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local and national features
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May 09 2012
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Thousands of New MBTA “Change in Service” Maps Distributed at T Stations City-wide |
Metro Boston Climate Defense launched at Copley Square press conference; new initiative educates Hub commuters on dramatic impact of climate change on transit, local economyBOSTON, MA – Officials with the newly-formed Metro Boston Climate Defense (MBCD) initiative launched a rush-hour education drive on climate change today, distributing thousands of “Change in Service” MBTA maps to morning commuters. At T stations throughout the Boston area, MBCD representatives delivered scores of map packets, each detailing the disastrous impact of rising sea levels on our local economy and transit systems – as well as the politicians and institutions that serve as roadblocks to progress on disaster prevention measures.
A joint effort of 350.org and the MassUniting coalition, Metro Boston Climate Defense was formed in response to alarming warnings found in the Climate Impacts on Metro Boston report. Read More | VIDEO
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Apr 05 2012
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'Occupy Trimet' protest in defense of Portland's public transportation |
An 'Occupy Trimet' protest was held in Pioneer Square as part of a national day of action in defence of public transportation at a time when fare rises and cuts to services are being drafted. Portland, OR, 04/04/2012. Read MoreHomepage: alexmilantracy.com | Related Info: A National Day of Action in Defense of Public Transportation | Related Post: Tri-Met is accepting comments up to April 5
Related from Boston IMC: Occupy the T opens camp at State House
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Dec 24 2011
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Cycling Advocates Seek Control of Santa Cruz County Sierra Club |
On December 8th, the California Coastal Commission voted 10-1 to approve the controversial $5 million Arana Gulch Master Plan. The vote was expected to resolve a fifteen year long battle between cycling advocacy groups and environmental groups that oppose a bike path through the Santa Cruz greenbelt. But in a move that has some long time Sierra Club members crying foul, cycling advocacy groups are running a slate of three candidates for the board of the Santa Cruz County Group of the Sierra Club in the December election. This would be the second cyclist-sponsored candidate slate in two years, and is expected to decide control of the Santa Cruz Group Executive Committee.
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Dec 14 2011
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Coordinated Actions Shutdown West Cost Ports |
Heeding the call of Occupy Oakland, which called for a shutdown of west coast ports in response to the brutal eviction of occupy encampments nationwide, and in solidarity with exploited port workers and truckers, activists across the coast shutdown various port terminals. Oakland: Occupy Oakland called for the December 12th West Coast Port Shutdown, "because we believe it is time the occupation movement begins to work together to carry through coordinated, pinpointed actions. We want to disrupt the profits of the 1% and show solidarity with those in the 99% who are under direct attack by corporate tyranny." In particular, the demonstrations were in solidarity with longshoremen, port workers and truck drivers.
Since there were attacks by police on demonstrators in other cities, including Seattle, San Diego and Houston, Occupy Oakland made good on its promise of solidarity, and extended the port shut down into the next shift at 3am. Occupy Oakland successfully shut down the Port of Oakland for three consecutive shifts. Port of Oakland Shut Down by Occupy Oakland | Port Shutdown Morning Shift (includes audio) | Oakland Port Closure (many pictures)
Portland: Hundreds of Occupy Portland protestors, activists and workers blocked entrances to shut down Terminals 5 & 6 around 6 AM today. Shortly before 8 AM, protestors cheered when they learned that Port of Portland officials had already shut down the terminals, and that the ports in Oakland had been closed. However, according to Mike Gardner, ILWU Local 8 in Portland, ILWU workers had been sent home without pay by Port officials. Photos of Shut down West Coast Ports/Occupy Action | Video 1: Port Blockade at 6:15 PM Occupy Portland | Video 2. Occupy Portland Port Blockade West Coast on 12.12.11 - Gate 5 | Bellingham Successfully Blockade Railway in Solidarity with West Coast Port Actions
Los Angeles: In solidarity with expolited port workers and truckers, about 500 militant occupiers and their friends shut down Terminal J of the Port of Long Beach, the home of SSA Marine, an investment of the criminal enterprise Goldman Sachs and the main stakeholder of the US government. The marchers were eventually split off from each other by the Los Angeles Port Police. However a group of 300 to 500 people successfully blocked a road that led to one of the SSA piers for a few hours causing traffic snarls and the like. Occupy the Ports - A Day without Goldman Sachs | Occupiers Close Port of Long Beach Terminal | Occupy The Ports Long Beach, part 1 by Robert Stuart Lowden | Occupy The Ports Long Beach, part 2
Related: An Open Letter From America's Port Truck Drivers On Occupy the Ports | cleanandsafeports.org | occupytheports.com
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Nov 22 2011
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Coordinated West Coast Port Shutdown |
Proposal for a Coordinated West Coast Port Shutdown, Passed With Unanimous Consensus by vote of the Occupy Oakland General Assembly 11/18/2012: In response to coordinated attacks on the occupations and attacks on workers across the nation: Occupy Oakland calls for the blockade and disruption of the economic apparatus of the 1% with a coordinated shutdown of ports on the entire West Coast on December 12th. The 1% has disrupted the lives of longshoremen and port truckers and the workers who create their wealth, just as coordinated nationwide police attacks have turned our cities into battlegrounds in an effort to disrupt our Occupy movement.
We call on each West Coast occupation to organize a mass mobilization to shut down its local port. Our eyes are on the continued union-busting and attacks on organized labor, in particular the rupture of Longshoremen jurisdiction in Longview Washington by the EGT. Already, Occupy Los Angeles has passed a resolution to carry out a port action on the Port Of Los Angeles on December 12th, to shut down SSA terminals, which are owned by Goldman Sachs. read more | occupyoakland.org
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Feb 01 2011
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Protest Planned as Caltrans Prepares to Widen US-101 Thru Richardson Grove |
Caltrans plans to take down some 54 trees in the Richardson Grove, and pave over the roots of many old-growth trees, in order to widen and straighten US-101 in southern Humboldt County. Reported to contain the 9th largest tree of all remaining Coast Redwoods, local residents refer to the Richardson Grove as the edge of the "Redwood Curtain." Preservation groups and community members against the project have called for a rally at Caltrans District 1 headquarters in Eureka on Monday, Feb. 7th.
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Jan 14 2011
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Critical Mass Bikers demand end to Metro bag searches |
The Jan 7 Critical Mass bike ride did something unusual: Everyone stopped at Metro's headquarters for an impromptu rally against Metro's bag searches. Read More | Video Coverage
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Sep 24 2010
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World Car Free Day in Ashland |
Wednesday, September 22nd Ashland joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Car Free Day. Buses as part of “Try Transit Week” were free all day throughout the entire valley. Ashland Transportation Challenge kicked off the two week pledge to drive less. Oak St between Lithia and Main in downtown was blocked off to all car traffic from 4 to 7pm for a block party.
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Sep 12 2010
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Est 100 riders in Critical Mass |
The September 3 Critical Mass bike ride may have contained up to 100 riders! Video on Liveleak
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Aug 26 2010
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Fix Fell Demonstrators Shut Down Arco/BP Station for Three Hours |
Sparks Fly as Fire Department Saws U-Locks Off Civil Disobedience Protesters Five people were arrested on August 20th for chaining themselves to bicycles and blocking an entrance to the Arco/BP gas station at the corner of Fell and Divisadero in San Francisco. Friday evening's action was the 11th since the group Fix Fell began demonstrations to demand that the city and the Department of Public Works take measures to make the street safe for bicyclists.
Related Past Coverage: Fix Fell Wins Green Bike Lane on Fell Street
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Aug 24 2010
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Dispatching Justice: Prince George's County Taxicab Drivers' Fight for Justice |
Last week, Prince George's County taxicab drivers won another major victory in their fight to have the county issue 400 medallions directly to individual taxicab drivers instead of issuing the medallions to the few companies which dominate the Prince George's County taxicab industry. Read More | | Aurora Vasquez Interview | | Lemma Desalegne InterviewPhoto from Philly IMC
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Aug 12 2010
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STOP TRIMET FARE INCREASE AND 60 BUS SERVICE CUTS |
On September 1, 2010, TriMet, according to one source a $2.5 billion transit agency, is set to cutback on 60 bus routes and implement a five cents per ride fare hike. One transit group has set a 'wake' of sorts, mourning the loss and fare hike, for AFTER the austerity measures occur. Transit Riders Union is organizing NOW against the cuts and the fare hike.
TriMet's unelected board of directors voted 6-1 (Lynn Lehrbach with the Teamsters voted no) to implement the Sept. 1, 2010 five cents a ride fare hike. The unelected TriMet board also voted to cut back on 60 bus routes Sept. 1. This will be the third round of service cuts and second fare hike in the past two years. New TriMet board president Rick Van Beveren has voted for all five 'transit shock doctrine' austerity cuts and fare hikes.
So far, TRU has held one picket at Portland Business Alliance to protest TriMet cuts and fare hikes. PBA pushed for the elimination of Fareless Square, year after year (along with sit-lie 1 amd 2). PBA just donated $5,000 to the campaign of Tom Hughes for Metro president, and Hughes has been endorsed by the Tribune and the Oregonian. A new, appointed-in-secret member of the TriMet board is Steve Clark, president of the Portland Tribune.
Come help transit riders and organizers stop the cuts and the fare hike!
TriMet's unelected board of directors voted 6-1 (Lynn Lehrbach with the Teamsters voted no) to implement the Sept. 1, 2010 five cents a ride fare hike. The unelected TriMet board also voted to cut back on 60 bus routes Sept. 1. This will be the third round of service cuts and second fare hike in the past two years. New TriMet board president Rick Van Beveren has voted for all five 'transit shock doctrine' austerity cuts and fare hikes.
So far, TRU has held one picket at Portland Business Alliance to protest TriMet cuts and fare hikes. PBA pushed for the elimination of Fareless Square, year after year (along with sit-lie 1 amd 2). PBA just donated $5,000 to the campaign of Tom Hughes for Metro president, and Hughes has been endorsed by the Tribune and the Oregonian. A new, appointed-in-secret member of the TriMet board is Steve Clark, president of the Portland Tribune.
Come help transit riders and organizers stop the cuts and the fare hike!
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Aug 04 2010
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Fix Fell Wins Green Bike Lane on Fell Street |
Responding to weeks of protests and direct action by the grassroots group Fix Fell, as well as lobbying efforts by other community groups, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency on August 3rd painted the bike lane on Fell Street between Scott and Baker Streets green. This is just one more small improvement that is being made to this stretch of Fell Street to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and improve clarity for motorists.
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Jun 26 2010
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Metro's Unfair Fare Hike |
On Sunday, Metro fare hikes will go into effect. Mike Golash, a recently retired Metro employee, described these fare hikes as "outrageous." He asks why the federal government and businesses which benefit the most from Metro are not asked to pay their fair share. The Verizon Center, for example, sits directly atop the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro, greatly enhancing its value. Yet it is the riders who must bare the budren of higher fares. As Mike Golash points out, "The system benefits big business much more than it benefits the average worker." Audio
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Jun 10 2010
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Bikeit! Rides through Rochester! |
Come out Monday June 14th at 6pm for a potluck at the Flying Squirrel Community Space to meet bicycle riders on their way out to the US Social Forum in Detroit. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about what activists in the upstate NY area are working on and to learn more about the US Social Forum. Who is going on this ride?
The Finger Lakes BikeIt Ride is open to all residents in the Finger Lakes area who are passionate about biking to the US Social Forum in a large group of people committed to social & environmental justice, community service and mutual aid. We will likely have riders from Ithaca, Syracuse, and Binghamton, as well as from several smaller towns in the area.
The Finger Lakes BikeIt Ride is open to all residents in the Finger Lakes area who are passionate about biking to the US Social Forum in a large group of people committed to social & environmental justice, community service and mutual aid. We will likely have riders from Ithaca, Syracuse, and Binghamton, as well as from several smaller towns in the area.