The Jamaica Plains Gazzette has an article about how Forest Hills Station has run out of Bike Charlie Cards. In it, mention is made (in passing) that this cage for 100 bikes cost $4,800,000 (4.8 million!!!!)

http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/node/3733

Is this a mispint? Or an indication of Boston graft on an even more massive scale than usual?

Ferris Wheels Bike Shop throws a last-minute Down to the Wire Tour de France Party this Saturday, July 25th, 8-11 pm. Since Lance is defending his place on the podium in the perilous climb up Mont Ventoux, the night seems party-worthy.

Join cycling enthusiasts at Jeanie Johnston Pub, 144 South Street, Jamaica Plain. A free raffle, Tour 101, Tour trivia, and the Jeanie Johnston's great food and drink round out a fun evening.

I'm as much for bikes in Boston as anyone, but the rent-a-bike model isn't everything the Globe cracks it up to be (and Tommy doesn't mention that this trip was a press junket, as Google News makes obvious.) It lines the pocket of a monopolistic private entity, is a back-door tax on bicyclists, and does absolutely nothing to enhance Boston's bike infrastructure. Publicly owned space that could be used for public lockups will go to the rental program; local bike shops could be hurt as people eschew private ownership; landlords could be harder to convince to make secure storage space available. What about those of us who don't want to ride a hulking heavy bike, spend 15 minutes walking to the 'nearest' bike rental cage for a 15 minute bike ride, pay by the hour, worry about whether a bike will be available/whether we can return it in time, or give someone a $200 security deposit? What about all the fuel wasted redistributing bikes? Why are Boston leaders wasting time with solutions in search of a problem, instead of giving us bike lanes, road signs, hoops around meters, and public bike racks? Meanwhile in London, they're banning locks on rental bikes- but yet renters are responsible for thefts. It's not hard to imagine such idiocy here.

Mr. Matlack should have asked Parisians how to paint a line on pavement for less than $30,000 per mile, so we can have more than 3.2 miles of bike lanes. New York city manages to install 60 miles of bike lanes a year and installed 800 bike racks in one year. Chicago has hundreds of miles of paths and 10,000 bike racks (yes, you read that right: 10,000 bike racks.) All of that was accomplished without idiotic rental programs. In Boston, it's not even clear if the 250 bike lockups that were promised in 2007 have been fully installed; in JP, they seem to only exist in front of City Feed.

Received an invite to Mayor Menino's press conference tomorrow, which will cover "Commonwealth Avenue Bike Lanes, Rack installations ... and one item yet to be announced."

A surprise for Boston's biking community! What do you think/hope it is? Selfishly, I'd like the city to extend the Mass. Ave. bridge bike lane another block to Beacon Street.

Press conference tomorrow at 11:00 in the courtyard of the BU School of Communications, 640 Commonwealth Ave. Bring your bike and your helmet.

It's not well-publicized, but there's a bike rally tomorrow to kick off Bay State Bike Week. Meet at Boston City Hall Plaza at 2:00 sharp for a fifteen-minute ride that ends at Post Office Square for the rally.

Boston Bike Czarina Nicole Freedman, Boston Mayor and recent bike enthusiast Tom Menino, and Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons will be on hand to give away free stuff and feel the bike love!

RSVP to .

Friends,
There will be a bicycle loading from 10AM to 4 or 5PM on Saturday, July 7th, 2007 at building N of the Sam Adams Brewery Complex on Boylston Street (2 blocks south of Stony Brook Station). Those of you who know about Bikes Not Bombs also know that these shipments make a big difference in improving peoples lives with appropriate transportation and education. We have plenty of bicycles. We just need some able-bodied help in loading and packing this container. We'll take a break for lunch (pizza & salad) around 1PM. I'll see you there.
Peace.
Jon Allen
Bikes Not Bombs
http://bikesnotbombs.org
Village Bicycle Project
http://www.pcei.org/vbp/