cited Article 97 of the Massachusetts State Constitution, which states, "the people… have the freedom from unnecessary noise," which helicopters would make in the neighborhood, and further added that, "Lands and easements taken or acquired for such purposes shall not be used for other purposes or otherwise disposed of except by laws enacted by a two thirds vote, taken by yeas and nays, of each branch of the general court." Poff said she assumed that no vote was taken and, as such, the park couldn’t be used for helicopter landings.
Although the prospect of a helipad in Franklin Park may have been stamped out for good (Yancey found no funding for helipad construction anywhere in Boston in the annual budget), the meeting opened up the larger issue of helicopters over the city.
While police insisted that there would be no regular helicopter patrols of Boston’s neighborhoods, citizens complained of the persistent use of helicopters in their communities.
James E. Gilbert, Jr., a lifelong Bostonian of 95 years, testified that "helicopters are much more disturbing than planes," due to their being closer to the ground.
Eisa-Maria Mahta, a Los Angeles native who now resides in Boston, also complained of the noise.
"There was no peace where I grew up," she said of LA, where helicopters patrol the city daily. When she came to Boston for college, "there was peace" – a peace now disrupted by both State Police and media helicopters.
The council’s committee has adjourned its meeting until Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis gives them, in writing, a statement regarding the department’s future plans for helicopter landings.
This story first appeared in The Boston Bulletin on May 3, 2007.
Community activists and residents from Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester converged in Franklin Park’s Golf Clubhouse Tuesday night for a public hearing, sponsored by the Boston City Council’s Aviation and Transportation Committee, regarding fears that a helicopter landing pad has been proposed for the area.
The rumored helipad in question would cover a substantial part of Franklin Park’s flat surface, which is currently set aside for athletics.
City Councilors Charles Yancey, Chuck Turner and John Tobin heard testimony from Boston Police Department Deputy Superintendent Rafael Ruiz, BPD Superintendent Robert Dunford, Parks and Recreation Department Commissioner Toni Pollack. The testimony from all three indicated that there is not now – nor has there ever been – a plan to build a helipad within Franklin Park or any of Boston’s other green spaces.
Concern over the helipad arose following newspaper reports suggesting the proposal. Speculation further escalated after a state police helicopter landed in Franklin Park to pick up a Boston Police Department passenger during a homicide investigation.
According to Dunford, there have "only been three landings ever" in Franklin Park – all of which were for the purpose of State Police helicopters picking up Boston Police Department "observers." When questioned about why Franklin Park was used for picking up these officers, Dunford cited "convenience" as the primary motivation.
Yancey didn’t think convenience was a good enough excuse for landing a helicopter without permission from the parks department, the Franklin Park Zoo or any other organization involved with the Emerald Necklace. It was a sentiment echoed by Councilor Turner, who requested a guarantee from the BPD that Franklin Park would not be used in the future for helicopter landing without express permission.
Although the prospect of a helipad physically being built in Franklin Park was dismissed as hearsay at the meeting, community leaders were unable to get a promise from the police that helicopters would not land there in the future. Although, at one point, Dunford stated that helicopters would land in Franklin Park "only in the case of an emergency," he also defined the situation in which a Boston Police officer was picked up by State Police for the aforementioned homicide investigation as an emergency situation.
Christine Poff, director of the Franklin Park Coalition also spoke at the hearing. Explaining the regular use of Franklin Park for sports and community activities, she declared, on behalf of a supporter, "I would support landings [in Franklin Park] only if they do an equal amount of landings in the Boston Public Gardens."
Poff then cited Article 97 of the Massachusetts State Constitution, which states, "the people… have the freedom from unnecessary noise," which helicopters would make in the neighborhood, and further added that, "Lands and easements taken or acquired for such purposes shall not be used for other purposes or otherwise disposed of except by laws enacted by a two thirds vote, taken by yeas and nays, of each branch of the general court." Poff said she assumed that no vote was taken and, as such, the park couldn’t be used for helicopter landings.
Although the prospect of a helipad in Franklin Park may have been stamped out for good (Yancey found no funding for helipad construction anywhere in Boston in the annual budget), the meeting opened up the larger issue of helicopters over the city.
While police insisted that there would be no regular helicopter patrols of Boston’s neighborhoods, citizens complained of the persistent use of helicopters in their communities.
James E. Gilbert, Jr., a lifelong Bostonian of 95 years, testified that "helicopters are much more disturbing than planes," due to their being closer to the ground.
Eisa-Maria Mahta, a Los Angeles native who now resides in Boston, also complained of the noise.
"There was no peace where I grew up," she said of LA, where helicopters patrol the city daily. When she came to Boston for college, "there was peace" – a peace now disrupted by both State Police and media helicopters.
The council’s committee has adjourned its meeting until Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis gives them, in writing, a statement regarding the department’s future plans for helicopter landings.
This story first appeared in The Boston Bulletin on May 3, 2007.
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