When I started at the BTA as an Americorps last fall, I wasn’t green to non-profits or bicycle advocacy but my time with bicycle education in Cincinnati and Eugene didn’t begin to prepare me for the big-league game of an established bike non-profit in the most bikey city in the country.
As I’m cleaning out my desk, I notice how my belongings tell the story. In my cubicle I’ve been storing slippers, five sweaters, a can of beans, breakfast cereal, thank you cards from third graders and a toothbrush (among a forest of paper). That’s the story of my time at the BTA:
- The late nights answering emails about the Bike Commute Challenge website crashing again.
- The faces of 1st graders when they sing songs with me about crossing the street.
- Getting up at four AM to bike to Forest Park elementary for Walk + Bike to School Day.
- Water gun fights and pitch-black hikes during the work retreat.
- Folding 4000 challenge month scorecards in the wee hours of morning.
At first, there were losses. I didn’t win a big grant, I got buried in decade-old ungraded bike safety tests. Within my first month on the job saw the tragic loss of two Portland cyclists. The sidewall to my rear wheel was threatening to blow out any day and my meager Americorps stipend didn’t really allow much extra cash to buy new tires.
But it turned around, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished with my fellow bicycle advocates. In December, I embarked on train tour of the Midwest to give professional lectures and community presentations about Portland’s bicycle infrastructure and culture- inspiring the engineers of my hometown of Cincinnati to finally put in a new bike lane.
In March, I decided to take the reigns in leading the first ever school-based bike commute challenge. Originally I thought this would be a tiny pilot project, but the support was overwhelming. Over 30 schools and 4000 students participated in the Walk + Bike to School Challenge in May.
I worked late nights, but it was worth it when the elementary school students beat the Portland State University students.
After my Americorps term of service ended in August, I stayed on at the BTA to help with the Bike Commute Challenge this September. You know how that went: It was so successful y’all kept crashing the website.
Thank you BTA members, volunteers, board members, and most importantly, the BTA staff: my cohorts in opening roads and minds to cycling. Keep up the awesome work y’all. And I’ll be back to eat some donuts with you soon.
And I better see you at my Trick-Or-Treat Bike Move.
You’re a rockstar – best of luck in future bikey endeavors!
We all owe you a ton of thanks! Or at least a pallet of Clif bars! Thanks so much Lillian – you made the BTA better just for having been there.
Thanks so much – we still talk about your visit last year! Stay in touch! I was just researching for our BFC application and came across your blog. I’m curious what bike ed work you did in Cincinnati and who sponsored it and whether it’s still going.