Action 2: Volunteer Bicycle Experts
Trained volunteer bicycling experts will serve as trusted resources at the right times in the right places.
Members of the first group of Ithaca Bike Champions pose for a group photo with Bike Walk Tompkins staff. (Photo: Edna Brown)
About This Action
People will need help adjusting to a future where bicycling is commonplace, as will businesses and organizations. To increase the availability of bicycling support to the levels our community will need, a large volunteer group of community bicycling experts should be developed to reach as many sectors of our community as possible. This model of community education and encouragement is championed by programs like Get Your Greenback Tompkins’ Energy Navigators and Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners and Master Composters.
Trained volunteer bicycling experts will serve as trusted resources at the right times in the right places with information contextualized to the communities they’re embedded in. Bike Walk Tompkins’ Ithaca Bike Champions program is a starting point for this larger program. Bicycle experts could ensure the inclusion of bicycling information for a wide array of businesses and community events, encourage other groups to join community-wide bicycling initiatives, provide one-on-one bicycling support to people they know, and connect people and organizations to the offerings available at bicycle shops and groups.
Bike Walk Tompkins purchased a recumbent tricycle to provide pedaling opportunities for members of the GIAC Seniors Program who have difficulty balancing on upright bikes (Photo: Bike Walk Tompkins)
Role in Building Equity
People and organizations are at different stages in their journey towards bicycling. Trained bicycle experts can help people navigate barriers and be the friendly face that connects individuals and groups to bicycling resources. The pool of experts should be diverse in terms of race, gender, age. and income levels to ensure that bicycle experts reach every corner of our community. People of color and people in low-income communities should be prioritized for training, so that they can begin developing relevant programming that helps uplift the communities they are part of. This is especially important as a recent Bike Walk Tompkins survey shows that people of color in and around Ithaca are less likely to be confident in their bicycling skills than their white peers. As their interest and experience grows, trained bicycle experts may pursue opportunities within the local bicycling and transportation industry and diversify the leadership over time.
Ithaca Bike Champion Devra (left) leads a ride with her neighbors to Buttermilk Falls. (Photo: Bike Walk Tompkins)
Let’s Make It Happen
Bike Walk Tompkins is currently developing the next iteration of the Ithaca Bike Champions program to be more comprehensive and open to volunteers. Are you interested in starting your own program? We are happy to share our expertise and support, as well as the lessons learned from other similar community education programs.
Are you a bicycle enthusiast or engaged citizen looking to develop your skills to be a bicycle expert? Contact us for information about upcoming trainings.
Are you a community leader or organization who wants to collaborate on programming with one of our existing experts? Let us know your interest so we can connect you.
All Encouragement Actions
