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Newsletter - June 2009 Dear supporters of Yellow Bike, Austin's Bike Month was THE BOMB! We elected two-wheel lifer Chris Riley to our City Council; had an awesome 12th birthday party; raced, paced, commuted, and cruised together; kept fixing bikes in the face of a defiant sun; and stormed City Hall by the hundreds to support the 2009 Update to the City's Bicycle Master Plan. Great Job... ...but let's not stop there. Due to a legal technicality, the Bike Plan Update still hasn't been voted on. This Thursday, June 11, the glitch should be fixed and a vote should go down. After our awesome showing at last month's hearing, opponents are more likely than ever to come out and voice their opinions. Read below for details... ...and above all, remember: it's always Bike Month in Austin, Texas. SHOP CONSTRUCTION NEWS - Yellow Bike Headquarters Update - We continue to work towards breaking ground at the new headquarters site. Our architect and engineers are addressing the usual city comments on the site plan, and we have received two bids for construction of the new building. Due to some unexpected water line complications, total costs will be about $30,000 more than we'd expected. Making matters worse, These Tough Economic Times have snatched away some work donations that were previously pledged to us. All this shouldn't hold up construction, but (wink wink) donations of any size will give some much-appreciated protection against future debt. And we're still taking bids, so give us a shout if you know any good (cheap) contractors. We still hope to hold a groundbreaking ceremony sometime in the next two months, so stay tuned for updates. Visit our Webberville headquarters page for more information, or to donate to the fund.
COOKIES - Thanks to Jeannette Olivas, pastry chef and organizer extraordinaire, Quack's Bakery sold several hundred yummy cookies in our name last month. To honor the contribution, we'll build a portion of our new shop's eastern wall from coffee-soaked shortbread. Thanks, Quack's! Bicycle Film Festival - The BFF will be in Austin this year from August 5-9. Friday the 7th's screening will likely benefit YBP, and likely be at Creekside. In the meantime, visit the BFF site, and enjoy some related viewing. Be sure to keep an eye out for Lucy Kreutz's The Bicycle Cowboy, starring longtime YBP coordinator Ben Lynch. Fast Women - July 11th is the 2nd official ladies-only alleycat, Double Down. More than just a race, Double Down features several prize categories, including best costume and fastest slow-bike. There will be an afterparty at the brand-new Fast Folks on east 6th (near the HEB); expect beer, food, music, surprises and raffle! Registration begins 4:30 PM at the Capitol, and the race starts at 6. Race entry is $5. Afterparty entry is $5 too, but racers party for free. Proceeds benefit YBP's new building fund! Be sure to bring lock, bag, water, and money. Good luck!
UPCOMING EVENTS -
BIKE PLAN CITY COUNCIL VOTE - As mentioned above, Austin cyclists made an excellent showing at last month's City Council hearing on the 2009 Bicycle Master Plan Update. Some excellent speeches were made, council-members were serenaded (select public hearing item 61 and scroll to about 9:33 PM), but unfortunately there was no vote. The Update's next hearing is scheduled for this Thursday, June 11, no earlier than 6:00 PM. If you've got something to say - even if you don't - go there and speak, sit, or stand. Council's likely to vote this time, so be ready to celebrate. If you can't make the meeting, swing by City Hall and sign up in favor of the Update at one of the computer kiosks in the Lobby. The item number is 75 PH. If you're attending the meeting, but not speaking, the computer lets you donate 3 minutes of time to someone who is. Do that. For more on the plan, visit http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/bicycle/update2008.htm. Bicycle Advisory Council - Austin's Bicycle Advisory Council is a citizen body that meets with staff of the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Program from 6:30 to 8 PM on the 3rd Thursday of each month - that's June 18th, July 16th, August 20th, et cetera for those of you still living in 2009. Meetings are held in the 8th-floor conference room at 505 Barton Springs. This is the smokey backroom where bike lane deals are made. Don't be a schmo, get out there! Mamma Jamma Ride - The first ever annual Texas Mamma Jamma Ride aims to raise $400,000 for 10 local agencies, including the Sustainable Food Center, that are out to change the odds for thousands of Central Texans in the fight against breast cancer. According to the recent policy paper published by The World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, the 8 million lives lost annually to cancer could be reduced by about one quarter to one third by dietary changes including reduction in overweight and obesity together with physical activity. To learn more and register for the ride go to mammajammaride.org.
LADY BIKE - Our Bike Month-long experiment with women's shops, a.k.a. LadyBike, proved to be a popular way for the new and experienced bicycle ladies of Austin to spend their Saturday mornings. With a team of Yellow Bike's finest, aided by Billie Latzer of Bicycle Sport Shop, we tackled bicycle basics and not-so-basics. Consensus says we'll have a women's repair clinic one day every month, beginning in July. Keep your eyes out for dates in the coming newsletters and schedules. We'd like to thank the solid core of participants, the dedicated volunteers, and Austin Lunachix (for some delicious breakfast) and Bicycle Sport Shop (for coffee)--not to mention Billie for her time and guidance. While you wait for the next LadyBike, why not come by a Thursday or Friday open shop and try your new skills? You'll see some familiar female faces, and get some solid support and guidance for fixing your simple machine.
Urban Assault Ride - New Belgium beer is putting together a city-wide bicycle scavenger hunt/race for June 28. To make it all work, they're asking for volunteers from local bike-related organizations (like us). Volunteers will get a free T-shirt, free food, and free beer. New Belgium will also make a sizable donation to each participating organization, based on how many volunteers it supplies. To recap: free food, clothing, and shelter...er, beer, and a fat donation to YBP's new building fund, all for a half-day's fun. If you'd like to volunteer on YBP's behalf, contact coordinator Russell Pickavance. July 4th Extravaganza - To celebrate the birth of the birthplace of freedom, a fabulous festival will force liberty down the lungs of Austin's Wooldridge Square Park (9th and Guadalupe). Starting at 1 PM, The Invincible Czars will perform Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture (the one with the cannons). Rebecca Havemeyer will do a side-splitting, gender-bending old-timey Ode to America. Yellow Bike involvement is tentative, but we're likely to be there decorating bikes for a festive ride to watch fireworks from the water's edge. Come out and feel the freedom flowing through your hair, dancing with your handlebar streamers. It's better than baseball. We promise. Tour de Fat - New Belgium Beer will be tearing through Austin on October 17th with their infamous and generous Tour de Fat . The TDF is a whimsical celebration of humankind's greatest invention, the bicycle, and leaves all proceeds to the bike non-profits of each town it visits. It's never too soon to start getting ready. First, YBP and the Austin Cycling Association are already piecing together the volunteer teams that will make this thing run. To get in on the fun, and help us earn big bucks, email coordinator Pete Dahlberg. Second, start making a costume. Third, think about trading your car for a bike, or convincing a friend to. OTHER NEWS AND INFORMATION -
Flat-Fix Fiesta - On May 23, volunteers from YBP, Orange Bike Project, and Ecology Action converged on the Colorado Apartments for the Flat-Fix Fiesta, brainchild of resident Ana González. Thanks also to the University of Texas for donating snack funds. Upwards of 20 flats were fixed, putting around 15 tykes' bikes back on the road. Watch out for low-moving traffic! Legislative Update - The Safe Passing Bill has passed both the House and Senate and now sits on Governor Perry's desk awaiting signature. SB 2041, which would require that motorists' responsibilities in relation to cyclists be covered on driver's license tests, is keeping it company. Together, these two bills would clear up many of the legal ambiguities around cycling on public roads - and spread the word to those poor souls who've never tried it. The Governor's pen is said to be working, and our sources expect he will use it. TBC Mailing List - As we just saw, this legislative session has been a hot one for Texas bicycle issues. Successful, too. Understand, though, these bills don't pass themselves! Thankfully, the Texas Bicycle Coalition (TBC) has got our backs. Let's give 'em a hand, ya'll, and help out where we can! To stay informed on TBC's statewide advocacy efforts, sign up for their email newsletter here.
SHOP NEWS -
The days are officially hot, and shops continue to bustle at the Yellow Bike Transition shop in the Treasure City parking lot East (1720 E. 12th). We're open again five days a week this month, unless we are receiving some more much-needed rain (these shops are held outside, with no protection from any inclement weather). The Orange Bike Project is closed for Summer, and the 21st St. Coop shop should reopen later in the month. We'll post info on our site as soon as it's available. And YBP is still representing at the Downtown Farmer's Market every Saturday from 9am - 1pm. Les and his rotating cast of co-coordinators will present a different hands-on workshop every Saturday at 11am, if ya'll show up for it. (Please do. Our workshops give you the opportunity to learn maintenance topics in depth, with lots of personal attention). If not, we're still there to sell T-shirts, shoot the breeze, or help out with the errant mechanical oddities. Here are the planned workshops for June: 6/06/09: Assessing the Condition of an Old Bike 6/13/09: General Bike Maintenance 6/20/09: Fixing Flats 6/27/09: Pannier Building SCHEDULE - Subject to change after the first Tuesday of the month - Check the website before coming by . . .
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