BTA Board Member Paul Adkins wrote a lovely “thank you” letter (it’s the last one on the page) to readers of the Eugene Register-Guard today, echoing a sentiment I often feel for the drivers I bike around: appreciation.
In addition to serving on the BTA board, Paul is the Executive Director of GEARS, a local bike advocacy non-profit in Eugene; he’s the inventor of Kidical Mass; and he works at Bike Friday. He’s got a big family, no car, and a great attitude!
Sometimes we get so caught up in all our little battles and complaints that it’s hard to remember just how great Oregon is for biking. It’s GREAT. Take it from me, I’m in California for the holidays…there’s something really wonderful going on in Oregon.
Here’s his letter:
“Most drivers share the road
I just wanted to express my appreciation for all the car drivers on the streets who have shared the road so nicely this past year.
I am a father with four young kids, and my wife and I are impressed daily by the courteousness and respect that drivers show our family. We choose to ride bikes as our primary means to get around town. We get to school early in the mornings by bike every school day.
My wife, Monica, travels by bike during the day to do errands and then rides with the kids home from school. We do our evening travel on bikes as well, always wearing headlights and red flashing taillights.
We purposely search out the bike boulevards, bike trails and low-traffic neighborhood streets to make our way all over town, but we sometimes find ourselves on busy roads, too. We try to ride responsibly and confidently — working to be as predictable as possible. Occasionally we encounter a driver in a hurry or one that is being impatient, and we just try to understand that that kind of thing happens to the best of us.
We really appreciate when drivers understand that we are going places just like they are. Seeing eye to eye helps to make the roads safer for everyone.
So, thanks all you nice drivers out there. They help make this a great place to be bicyclists. I’m looking forward to sharing the roads with them again in 2009!
Paul Adkins
Eugene”
