Newsletter - March 2008

Dear supporters of Yellow Bike,

We've had a busier than ever month here at the shop with record numbers of folks coming through every day to work on bikes for themselves and for the community.  We've got some great projects and partnerships coming up in the next months.  Read on for the details . . .

-The Yellow Bike Project (YBP)

YBP AT THE TRIANGLE FARMER'S MARKET - Wednesday March 12th, 4 - 7pm - YBP will be partnering with KUT Radio to set up a booth at the Triangle Park Farmer's Market "Picnic in the Park."  We'll have a small workstation set up to perform basic repairs/adjustments, and we'll be there to answer all your questions about what we're up to at your community bike shop.

REI BIKE DRIVE! - SUNDAY MARCH 16th, Downtown REI, 11am - 7pm - Bring your lonely old bike to the downtown REI so that we can give it a new life on the streets.  We're in need of bikes for upcoming Earth Day and Bike Month events as well as our ongoing Earn-A-Bike and Youth Education programs.  We're looking for both adult and kid-sized complete (or almost complete) bikes to be overhauled, repaired and back on Austin streets in the coming weeks.  Come on down and lighten your load. 

BICYCLE ISSUES AT CITY COUNCIL REDUX- Thursday March 20th, City Hall, Council Chambers,  301 W. 2nd Street (no time available at the time of this writing.  Check this site for updates on agenda.)  Two very important issues for bicyclists have been rescheduled to be heard at this City Council meeting. You can vote your position on the issues three days prior to the meeting on the computers in the lobby of City Hall, or show up in person on the 20th to speak, or just show your support by attending.  We're hoping to get a large group of cyclists out similar to the group that showed up in opposition to the helmet law in 2006.

1) The presentation of the Street Smarts Task Force: The task force was created in response to the proposed helmet law in 2006 and is proposing comprehensive improvements in infrastructure, education, and enforcement efforts in Austin that IF approved by council will be a mandate to city government to bring about these changes that will benefit all cyclists.  See http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/council/streetsmarts.htm for more info.

2) The Yellow Bike Project long term lease on City land: YBP has been working with the city for over a year to find a suitable home for our new shop once the current 51st street shop has been demolished. Our search has led us to a site at East 12th and Webberville for which we have been working with Public Works and Austin Energy towards a lease agreement. When the lease is secured, YBP will build a 3000 sq ft facility on the site as its new headquarters.

 

AUSTIN CYCLING ASSOCIATION HOSTS CANDIDATES' FORUM - On April 7th at 7pm, at the Hancock Building boardroom in the LCRA building complex at 3700 Lake Austin Boulevard, there will be a forum sponsored by the Austin Cycling Association, the League of Bicycling Voters, and the Yellow Bike Project. This is your opportunity to let the next City Council know that cycling issues matter, and a chance to show up in numbers and be counted as a political force to be reckoned with in this town.  Meet at the 51st street shop to ride there at 6pm, or meet us along the way (click here for map).

UPCOMING YELLOW AND KID'S BIKE RELEASES -  YBP has committed to releasing more than 70 bikes between now and our 11th birthday party on May 31; we are confident that we can meet this goal with the help of our great community of supporters (YOU!)  Head on up to the shop to have fun getting your hands dirty building free bikes for the community.

KEALING MIDDLE SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS -  Youth programming at Kealing is still going strong.  We have almost completed an earn-a-bike class with youth from the Boys and Girls Club.  Youth in this class have been introduced to the workings of both of our shops as well as learning basic bike maintenance and fixing up bikes at our 12th St. satellite shop.   We are starting a new class at Kealing with youth from the Citizen Schools program.  We will be exploring the neighborhood by bike every Thursday afternoon, installing a bike rack at the historic Victory Grill and participating in our Artistic Community Walking and Cycling Carnival on May 17th (stay tuned for more information in future newsletters).

TREASURE CITY SATELLITE SHOP NEWS - The 12th Street shop has been keeping regular hours (3-6pm), 3 days a week (Mon, Thur and Fri) for several months now and consistency seems to be paying off.  We have a nice crew of volunteers that come regularly, the shop is in good working order with two tool walls, three bike racks and a nice quiver of ready to ride bikes, not to mention a slew of cool project bikes looking for the right caretaker.  We have a security light and best of all, a computer, so all our work is logged into the big Yellow Bike Database.  What we really need is to get more apprentice coordinators and be open 4+ days a week.  See below and come by for a visit.

APPRENTICE COORDINATORS NEEDED - Our shops have been busier than ever, and we need more coordinators to ensure that everyone has a positive experience at the shop.  We are looking for people who are interested in learning to work on bikes, have a love for teaching others, and who can reliably commit to a shop once per week.  No experience necessary.  Like everything at Yellow Bike you learn while getting your hands greasy and going for it.  Develop your mechanics skills and learn shop procedures while helping people repair their bikes.  If you'd like to be part of our continued growth as a community resource, come to a monthly Collective meeting (first Tuesday, 7:30 pm at 51st street main shop) or simply talk to a coordinator when the shop is open and let us know when you can help out.

1. Send a note to the City Council letting them know you want them to support the Street Smarts Task Force Recommendations.  We've made it easy to have your voice heard, providing pre-addressed and stamped postcards at our main 51st street shop.
2. Attend the City Council Meeting Thursday, March 20th.  Watch for updates in case of rescheduling.
3. Bring a donation bike to the downtown REI Bike Drive, Sunday, March 16th, benefitting YBP; we'll give you a tax write-off and put your lonely bike to good use.
4. Apprentice coordinate a shop at YBP.
5. Build a yellow bike!
   

(Bilingual) - Indicates a bilingual shop. Volunteers that speak Spanish will be present.
* Red Hours indicate Volunteer Shops: These shops are reserved for volunteering. Volunteers are also welcome anytime our shops are open. Volunteer Shops are usually less busy and facilitate a better learning experience. Personal projects are not allowed during volunteer shops; they can only be worked on during Open Shops. While volunteering, you can learn to fix bikes while giving back to YBP or accrue volunteer hours counting towards a free bike of your very own.
** Collective Meetings: Shop "closed" for collective meeting at our Main Shop (51st Street) on the 1st Tuesday of the month. Meeting begins at 7:30 pm. Open to the public. If you would like to contribute ideas to the collective, make requests, learn more about the project and its internal workings, or just get more involved this is the forum for you.
*** Volunteers Needed: We need volunteers so that we can expand and maintain hours of our shops. We want to be open more often. Come to the main 51st street shop to learn how you can help.