Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition: Your statewide bicycle advocacy - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition: Your statewide bicycle advocacy organization

What’ s is MassBike?

Better Bicycling through Advocacy, Legislation, and Education

• Non-profit founded in 1977
• Works in all 351 Massachusetts Municipalities
• Works Through “ Chapters” to Influence Local Issues
• Teach S

afe Routes to S chool in 53%

• f S

chool Districts

• Provide Technical Assistance to DPH, MassDOT, EOPS

S , MPOs, MPTC, MBTA,

• etc. – Alphabet S
• up!
• S

erve on MassDOT Design Exception Review Committee

• Represent Massachusetts at National Bike S

ummit

• Lobby for National, S

tate, and Local Legislative Efforts

• Work w/ and Grow our Advocacy Partners
• Maintain 2,000 members
• Provide Bike Valet Outreach at Local Events
• Oh, There’ s More!

Chapters

All politics, like all biking, is local. We depends on our “ wheels-on-the- ground” advocates. We currently have chapters in:

• Pioneer Valley
• Central MA
• North S

hore

We have emerging partners in:

• Merrimack Valley
• Cape Cod
• Berkshires
• Growing throughout the state!

Central Mass Chapter launch party in July 2018 at 3-Cross Brewery, Worcester

Tails and Paths

Acquiring Land

• Railroad ROW, taxation and incentives for sale, eminent domain
• Private Abutters
• Pooling Funding

Community Preservation Act

• Open Space, affordable housing, historic preservation
• Questions regarding “ leased” land allowed for funding

Inter-Agency Coordination

• Merrimack Valley
• Cape Cod
• Berkshires
• Growing throughout the state!

Railbanking Railroad ROW

• The local t axat ion of railroad real est at e is governed by G.L. c. 160, § 87.

“ Railroad depot s and ot her buildings used for railroad purposes wit hin t he railroad right s of way, not exceeding five rods wide, were exempt from propert y t ax because t hey were held for a public purpose. The court inferred t hat t he propert y was held in t rust for a public purpose because t he railroad had t he power t o t ake propert y by eminent domain, and was subj ect t o ext ensive regulat ion in t he public int erest .”

• During t he 2015-16 legislat ive session, Rep. Walsh int roduced H.2692 which

would have allowed municipalit ies t o levy real est at e t axes on t hese dormant / abandoned ROWs aft er at least t en years of no longer benefit ing “ t he public as an operat ional public ut ilit y. … The bill was not reint roduced in t he 2017-18 legislat ive session because t he Cit y of Framingham is at t empt ing t o negot iat e wit h CS X and t hey did not want t he legislat ion t o get in t he way of t heir negot iat ions.

Policies, S tatutes, and Interpretations

“ Dormant” RR ROWs in W. Mass

S tatewide Inter-Agency Coordination

www.mass.gov/masstrails

www.mass.gov/masstrails

www.mass.gov/masstrails

Thank electeds and celebrate support!

S

• , What Can You Do?
• Join MassBike as a Recurring Monthly Member
• Get that MassTrails Grant Funding! $$
• (Donate to Our Lights Brigade)
• S

upport Local Advocacy Efforts

• Make Friends: Get to Know Local & S

tate Officials

• Donate WHAT You Can: Time, Energy, Money

Thank You - Let’ s Do Great Things

At any time, feel free to contact Galen Mook Executive Director MassBike Galen@MassBike.org