BikeSD launched as a non-profit organization nearly three years ago in the fall of 2012 with a goal is to push for transformation through bicycling, as it is the most fulfilling and elegant way to experience a city. The organization was founded to explicitly transform San Diego into the world’s best city for bicycling. It is an ambitious vision, but one that is well within the realm of possibility due to the finite variables needed to make that change happen: funding reallocation, street design standards, good public policy, and the political will to make the change.
Since our launch in 2012, we have undoubtedly changed the conversation of what access and transportation means in the city of San Diego. But so much more needs to be done – the vast majority of San Diegans still don’t have a transportation choice in how they access everything from jobs to public resources. And the San Diegans that have no choice but to transport themselves by bicycle have to navigate their bicycle commute along corridors that induce high speed traffic alongside the most minimal of bike infrastructure. The latter point is what our push for Vision Zero, a policy to end all traffic deaths, aims to address while closing the fundamental gap between how our elected officials make decisions around funding priorities in conjunction with the city’s mobility needs.
Thousands of volunteer hours have been already devoted to BikeSD with the explicit goal of transforming San Diego into being a better city to live and ride – and yet so much more is needed before we as an organization can claim success. The change we are collectively working toward includes being a part of a city where people have a choice in transportation besides driving. This change and transformation can only be accomplished through effective advocacy, public policy changes, public funding reallocation and public support and civic engagement.
Today, we are still a very small organization with a small budget, funded by nearly 1,500 individuals. And all of us are committed to the goal of making San Diego a world-class city for bicycling. Earlier this year, BikeSD’s board and core advisors participated in a strategic planning process to create BikeSD’s first five-year strategic framework. That framework broke the long range vision into a five-year vision that explicitly spelled out what success would look like. And I want you to play an active role not just in the city’s positive transformation, but also in helping guide our work in driving that transformation.
My board set up a committee structure in response to our members’ desire to be more involved within our organization and help drive BikeSD’s success. And I want you to be involved as well so I encourage you to read our five year framework, and join a BikeSD committee. Positive change is possible and attainable, we just can’t do it alone.
UPDATE: 8/24/2015 – Thank you to everyone who signed up. You will receive an email on the next steps. If you want to be involved but missed signing up for a committee, I encourage you to sign up for our mailing list.