Thankful for all of you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m so thankful to all of you for so many reasons it would be hard to list them all. Most importantly, you read this rambling newsletter and I thank you for that.
Along with all of you, I’m very thankful for my new co-workers for embracing me and making me feel welcome at my new job at the Walls Project. In return, I want to brag on some of my co-workers for a moment.
The Baton Roots team celebrated a big win this week! They announced that 11 freegerators that have been placed in areas throughout Baton Rouge. They’re strategically located in areas where there is a lack of stores with fresh produce.
Baton Roots is going to fill the fridges with produce they gather from the community farm, which is located out at Howell Park.
We’ve gone there a couple times on bike rides. I plan to bring folks out there again this spring, but if you want to go before then, they have a weekly Saturday event called Sow Good Saturday.
FOLLOW Baton Roots on Facebook for more info about those events.
Switching gears back to bikes, I was super encouraged on Sunday by yet another amazing Cranksgiving! This annual event is hosted by Bike Baton Rouge and is a food drive that benefits the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
At the event, an LSU student joined us to film for his capstone project in a media class I spoke to earlier this semester. The lecture was about how to cultivate a story pitch. Well, I guess I made an impression because one team decided to do their project on bikes!
Sadly, the timing of this project coincides with the death of LSU professor Norimoto Murai. Although they selected the topic long before, it has certainly called a lot of added attention to the need for better infrastructure in our city.
Louisiana is top five in the nation for bike fatalities. Accidents are going to happen, but they will happen a lot less if a few things happen:
Improved infrastructure that creates larger barriers between cars and vulnerable road users (anyone who is on or near a roadway that is not in a large vehicle).
Legislating stiffer penalties for those who cause crashes that injure a vulnerable road user.
Encouraging a culture that is multimodal. It’s not all about our cars and living in a city that forces you to be car dependent is an infringement on your freedom to choose.
The small improvements that have been made so far are really just drops in the bucket. The really encouraging news is that the city has finally adopted new bike, walk and skateboard ordinances that hadn’t been updated since the 1950s.
One big way to show your support is to do it with your butt! So, get your butt on your bike next Friday and come join us for the Ugly Sweater Bike Ride! It’s going to be a fun time and it will end at the tree lighting ceremony downtown.
