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% of S chool Districts ● Provide Technical Assistance to DPH, MassDOT, EOPS S , MPOs, MPTC, MBTA, etc. – Alphabet S oup! ● 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

Policies, S tatutes, and Interpretations 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.

“ 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 o, 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