Bicycle Coalition of Maine

Mark your calendar for Wednesday July 31st from 5-8 for a special Kegs for Causes at @risingtidebeer Rising Tide is donating $1 from every beer sold this evening to the Bicycle Coalition of Maine! Come on out and show your support. There will be a special beer release, cornhole, food, drinks, and even an opportunity to meet our new Active Transportation Director Paul and learn about the advocacy and programs that the BCM is involved with. Hope to see you there!

Last month PeopleForBikes released a comprehensive assessment of small cities in their annual City Ratings of bicycle infrastructure in the US. Check out the BCM’s press release to see where some Maine cities ranked: https://lnkd.in/ewSSzR4Q

This national study shows a decline in pedestrian deaths for the first time since the pandemic. While this is moving in a positive direction, we feel that it is important to note changes in law, infrastructure, and behaviors that are contributing to this. It is also crucial to continue advocating for changes that can help us reach a goal of zero fatalities. https://lnkd.in/eJwUuUST

Please join us tomorrow at Orange Bike Brewing Company for a discussion on sustainability in the tourism industry in Maine and beyond. We'll be addressing climate change, over-tourism, and environmental degradation, and how we can all contribute to more sustainable practices. Event Details: 📅 When: Tomorrow, Tue, June 25 📍 Where: Orange Bike Brewing Company 🌱 What: Sustainability in Tourism Meet our esteemed panelists: - Topaz Smith Founder of EN-NOBLE (Moderator) - Rob Holmes Founder of GLP Films - Dr. Tracy Michaud Associate Professor of Tourism and Hospitality at the University of Southern Maine - Ben Conniff Chief Innovation Officer at Luke's Lobster - Tae Chong, DEI and Multicultural Business Consultant, former Portland City Council member Join us for this important conversation and learn how we can all make a difference. [Learn more here] https://lnkd.in/ef24Xhgv Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! Onward together, Tom Lisa Parham Jones Jeff Marks CLIMATEWORK MAINE City of Portland, Maine Troy Moon Hannah Pingree Rachel Talbot Ross 1% for the Planet Celine Miranda Jenny Kalanges B Lab U.S. & Canada Janet Mills Portland Trails Bicycle Coalition of Maine Dajuan Eubanks Anne Marisic Yale School of Management Luke Truman Dan Carlson Katie Fletcher Dan Burgess Jeremy Pare Nina Scheepers Joe Powers Maine Venture Fund Renee Kelly

The BCM is excited to announce that Paul Drinan has joined our team as the Active Transportation Director. Paul brings great experience from his work, most recently as Executive Director of Friends of Fort Gorges and founder of Vision Zero Maine. Drinan, a committed bicycle commuter and bike/ped advocate, is excited to start connecting with the Coalition's members, partners, and other supporters throughout Maine, to improve conditions for people biking and walking. Drinan will lead the BCM's policy efforts, bike/ped infrastructure work, and Community Spokes program. Welcome Paul!

It’s just seven weeks until our kickoff to summer, the Trust to Trail Joy Ride Fundraiser on Saturday June 29th! If you’re looking for the perfect way to support the Bicycle Coalition of Maine while having a fun time, this ride and afterparty are for you. Our 18 mile course takes you from the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust along quiet Kennebunkport roads, and provides breathtaking views of Horseshoe Cove, Granite Point, and Goose Rocks Beach. You’ll get to know other friends and supporters of the BCM as you meet on the beach at Pine Point to enjoy some “shorecuterie” and walk an optional trail that is part of the Rachel Carson Preserve. The ride ends back at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust for an afterparty with a picnic lunch from Mornings in Paris, beer and beverages from Orono Brewing Company, and live music from the Ideal Maine Band. We’ll have yard games, a raffle, and more to help you relax and enjoy the best of Maine summer! Not a rider, but still want to take part? Purchase an afterparty ticket so you can meet up with friends and family after their ride and join in the fun, as we picnic and party at the beautiful Kennebunkport Conservation Trust! Sign up today! https://lnkd.in/eqJezbNF

Next Wednesday 5/14, as we commemorate Global Road Safety Week, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine will host the Portland Ride of Silence a worldwide ride that honors vulnerable road users who have been injured or killed by traffic violence while bicycling, raises awareness that bicyclists have a legal right to use the road, and reminds motorists to respectfully share the road with all users. We hope you will join us, or take part in one of the other rides throughout the state. You can learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/ezDYS36m

So excited to share this news! Thank you to the state representatives and senators who supported this bond. Now on to the November ballot!

PeopleForBikes.org is asking all of us to help improve road safety across the country by submitting a comment to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) regarding proposed rule changes to the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Proposed rule changes include: -Clarifying that "road users" include people who bike and walk and that their needs should be accounted for in HSIP-funded projects -Broadening the perspectives involved in road safety planning to include representatives from public health agencies and underserved communities -Creating a new definition for "underserved communities" to ensure HSIP projects are distributed fairly across all communities -Requiring states to advance a Safe System Approach, emphasizing comprehensive and holistic safety measures that include safe speeds and safe road design as key pillars -Requiring states to conduct system-wide safety risk assessments, including identifying the number of fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads by location and prioritizing HSIP projects based on data to maximize safety Submit a comment at the link below before April 22 to support road safety improvements nationwide. https://lnkd.in/eBJ-u7SD

Spring has sprung and soon summer will be in full swing!!! Did you know that Van Buren has the ONLY FREE ev bicycle charging stations in the State of Maine?? Located at 86 Main Street!! Come enjoy USBR 501 from VB to Alagash!! #Maine #CycleMaine #USBR501 Bicycle Coalition of Maine