I’m the new guy

Greetings to bike lovers everywhere!

I’m Scott Lieuallen, the newest member of the BTA’s Safe Routes to School staff. I’ve been riding bikes for about as long as I can remember which at my age is a very long time. I’ve also worked in schools for several years as a substitute teacher and after school activities supervisor. So working for Safe Routes to School is a great fit and a terrific opportunity for me.

I studied public policy at the University of Oregon, and much of my working life has been at non-profits, working on public policy issues. Safe Routes to School seeks to improve the health of our kids by encouraging them to walk and bike to school. For a public policy junkie, it doesn’t get much better than this.

I’ve been an elected official, first as a member of the Eugene City Council and later as a County Commissioner in Lane County. I also worked for several years at a shop in Eugene selling and repairing bikes. I’m probably the only bike mechanic ever elected to the City Council.

I really like bikes. I think riding a bike on a warm summer evening is magical. I also commute by bike, do errands with my trailer, and I enjoy riding with my friends on the weekend. For all that riding my friends will tell you that l like working on bikes even more. I have my own mini-repair shop in my basement where I repair bikes for my family and neighbors.

I also volunteer for school, and other community projects, so I really appreciate and respect what all the BTA volunteers and others do for us and for the greater community. Portland is a great place to live and ride.