SVBC Member Spotlight: Ray Rodriguez
[facebook][retweet]This is the latest in our series of member spotlights during our current Membership Drive. After reading Ray's, check out our other spotlights: Kristal Caidoy, Andrew Hsu, and Kim Walesh. More to come!SVBC Member Ray Rodriguez has been living in San Jose since 1973, in a working-class neighborhood just outside of downtown San Jose, close to the Guadalupe and Los Gatos Creek trails. He rode his BMX bike everywhere to explore as a kid, but when he got his first car at eighteen, he forgot all about bicycles. In 1994, Ray started riding a bike to work for fitness, and he felt like a kid all over again. He hasn't stopped since.Ray will mark 30 years working with VTA this June, having served as a bus driver, in the Operations Control Room (air traffic control for buses), and currently, a Transportation Supervisor monitoring schedule and route adherence in the greater Santa Clara County. He's a member of Almaden Cycle Touring Club, and owns four bicycles. A Surley Long Haul trucker, two Bianchi's (Infinito and a San Jose), and a Gary Fisher Supercaliber.We are happy to spotlight Ray, and share his thoughts on how to increase bicycling in the region.Will you join Ray and the other 2,300 members of SVBC? Now is the best time to do so. Join or renew your membership during our current membership drive, and be entered into a drawing for a Pure Fix Cycles Fixed Gear Bike, a one month couples membership at CrossFit San Jose, or two Belay Lessons from Planet Granite.How did you get introduced to Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition?It's hard to remember exactly what year I became a member. It was during a Bike to Work Day many years ago. I was excited about getting a musette. That's a french word for a small lightweight cotton shoulder bag, containing food and drink given to riders in a feed zone during a cycle race. I wanted to collect as many of those bags as I could, so I rode to as many energizer stations as I could that day. During that process a member of SVBC asked me to become a member and since I ate my weight in muffins and fruit, I didWhat kind of activities and trips do you use your bicycle for?During the warmer months I try to bike to work. On weekends or days off I try to get some recreational riding in consisting of local bike trails and surrounding hills . I try to fit some utilitarian riding in too, like trips to Trader Joe's and the local farmers market on Sundays.How does VTA promote bicycling to its employees and make it a positive, enjoyable commute option?Overall, VTA provides funding to cities for building bicycle paths and bicycle lanes, we work with cities to build new bicycle bridges and better freeway interchanges, and we bring city staff together so bikeways are consistent across city boundaries. VTA also provides space for bikes on our buses and light rail vehicles, and bike parking at our light rail stations.Specific strategies to encourage VTA employees to ride more include: an agency wide bike challenge during the month of May (not just on Bike to Work Day); our support of the Bay Area Bike Share Program; and our most recent launch into a pilot program that gives employees an opportunity to check out electric bikes from solar charging stations at our River Oaks campus.If you had a magic wand, what do you think needs to be done to achieve 10% of trips by bike by 2025 in Silicon Valley?A full build-out of continuous bike lanes (part of VTA's bicycle expenditure plan), more green bike lanes, increased capacity for bikes on our transit vehicles (recent example of this investment are the new 522 coaches which have room for bikes on both the exterior and interior racks).Share with us what a dream day on your bike looks like.A dream day on a bike would be to be able to go to any store, the movies, a pub or sports arena like SAP Center, AT&T Park or Levi's Stadium and not worry about my bike being stolen.What would you say to someone considering becoming a member of SVBC?Please sign up, because the funds are used to petition local and state governments for a safer environment to bicycle in as well as local programs like Valet Bike parking, Safe Routes to school and San Jose Bike Clinic. It also gives you the ability to volunteer and meet like minded people... and who knows maybe some free beer.
