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Submitted by Bobby Mullins from ESW organization Bicycle Alliance of Washington Earth Share of Washington http://www.esw.org/earthpage/ Bicycle commuter specialist Kent Peterson completed a pedal-powered mission to check on the status of bicycle facilities around the state, meet local cycling advocates and spread the word about bicycles as transportation. Peterson, who combines his love of long-distance cycling with a job as the commute-program director at the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, racked up more than 1100 miles on a multi-county loop. Peterson set off July 14 on a two-week odyssey that included visits to Port Townsend, Bellingham, Spokane, Walla Walla and Vancouver. In addition to long days on his bike saddle, Peterson scheduled visits to bicycle advocates in communities he pedaled through. Some joined him on the road to talk to him first-hand about the status of cycling in their own communities. "I wanted to get a sense of what it's like to cycle in various parts of the state - cities, small towns and little country roads. I figured the people who can give me the best information about these places are the folks who live and ride there every day, so I spent a lot of time chatting with local cyclists." Peterson says. "The issues that might come up in a place like Spokane are very different from those in rural areas like the Methow Valley." The information Peterson collected on his cross-state journey was used by the Bicycle Alliance of Washington, a Seattle-based group that represents the interests of bicyclists all over Washington. The group works with law-makers in Olympia to ensure that transportation plans include provisions for bicycles and addresses safety issues. "As a state-wide group, it's really important that we know what kinds of problems local communities are dealing with," says Bicycle Alliance executive director Gordon Black. "An issue that is a barrier to bicycling in one city might well have been satisfactorily solved in another community. Kent's trip will allow us to gather information and at the same time strengthen our connections with groups all over the state." Kent Peterson provided the Bicycle Alliance with updates from the road via phone calls, digital photos and blog entries. His complete trip report can be read at the Bicycle Alliance website at: http://www.bicyclealliance.org/, or follow his trip blog: http://kentsbike.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html |
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