Every year the Bicycle Exchange participates to sell off some of our excess inventory and accessories. If you would like to help out with transport, sales, record keeping or just being a booth groupie, let us know!
Last month we donated another 47 bicycles. Thanks to everybody who helped out.
Here is a recent Bicycle Exchange related quotation:
“Just when we thought the Bike Shop couldn’t possibly get more wonderful, it did get more wonderful this past Sunday. For the first time, Johnny was able to attach training wheels to some of the tiny bikes for some of our youngest new bike owners… I just love what we’re doing together!” – Janis Barron, Sunday Friends
Did You Know?
At long last, the feds have said the needs of pedestrians and cyclists must be placed alongside, not behind, those of motorists.
In what amounts to a sea change for the Department of Transportation, the automobile will no longer be the prime consideration in federal transportation planning. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says the needs of pedestrians and cyclists will be considered along with those of motorists, and he makes it clear that walking and riding are “an important component for livable communities.”
“People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning,” LaHood wrote on his blog. “This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized.”
He goes on:
“We are integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects. We are discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians. And we are encouraging investments that go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.”
LaHood’s announcement came on the heels of his appearance at the National Bike Summit, where he was greeted like a rock star and told the crowd, “Our mission is the same as your mission,” and “I think we’re beginning to put our money where our mouth is on these issues.”
Read More: http://fastlane.dot.gov/2010/03/my-view-from-atop-the-table-at-the-national-bike-summit.html
New “Employee” Benefit: T-Shirts, while supplies last!
We don’t really have employees – the Bike Exchange has no paid staff. If you made it to the Bike Exchange’s year-end party and workday you already know about our first ever official T-shirts. For everyone else, we bought enough T-shirts for quite a few volunteers, and while supplies last, any volunteer who has done 5 or more workdays is entitled to a free T-shirt. T-shirts can also be purchased for a suggested donation of $15 or more.
Here’s a bit more information about these functional and artistic beauties. The design on the back was done by our very own Carol Mattsson. The fabric is a 50/50 cotton polyester blend, and the shirts are made in the USA by American Apparel. Below is a link to care instructions for your new T-shirt provided by our T-shirt vendor. The most important tip: turn all screen printed T-shirts inside out before machine washing, especially if they have Carol’s artwork on them!
http://www.customink.com/care_instructions/?cm_mmc=lifecycle-_-howwasit-_-appareltext-_-care
Name Badges – for those who want them!
In order to keep all the names and faces straight and to help orient our first-time volunteers we’re offering personalized Bike Exchange name tags – complete with their own plastic holder. If you want one, simply reply to this message with your name (as you want it printed), and the year that you started volunteering with us. Note: nametags are strictly optional.
There are more opportunities to enable the Bike Exchange touch more lives. We’re still looking to fill these positions:
- Quality Assurance Team members
- Fundraising
Please contact a Bike Exchange representative if you are interested in any of these positions.
General Info
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) sponsors the bike repair and donation program for needy families. Volunteers are invited to repair or assist with repairing bicycles. Tax deductible donations of bicycles are accepted.
Our volunteer events are held from 10 AM to 3 PM on selected Saturdays of each month from January to December. The volunteer work days currently scheduled for 2010 are 1/9, 1/23, 2/13, 2/27, 3/13, 3/27, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8, 5/22, 6/12, 6/26, 7/10, 7/24, 8/14, 8/28, 9/11, 9/25, 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/13, 12/4 at 2566 Leghorn St. behind BTN Automotive. We try to meet on the second and fourth Saturdays, but things depart from that a bit in November and Dec.
For more information, contact Dave Fork at (650) 269-6051, or visit us at http://bikesiliconvalley.org/programs/bicycle-exchange/
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David K. Fork, Principal Scientist
"Work to eat, eat to live, live to bike, bike to work."
Palo Alto Research Center, 3333 Coyote Hill Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 812-4121