Fall River Mayor William Flanagan and Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly invited Boston Bicycle "Czar" Nicole Freedman to Government Center in Fall River on January 12, 2012 to describe what Boston has been able to do to enhance and encourage bicycle riding. Ms. Freedman is a former member of the U.S. National Cycling Team, competed in the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and won the 64-mile U.S. Championship Road Race. She is now in charge of Boston Bikes, a city-wide effort to increase bicycling and to improve safety, comfort and connectivity for people of all abilities. The planning process will guide development of a network of bike facilities through near-term and long-term recommendations. Ms. Freedman explained how she has developed the network and offered suggestions for ways that Fall River could implement many of the same features. Click here for the Herald News article. Click here for a video of the presentation. Click here for photos from the Bikeway Summit, here for photos of a bike ride planning committee, here for a recent ride to UMass, and here for the Quequechan River route planning meeting.  For more information, contact Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator Julianne Kelly, at 508-324-2405 or Fall River Bicycle Committee Chairman Brian Pearson.

(Top row) Fall River Mass In Motion coordinator introduces Nicole Freedman to Mayor William Flanagan as he tries out a bicycle with City Councilor Dave Dennis. (Row two) Julie welcomes an audience of about thirty supporters of developing bicycle activity in Fall River. (Row three) Nicole describes some of the steps that she has taken to develop bicycle routes in Boston and actions that Fall River could take to develop similar routes. (Bottom row, left and center) Nicole talks with Jamie Jacquart, Assistant Director of the UMass-Dartmouth Office of Sustainability as Bruce Souza and Jim Hornsby listen. (Bottom row, right) Mass Department of Transportation Region V transportation planner Timothy Kechan talks with Fall River Planning Department director Elizabeth Dennehy following the presentation.