Since the birth of my two kids, everything has changed in my life. Except for who I am. 

I am a Bostonian. I prefer two wheels over four. I like to have a small carbon footprint. I want the air that we all breathe to be clean. I only like dirty water in song format. Fun is a priority for me. I enjoy being outdoors, even when its cold, or rainy, or humid. (Did I mention I am a Bostonian?).  Who I am is important to me, and I want to make sure both of my kids grow up knowing their dad is a man who’s path in life is guided by his convictions. I believe that choosing to ride my bike for everyday transportation has made me a better person because it embodies all of the things that make me who I am.

It’s not always easy to get from Point-A to Point-B on a bicycle in Boston. Sometimes bike friendly routes take me pretty far out of the way… or worse, in many cases there is no bike friendly route, so I have to summon my nerve and take the tough road. This gets harder and harder to do these days, especially knowing that I have a family that depends on me.  

It shouldn’t have to be this way.  Which is why I am working hard to change all that.  

**hold on**  if this is too long for you to finish reading, just go ahead and stop now... whip out your wallet and make a donation knowing that I will continue to be a dedicated advocate for safe streets & bike ways. No judgement, you're a busy person, I totally get it. Everyone else please read on!

For the past 15 years or so, I have been dedicating much of my free time toward improving bicycling in Boston. I like to focus my efforts on:

•    Policy
•    Infrastructure
•    Culture
 

Policy takes enduring dedication, and typically involves writing lots of letters, attending public hearings, talking to elected officials, and being very very very patient.  Politics & policy take time, and over the years the Boston Cyclists Union has been truly effective in getting things done. We’ve seen lower speed limits, the adoption of Complete Streets & Vision Zero policies, with the goal of reducing traffic fatalities to zero.  These are major wins toward a safer Boston for everyone, not just people who bike.  

 

Infrastructure is the holy grail of bicycle advocacy. Every time a new & safe bike path is constructed, the cycling in that region flourishes. Right now we have a few low-stress bike routes, but many of them are completely disconnected from the other good pathways which is a real barrier for people who are only willing to bike in a low stress environment.  We’re working to change all of that, and every year we make a bit more progress. Infrastructure campaigns take a lot of time and continued interest. It means attending round after round of public input meetings, often several times a week.  It also means having our own transportation engineers challenge the city’s proposed design, and try to get them to re-think how they’ve been doing things for the past 60 years.

   

Culture is all about making biking a lot of fun! That’s easy, becuase biking is inherently fun! It doesn’t hurt that the bike community in Boston is such a wonderful and diverse group. Once someone starts biking its just a matter of time before they develop a “bike family”. I’ve been known to help facilitate more than a few bike friendships with some of the fun, silly, & challenging bike events that I've helped plan & execute.  To name a few: Boston Bike Party, The Taco Tour, Midnight Marathon, and of course… Bos/tréal (the whole reason you are reading this!)

Our city streets can be remade to make it easy for getting around by bicycle. This is not some pipe-dream, its a very achievable goal, and Boston can get there, but I need your support. This is why, once again, I am organizing & participating “Bos/tréal” which is a 400 mile fundraiser bike ride from Boston MA to Montreal QC.  
Why Montreal?  Because like Boston it is old for a North American city, and despite the cold & snow Montreal has the best bicycle network on the continent. 

This is a challenging 400 mile trek through the mountains of Vermont, across an international border, all while sleeping each night in a tent on the ground.... but it will also be an educational experience for all 40 riders because we'll connect with the bike advocates & transportation planners in Montreal to learn strategies for building out our network back home in Boston.

Your donation will help the Boston Cyclists Union continue to make the Greater Boston Area better for people like me who want to get from Point-A to Point-B safely, efficiently, and pollution free.  So please, pretty please, make a contribution toward my fundraising goal. It will help ensure that everyone who bikes (including me!) has a safer and more enjoyable way to get around town, and hopefully by the time my kids are are grown up, they’ll have access to everything the city has to offer on an interconnected series of easy to ride bicycle pathways.

Thank you!
Jon Ramos