Green Options Buffalo

YNN covers Youth Bike Giveaway

15 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST

Inner city kids get bikes for Christmas

By: Antoinette Bryant

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Christmas came early for forty children on the west side.

Bicycle advocacy organization Green Options Buffalo, or Go-Buffalo, donated 40 bikes to underprivileged kids in the city.

On Thursday, youngsters involved in the after-school program at the Belle Center in Buffalo had a chance to pick out their very own bicycle.

One of the program directors at the Belle Center says the bicycles were all refurbished, restored and look practically brand new.

"They can appreciate that you can take an older bike and fix it up and make it look so nice and new and still be able to get use out of them, instead of throwing it away and putting it in landfills like we're doing nowadays," said 21st Century Learning Program Director Evelyn Pizarro.

The Belle Center also works with GO Buffalo in a bicycle recycling program, where students at the center learn how to maintain and repair bikes.

Channel 4 News covers Youth Bike Giveaway

15 Dec 2011 19:00:00 EST

Santa gives away dozens of bicycles

Vic Baker

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Santa was on a roll Thursday night at the Belle Center, which gave away dozens of refurbished bikes in cooperation with Green Options Buffalo.

Green Options teaches students how to recycle used bicycles, to promote environmentally friendly transportation in the city.

Santa gives away dozens of bicycles: wivb.com

Green Options Buffalo to Hire a Street Team Leader

26 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

Green Options Buffalo, through a shared federal grant with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and Buffalo Carshare, is hiring a temporary, full-time Street Team Leader to facilitate a canvassing project designed to increase local employment and commuting by active transportation around the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. See the job description included here.

Street Team Leader - Job Description

Green Options Buffalo, in partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus (BNMC) and Buffalo CarShare, is looking to hire an individual to be part of a team working on a project that is targeted to the area surrounding the BNMC and seeks to improve residents’ lives by facilitating and promoting a range of transportation options that will aid access to employment while enhancing and reducing the costs of mobility.

Goals: Determine both the general and individual transportation needs of the target population through door to door canvassing and informational meetings with residents.

Desired Skills:

Flexibility
Adaptability
Ability to work well with a team
Strong written and verbal skills
Must be able to report effectively to management team
Strong commitment to economic, social, racial, and environmental justice
Must be able to work effectively under deadlines
Proficient in word, publisher/or photoshop, excel, and database management
Willingness to work unconventional hours

Responsibilities:

Overseeing day to day operations of canvass, including managing 6 part time canvassers
Train canvassers in the following
- Effective data management and entry
- Messaging and communication
- Material development
Ability to create walk sheets and turf maps daily
Organize transportation informational meetings for contacts made through canvass
Assisting TDM coordinator in conducting follow-up meetings and maintaining contact with neighborhood residents.

Experience:

At least 2 years of canvassing experience
At least 2 years of management in any capacity (preferably over a canvass)
Must have experience working with underserved populations

Hours:

40hrs/wk, 39 weeks

Pay:

$12.75/hr

Application Deadline:

March 1, 2012

Send Resume and Cover Letter to:

Justin Booth, Green Options Buffalo
640 Ellicott Street, Buffalo, 14203
justin@greenoptionsbuffalo.org

Green Options Buffalo is a nonprofit organization working to create healthy, environmentally sustainable, community friendly transportation options in the greater Buffalo area.

Ladies Night at the Green Options Buffalo Community Workshop

17 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

House Bill Reverses Decades of Progress on Bike/Ped

30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST

Take Action!

It's so much worse than we thought.

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives released its transportation bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Act. You are receiving this action item because we need people to contact their representatives. Please click on the "Take Action" link to contact them.

Last week, we knew the bill would be bad news for biking and walking. But we didn’t think it would go so far as to completely cut every reference to bicycling and walking out of the federal transportation policy.

House leadership is pressing to eliminate bicycling and walking in the Transportation bill:

Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional
Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school
Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles
Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs
Eliminates language that insures that rumble strips “do not adversely affect the safety or mobility of bicyclists, pedestrians or the disabled”

But we can still save biking and walking in this bill. This week in the Transportation Committee, Representative Petri (R-WI) will stand up for bicycling and walking by offering an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School. Mr. Petri can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts their Representative on the Transportation Committee again today to urge them to vote YES on the Petri amendment!

This is as urgent as it gets. Even if we do win this amendment, there will be a long road ahead. But if we lose here, we risk losing decades of progress.

We know we are asking a lot of you and we thank you for all you’re doing to preserve biking and walking.

Drivetrain Workshop

30 Jan 2012 19:00:00 EST