Catching up with the Deputy
Holy rusted sprocket, readers - it's been weeks since last I blogged! My apologies to the nine of you keeping tabs on my adventures (hi Mom!). Let me fill you in on some of what this humble Deputy has been up to:
Local Teams
Our Local Teams are going strong. Each has been meeting regularly, providing a forum for our members to discuss local advocacy issues that might not normally catch the attention of SVBC staff. Issues and opportunities that might require staff action are then presented to the Policy Advisory Committee for consideration. It's not all concentrated wonkiness, though. Local Teams are organizing fun events with the goals of adding to bike culture and showing local businesses that bicycles can boost the bottom line. This week, we're happy to announce the inaugural meeting of our newest group of advocates, the SVBC Mountain View Team! That team meets tonight to get to know each other and discuss hot topics in the Mountain View bike world, like the North Bayshore Plan and Great Streets Rengstorff Park.
Silicon Valley Bike Summit
I'm also putting many hours, vials of tears, and buckets of sweat (it's a glandular thing) into this year's Summit. Have you registered yet? It's going to be pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. We've got Mia Birk (Portland famous), Charlie Gandy (Long Beach famous), and a panel of local allies, experts, and innovators sitting down to talk about making our area safe, comfortable, and even inviting for people on bikes. We've planned for plenty of audience interaction time, and we'll even feed you some fancy snacks! Sign up right now at http://svbikesummit2013.eventbrite.com. Go on. I'll wait right here.
Safe Routes to School
As SVBC's least mature staffer, it's only appropriate that I oversee the impressive efforts of our Safe Routes to School team - Ernesto, Ashley, and Megan. Essentially, they do all the dirty work then report back to me, at which time I say very wise and helpful things, like, "Hmmm, yes. I think that sounds good. Okay. Whatever you think." I also proofread their blog posts. Clearly, I'm indispensable.
Advocacy
In order to have some peace and quiet at the office, I'm increasingly being sent out ("into the field" is what we say in the biz) to speak to boards, councils, and committees in both San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties on behalf of SVBC. I am also now honored to serve as the official Alternate Ex-Officio member of the Santa Clara VTA Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. There, I'm learning more about issues like the One Bay Area Grant program, the Bicycle Expenditure Program, and even the County's paving schedule. If you ever want to talk about county-level bike and ped policy, don't be shy - I'm your guy!
