Joyride - Cadence Press © 2010
In an effort to expand our offering, Bike Around Bend will be posting regular book reviews. Book reviewer Jimmy Gearsmith submitted this one.
Thanks to a yellow rose from Texas, the Rose City became a contender for the nation’s most bike friendly. Great! Now if only Bend were more bike friendly, right? But, what on earth would it take to make that happen? The basic answer lies in an old adage: “Wanting it, is everything!” In Portland, it was the determination and persistence of Mia Birk and her cohorts over a fifteen year campaign that got it done. With help from Joe Kurmaskie, that journey is chronicled in Birk’s new book, Joyride – Pedaling Toward a Healthier Planet. (Paperback. Cadence Press, 2010. 224 pages. $19.95) At the end of the book she provides a brief step-by-step method to reach that goal. Actually, the entire book does that, relating her challenging, humbling, frustrating and ultimately fulfilling personal experiences as Portland’s Bicycle Program Manager.
Upon arriving in Portland, Birk (a native of Texas) discovered that just because the Oregon Bike Bill had been on the books since 1971, it didn’t mean the law was being enforced. Fortunately, Birk was not exactly a prophet pedaling in the wilderness. There were already pro-bike organizations in the area, and some city staffers were assigned to work on limited bikeway and walkway projects. Additionally, she found a friend in a high place, then-Portland City Councilor Earl Blumenauer.
Although geared-up and ready to go, Birk soon realized that her passion wasn’t enough to immediately make Portland bike friendly. In order to squeeze bike lanes into existing streets, highways, and bridges, she had to quickly become an expert on the practical details: bike laws, federal grant requirements, the limitation of existing street widths, and so much more. She also had to keep an eye towards,
“creating a comprehensive, connected bikeway network that is comfortable, convenient, safe, and gets you where you want to go.”
Over the ensuing years she found herself in first gear, heading into a strong wind on a long uphill slog. Opposition came seemingly from all fronts: local businesses, the media, and entrenched bureaucracies. There were those who expressed concerns about, safety and lifestyle preservation, and those who marginalized the health benefits and ecological imperatives. Delaying tactics were everywhere: from bike lane plausibility studies, to a slow-paced turnaround in attitude.
Joyride will make a good stocking stuffer for the policy-wonk on your Christmas list.
During her journey, Birk came to recognize the need for a balance between economic and ecological impact, and between transportation necessities and health benefits. And, she learned the importance of public relations, political lobbying, finessing political opponents, fund raising, utilizing hard data, and education at all levels.
My one less-than-favorable comment on the book is the inclusion of a few pages on recycling and maintaining bikes, curing the fear of bicycling, and encouraging women to bike. While I’m sure the topics can be defended, they seem slightly out of place.
Although Joyride is a narrative of personal experiences, you too will enjoy the ride. She is interesting, self-deprecating, and instructive. If you are interested in achieving results similar to Birk’s, Joyride is a worthwhile read.
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