Hosts: Galen, Gamal, Jess, Mully

Guests: Shavelle Olivier (via phone), Martina Haggerty (via phone), Josh Cohen (via phone), Nidhi Gulati (in studio)

We start the show hearing about #cyclingJoy from listeners and hosts alike. Did you feel it recently? Share your story with us on social media.

We kick things off with Shavelle Olivier of the Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, who offers a preview of this weekend’s 7th Annual Mattapan on Wheels bike-a-thon. There are three routes this year which include the newly opened section of the Neponset Trail! All routes of this fundraiser will be led by 14-17 year old members of the ‘Vigorous Youth’ program. Destinations include Pope John Paul II Park, Carson Beach and Castle Island so be sure to bring your swimsuit..

Next up is another edition of #askGamal where Gamal takes listener questions and offer tips and techniques for everyday riding. We do a deep dive into ways to keep fresh while riding in the heat, and then chat about the cost and value of ‘proper gear’.

In the last half of the show we focus on bicycle infrastructure from the tactical, municipal and regional levels. The conversation starts with Martina Heggarty, a planner from the City of Providence who recently made permanent a ‘pluffered’ – aka plunger buffered – bike lane after local urbanists used toilet plungers to physically separate and protect a downtown bike lane. Providence, designated as one of 10 ‘Big Jump’ city by People for Bikes, has a great bike culture, a mayor who rides, and a ton of momentum heading into the future.

Next we head down to Macon, Georgia to share an update on last year’s pilot program in which a full downtown bike network was installed with huge uptake. We’re joined by writer, Josh Cohen, from Next City who wrote recently about the decision to make that network permanent. The ‘Macon Model’, of testing an entire network at once, measuring user experience, and moving swiftly to formal implementation, is one that could be employed by cities nationwide.

Finally, we stick with the idea connectivity with Nidhi Gulati, program manager of the Emerald Network Initiative which works to fill in the gaps between metro-Boston’s off street pathways to create a connected system spanning nearly 200 miles in and around the city. Lots of positive news of late with funding increases at the state level, final approval for key projects, and much more.

Another great show, thanks for listening! Be sure to follow us on Twitter @biketalk881, and please ride safe out there.