About Katie Heaney - 2015 Bicycle Commuter of the Year, Santa Clara County

Now in its seventh year, the Bike Commuter of the Year award recognizes individuals who inspire bicycling in their communities through their commitment and actions.Today we spotlight high school teacher and grad student Katie Heaney, this year's Bike Commuter of the Year for Santa Clara County. Katie is an active volunteer with San José Bike Party and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. She founded the San José Bike Party Ladies' Ride in 2010 to inspire women to get on their bicycles and to acclimate them to riding in groups. Now in its 6th year, the Ladies' Ride has proven to be a successful way of introducing new riders to the streets of Silicon Valley.Katie will receive her award at the Bike Away from Work Bash on Bike to Work Day, Thursday May 14th. We spoke with Katie about her inspiration and experiences.1. What inspires you to embrace the bike as your primary mode of travel?I bike for the same reasons that most people do: to have fun, to exercise, to reduce my fuel consumption, etc. What really inspires me are the people in the bicycling community that I have met and befriended over the years. They motivate me to ride more often.2. How have you tried to encourage more bicycling in your workplace and the community?While I often directly encourage people to embrace biking as a mode of transportation, I think my most effective means of encouragement has been to lead by example and to be visible in the community. My coworkers and students see me riding my bike to school daily, which sparks their curiosity about biking for transportation. In the larger community, I'm a long time San Jose Bike Party volunteer. Thousands of people in the bay area have been inspired to take up cycling due to the influence of San Jose Bike Party, and I'm very proud to be a part of that. I am also involved with other cycling organizations, such as Turning Wheels for Kids, Tour de Cure, and of course Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition!3. How does using a bike make your day different than if you drove everywhere?Biking makes the work day overall more pleasant and enjoyable. I'm a high school teacher and a graduate student, so my days are often super busy. I find that when I bike to school in the morning I'm starting my day feeling energized and mentally alert. When I ride home I have a chance to mentally unwind.4. What is the best part about being a bike commuter?In my seven-mile commute from home to work, I get to exercise and have fun, all while going to and from work. And I never get stuck in traffic!5. How can we effectively encourage more people to ride a bike?The key to encouraging more people to ride is to lower the perceived barriers to biking as a mode of transportation. I have so many people tell me that they would love to ride a bike to work, but they think it will be too difficult, too dangerous, or too impractical. These barriers will be diminished as we continue to improve our city's cycling infrastructure and show the public by our example that biking is a viable and beneficial form of travel.Congratulations Katie![facebook][retweet]