What SVBC Means to Me: Shiloh Ballard
The staff at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) work diligently to advance our mission, and it is personally meaningful work for each of us. SVBC Executive Director Shiloh Ballard shares her thoughts on what SVBC means to her: Almost every morning, I begin my day with an adventure – riding my bike to work. Recently, I witnessed a fiery sunrise that I immediately took a picture of and posted on Facebook, calling it a “bikerise.” I passed by some geese on the trail, noted the progress being made on a construction project, and smiled to myself while watching a father cart, by bike, his two kids to school. He is starting their day with an adventure too, and more importantly creating fond memories that will lead to long-term biking habits for his growing children.For those of us who ride, we know this joy. We enjoy the adventure. And, we want to share it. I’m convinced that if I can get someone to ride their bike to work, experience that joy, the adventure, see the world from a different vantage point, they’ll be convinced too. But it’s not always that easy.Think about it. Think about your average colleague. What would it take to get the person in the cube next to you to start riding a bike? There are many reasons your colleague might opt for the car over the bike, whether it’s safety, convenience, or something as seemingly simple as having a secure place to store a bike. SVBC is chipping away at those barriers and we need your support to keep it up. A few of our successes from this past year include:
- Education: 7,000 kids in San Mateo and Santa Clara County were taught by SVBC how to ride safely.
- Infrastructure: SVBC worked closely with the County of Santa Clara to design and fund an interim solution to one of the scariest intersections for San Mateo and Santa Clara County Cyclists at Page Mill/280.
- Funding: SVBC convinced Santa Clara County leaders to include $250 million in funding for bike and pedestrian improvements through the passage of Measure B. In addition to that $250 million, we fought for and won policy language in the measure that requires “complete streets.” That means when cities are repaving local roads, they must try to add or improve safe accommodations for people on bike and foot. And if they can’t, they must justify why.
Your donation funds the only nonprofit organization in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties whose sole job it is to advocate for better bike infrastructure and to work with local governments to make biking a priority.Thank you for your ongoing commitment to SVBC and enjoy each adventure by bike!Thank you,Shiloh BallardExecutive Director, SVBC
