The Holyoke Youth Commission invited members of the HFFPC Walking/Biking subcommittee to meet with Youth Commissioners on the evening of May 6, 2009, to discuss bicycle-related projects. We had a lively exchange of ideas! It was decided to create a bike group (not yet named) and meet again soon. We heard reports about, and were inspired by, bike projects and festivals in other communities:

• Oakland, CA - a youth-run bike repair business that some of our Holyoke youth just visited
  see http://www.cyclesofchange.org/ and http://www.ebbc.org/?q=node/951
  
• Easthampton - May 9 Bicycle Fun! within Arts festival: http://www.artwalkeasthampton.org/
  
• Bike Co-op, a student-run bike repair business at UMass-Amherst http://www.umass.edu/rso/bikecoop/2006/
  
• Bikes Not Bombs - Boston http://www.bikesnotbombs.org/
  
• Worcester Earn-A-Bike http://www.worcesterearnabike.org/
  
• Ciclovia, Bogata Colombia http://sclipo.com/videos/view/ciclovia-bogota-colombia-a-great-example-for-all-cities
  
• Hand Car Regatta, Santa Rosa, CA with welded bikes made into a Viking ship
  
• Seattle, WA, Bike Works http://www.bikeworks.org/programs.php
  

Additional meetings were held July 1 and August 12. Then Elbert and I scouted bike rack locations, distributing Karen Mendrala's Bike Rack Program flyers to business owners. The first of the new racks will be installed Sept 10th at City Hall (Press Conference at 1:00pm in conjunction with Farmers Market and HFFPC).