Today was voting day and the day that I would come to terms with the fact that in addition to loving bikes, I love bike people.
THE FIRST BIT OF EVIDENCE:
Like most of you, I try my best to be knowledgeable about all the candidates and proposals but it would take years to read the 84 paged, 8.5 x 11, voters' pamphlet in addition to all the websites for and against each person and proposal.
Someone brought to my attention Ed Pottharst, who is running for County Council. Located on his website is much interesting information but one key fact that won me over, he has biked to work for 15 years and is an advocate for less dependancy on cars!!
The following is listed on the "About Ed" section of the website:
"Ed loves the outdoors and is an avid bicycle commuter, riding faithfully, rain or shine, 14 miles a day to his office in Lake City."
The next mission is to invite him to Critical Mass!!
THE SECOND BIT OF EVIDENCE:
After mailing my absentee voters' ballot today I went to the Point83 forum. Point83 is my favorite bike group here in Seattle. What I found on the forum made me want to write a high school student in for Mayor.
High School student and bike-spray-paint-badass, Greg is putting together a Yellow Bike Project for his High School.
Yellow Bikes are typically bikes for public use
(in this case Greg's teachers and classmates), that do not get locked or rented. The bikes are painted yellow and then distributed with the idea that they will be used and then returned to a specific location. This implementation of the honor system has been proven difficult to maintain in other cities. Austin, Texas has a Yellow Bike program that seems to
lend hope to the success of Greg's project.
top photo: Greg (right) on a bike to the beach ride
bottom photo: Greg's new awesome paint job (right)
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment