Jeff Stephens and Bryan Saums Present the Health and Sustainable Benefits of Biking
Speakers: Bryan Saums and Jeff Stephens of Consider Biking
“We are a ‘bike-partisan’ organization,” explained Jeff Stephens, Executive Director of Consider Biking. “We want to unite people to ride bikes and work to ensure that everyone can share the road in a friendly and cooperative way. We are not anti-car. I drove here this morning. You don’t have to eat crunchy granola to be our friend and join us for a ride. You don’t need a race bike. You don’t have to wear Spandex shorts or a yellow jersey. I’m here this morning to explain to you not why you shouldn’t drive but how biking can be good for our health and for your business’s bottom line.”
“Consider Biking,” continued Jeff, “ has three main goals: to help create a regional infrastructure of bike paths, lanes, and routes, to be an information source for cyclists, and for drivers about cyclists and road laws, and to advocate for cycling. We believe that cycling can help with the obesity epidemic facing our country and especially our young people. We know that we live in a car culture and for many 16 year olds, the car is a sign of independence and adulthood. Did you know that 41 percent of driving trips are two miles or less, and 85 percent are five miles or less? And yet less than 10 percent of children walk or bike to school. The rest take a bus, get rides, or drive themselves. Evidence suggests that we as a society, and especially our children, are getting heavier for many reasons, one of which is reliance upon mechanical transportation. We need to think of ways to make exercise and alternative modes of getting around are cool.”
In addition his activities with Consider Biking, Jeff has also been on Dublin’s Bike Advisory Task Force, which has recently presented its finding to Dublin City Council. “Our report included 15 policy recommendations and 50 task force objectives. Our goal is get Dublin nominated as a Bike Friendly Community. I’ve seldom seen so much passion in a group before. Dublin’s infrastructure and developing network of paths and bike lanes already allows for great riding, and we think that the City is going to become an even greater place to bike thanks to the efforts of grass roots experts.”
If you are at all interested in biking, a visit to Consider Biking’s website is a must: a wide range of biking events, educational resources, and maps are waiting to be explored, and the organization is welcoming new partners.
“Biking is not going away,” concluded Jeff. “It’s here to stay. The real question is how we can integrate it into our community and culture so that we can all share the road and be safer and more considerate to each other. We need to educate bikers about the fact that they are a vehicle and need to obey all laws of the road, and drivers about effective ways to share the road to ensure their convenience and the safety of biked riders. If we can all work together and share the road and the message, we will have a healthier and happier community.”
Inspired by the presentation - look for an upcoming fellowship event in the planning stages - the Bicycle Poker Run.