Info & FAQ
Information
Bicycle Beacon Street like you've never done before - with no cars to get in your way. Ride the entire length of our historic avenue - both east and west - all car free! You'll do a 5-mile loop with Brookline Police leading the way, riding with us, and covering our backs. Like a parade!
 | |||
When | |||
| Sunday, May 18, 2008 | |||
| 11:30 - 12:15 | Registration | ||
| 12:30 | Parade starts promptly | ||
| 1:00 - 3:00 | Post-Ride Fitness Fair with food, entertainment, and fun. | ||
Where | |||
Meet at Amory Park. See our map for details about the route. | |||
Why
Brookline Bikes Beacon is a free, family-friendly, community event. We want to celebrate, encourage, and call attention to the environmental, physical, and social benefits of bicycling - on renovated Beacon Street.
Who
This is a parade for cyclists at almost every level. Cyclists must be able to ride 5 miles on a hilly course at an average speed of 10 miles per hour without stopping. Generally, that means 10 years old or older and using a reliable bicycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Brookline Bikes Beacon?
When is it?
How much does it cost?
Where will it begin and end?
Isn't that where the Fitness Fair is?
Directions to Amory Park?
Car parking?
Who is running the event?
How old do I have to be?
Why can't younger children ride in the parade?
Will you have activities for children too young to ride in the parade and too old to be on their parents' bikes?
Why bikes only?
Will it be safe?
How long is the parade? How long will it take?
Where will we ride?
What if I'm late?
May I go as fast as I want?
What if I can't keep up 10 mph? Or I get a flat tire?
What about the weather?
Will there be public toilets?
Will there be a safe place to leave bikes?
Will there be mechanics to do bike safety checks?
What kind of riders will participate?
May I decorate my bike? helmet? shirt?
What if I don't have a bicycle?
Why Beacon Street?
What if my bike needs a tune-up?
What are the day-of-event volunteer jobs?
What is Brookline Bikes Beacon?
Brookline Bikes Beacon is a bicycle parade. It is a chance to bicycle Beacon Street like you've never done before -- with no cars to get in your way. Ride the entire length of our recently renovated historic avenue -- both east and west -- all car free! Brookline Bikes Beacon is a community event. You'll be with lots of families, friends and neighbors... on bicycles.
Sunday, May 18, 2008. The ride starts at 12:30 P.M.
It's free. Generous, civic-minded supporters are helping to run the event.
Amory Park
Isn't that where the Fitness Fair is?
Yes. Brookline's annual Fitness Fair will be from 1 to 3 P.M. at Amory Park. The bicycle parade will flow right into the Fitness Fair.
Amory Park abuts Amory Street between Beacon Street and Freeman Street. Check out our map.
It is Brookline. Parking will be difficult. There will be no parking along Amory and in the parking lot. There is also a Red Sox game going on about the same time. If you have to drive, it will be best to find a spot nearby and bicycle to the staging area.
The Brookline Bicycle Advisory Committee with the help of the Brookline Police, Recreation, Health, Human Services, and Public Works Departments. Those groups are also running the Fitness Fair.
Riders must be 10 years of age or older. Each cyclist must have a bicycle in good working condition, a helmet, and be able to keep up a pace of 10 miles per hour on a hilly course.
Anyone under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Children under 10 may participate in the parade only if accompanied by an adult on a child bike seat, tandem, trail-a-bike, or trailer.
Why can't younger children ride in the parade?
Our agreement with the Brookline Police is to maintain a speed of 10 miles per hour over the length of the route to keep the parade safe and to not totally disrupt Beacon Street and side street traffic. Younger children will have to defer to their older siblings for this ride.
Will you have activities for children too young to ride in the parade and too old to be on their parents' bikes?
Yes. The Brookline Police will be running a bicycle rodeo for young bicyclists at the Fitness Fair.
The event is being run by the Bicycle Advisory Committee. It is being organized to celebrate, encourage, and call attention to the environmental, physical, and social benefits of bicycling. Also, for safety concerns, this is not the right event for in-line skaters, runners, skateboarders, wheelchairs, strollers, electric bicycles, mopeds, and scooters.
The Brookline Police will be leading the parade, riding in the parade, and bringing up the rear. They will do rolling road closures at major intersections. We will ride as a group with the road open to traffic ahead of us and behind us. All rules of the road apply. Please ride safely and courteously. Cyclists will stay behind the lead police car and in front of the rear police car at all times -- traveling about 10 mph. Helmets are required. Any physical activity in such a large group will have some risks, but they should be minor.
How long is the parade? How long will it take?
The parade is exactly 5 miles. Bicycling at 10 miles per hour should take about 30 minutes.
Check out the map. We'll bicycle down Amory, take a right on Beacon, go west to Ayr Street in Cleveland Circle, cross the tracks, head east all the way to Saint Mary's Street, make a u-turn just before Audubon Circle, head west again, and turn into Amory Park. We'll be riding in all the lanes.
We have to leave promptly at 12:30 because we are all riding together. Latecomers won't be able to ride with the group.
No. The police cars at the front and the back will set the pace. Riders must stay behind the lead car and ahead of the rear car.
What if I can't keep up 10 mph? Or I get a flat tire?
You can pull over and walk your bike on the sidewalk or cross Beacon Street and rejoin the parade on its return from Cleveland Circle.
Steady rain will force a cancellation. If the weather looks doubtful, call the Brookline Recreation 24-hour program line at 617.730.2083 or check the brooklinebikes.org web site.
Yes. We will have some set up at Amory Park.
Will there be a safe place to leave bikes?
Yes. We will have a fenced off bicycle check parking area where you can check your bike while you are at the Fitness Fair.
Will there be mechanics to do bike safety checks?
Yes. Before the event, mechanics from several area bike stores will offer free safety checks.
What kind of riders will participate?
All kinds. This will be a family-friendly group. For some it will be the first time they've been on a bike in years. Others will say they never felt comfortable bicycling in Brookline because of the traffic. Some will be long distance riders fresh from an early morning ride. Some will be racers in lycra. Some will be local celebrities and government and business leaders. Most will be just regular people, age 10 and over, out for a ride. But we'll all be going at the same moderate speed.
May I decorate my bike? helmet? shirt?
Sure. And some groups will be wearing shirts to identify themselves by family or school or club or work or cause or team.
What if I don't have a bicycle?
UrbanAdvenTours rents bicycles out of Landry's Bicycle Shop at 890 Commonwealth Avenue. Some of our town celebrities will be riding their bikes as well.
Beacon Street was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the Father of American Landscape Architecture and former Brookline resident. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was recently renovated, planted, and redesigned to include bike lanes where possible. This is a chance to celebrate our historic boulevard.
What if my bike needs a tune-up?
During the month of February, Landry's Bicycles at 890 Commonwealth Avenue offers 20% off all bicycle servicing. In addition, during March Landry's will take $5 off the price of a tuneup for any Brookline resident with an ID and proof of registration for Brookline Bikes Beacon. Eastern Mountain Sports, REI, and Ski Market also tune bicycles.
What are the day-of-event volunteer jobs?
1) Parade marshalls - we need at least 25 adults who will stand at various side streets. They will have an orange DPW barricade to close the street just before the bicyclists pass through. After the parade passes, they simply move the barricade to the side. Job done. Major intersections will be blocked by police officers in cars or on motorcycles.
2) Registration - We need people to man the registration table for riders registering on the day of the event.
3) Information - We need people who know what is going on and can answer questions. They will drift.
4) Crowd control - We need people who will help line up the bicyclists on Amory Street.
5) Bike check - We need people to operate the bike check. These people should have some experience gently handling bicycles. They will also set up and take down the DPW orange barriers that we will use as bike racks.
6) Clean Up - Our agreement with the Parks Department is that we will police the grounds, bag all trash and recycling, and take it to one collection area in the parking lot. Being sure litter and recyclables don't end up in the yards of residences on Amory St. is also important.
Brookline Bikes Beacon, Brookline Massachusetts
BikeBeacon@BrooklineBikes.org
