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By Mike Governale

You may recall waaay back in 2010 a group of RocSubway readers got together with the intent of drumming up support for transportation alternatives in Rochester. In a town where the car is king, that was to be no easy task. But we’ve been making measurable progress. Find out how you can help, AND get some original Thievin’ Stephen artwork as a thank-you…

Reconnect Rochester is now a legal 501(c)3 non-profit and we’re empowering the public to help shape our transportation future with initiatives that include project-tracking, regular engagement with public officials to guide policy & planning, and educational events – including an annual holiday from our cars. Looking ahead to 2015, three newly-formed committees will work on making a positive impact on pedestrian safety, our bus system, and our rail infrastructure. The volunteers at Reconnect Rochester are not just focused on our current transportation network, but also the network we’ll need tomorrow.

To achieve these important goals, Reconnect needs support in the form of volunteers and money. Thankfully, good volunteers have been stepping forward. And now, local graffiti artist Thievin’ Stephen has stepped UP to help with the fund-raising…

In the summer of 2011 Thievin’ Stephen was hit by a car while riding his bike in downtown Rochester. About a week after the accident he created this poster, which—in a not-so-subtle way—calls on the City to install bike lanes.

Stephen says with a snicker, “At my request, or maybe by sheer coincidence, Rochester’s first bike lanes began showing up the very next month.”

So in a strange way, this poster is a symbol of what can be achieved when citizens raise their voices and ask for change.

If you took part in the ROC Transit Day treasure hunt you may have even spotted one of these in the subway tunnel.

Now Stephen has made the remaining 12 limited-edition prints available as a gift to supporters of Reconnect Rochester. The first 12 people to donate $100 or more using the button below will receive a signed and numbered print, as well as a thank-you letter from Reconnect Rochester.

You may also donate via postal mail. But please email [email protected] and ask to hold your print for you. The prints will be first-come-first-serve. Send your check, payable to:

Reconnect Rochester
Hungerford Complex
1115 East Main St., Box #61
Rochester, NY 14609

Your donation (above the value of the poster) will be tax-deductible. If you don’t care to receive a poster, you can of course make a donation in any amount or even set a recurring monthly contribution using this button…

Thanks to all of our supporters! And thanks to Thievin’ Stephen!

Tags: bike lanes, donate, gift idea, Gift Shop, Graffiti, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, street art, Thievin' Stephen

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 9th, 2014 at 8:54 pm and is filed under Art + Culture, Rochester Gifts, Transit + Infrastructure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.