San Diego Bike Advocate Interviewed

From Voice of San Diego, 12.30.06:

"I think [our activism] is growing. We've gone from being a fringe organization, you know, 'those crazy bicyclists.' Now people are starting to realize that, when you walk down the street and meet your neighbor, they're bicyclists too. Here are some stats: 58 percent of the people in the county own bikes ... and 29 percent have ridden in the past 12 months. That's a huge number of people in San Diego who are out there riding right now. Because we're so small and inconspicuous, people don't realize how many bicyclists are out there. But they're starting to realize. (Read more.)"

Congratulations to Kathy Keehan and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for this media coverage. I doubt any city in North America has better climate for bike commuting than San Diego. Especially as January looms, brrrr.

The most amusing aspect of this interview for me was the lingering anxiety about the "aggressive tactic" of Critical Mass, a famed San Francisco innovation. Locally, Critical Mass has declined in political significance as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has gained effectiveness. The ride in San Francisco this past Friday was largely a festive, well-humored holiday celebration with hardly any overt political expression.

But the fear of an enormously disruptive bicycle coincidence striking a city remains potent.

Image: Kathy Keehan, executive director of the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition
Visit: Out-of-car experiences: Biking to work in San Diego, San Diego News Network
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips Site