What Did We Learn From Council Chatcasts this year

We have come to the end of 2023! This year was certainly an adventure for me as I am sure it was for everyone. One of the new opportunities for me in 2023 that I am thankful for is that I got to start writing the National Youth Bike Council’s blogs! And as we reflect on this year I wanted to do some reflecting on what the National Youth Bike Council has done.

In this blog I will be reflecting on the 11 Council Chatcasts that we have done. These were Instagram live conversations between members of the Council and youth involved in different forms of transportation from across the US (Pennsylvania, California, Nevada, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, & New York ) and many cities in between. These conversations were able to highlight the experiences of youth across the United States in a range of types of biking, from mountain biking to road biking and the lessons they have learned. One of our lovely Advisor volunteers helped us transcribe the 11 Chatcasts and summarize common themes as well as individual messages from each interview.

I want to first look at the common opinions that were found. One of the themes I thought was particularly interesting is that some of the chatcast participants rely on biking and public transportation because they don’t have a driver’s license. I definitely identify with this. Before I could get my driver’s license I biked to school, because I often had to stay after school for clubs or sports which meant I missed the bus back home. The bike became essential to my independence! Now that I am at college, a lack of a car has led me again to rely on biking, walking, and public transportation.

When you rely on public transportation and biking the shortcomings of the infrastructure become even more apparent. As the Chatcast points out, across the US there is a need for more bike lanes especially near schools and a safer infrastructure for cyclists in urban environments. The Chatcasts point out that the lack of biking infrastructure comes because, as one participant put it, “we live in a country that is dominated by car culture.” I think it’s interesting to see how the experience changes across different parts of the US. One participant, Josh M, talked about their experience growing up in Texas. “Where biking is completely untenable” and “then I moved to New York at the age of 18 and I am now, suddenly flourishing in a world of public transit, buses, and an NYC bike share system.” There are more pedestrian deaths in the South than in the North. Generally in the South of the US cities were built around the automobile where in the North cities are older than the car and were built around pedestrians.

Council Chatcast youth also point out the importance of knowing safe and efficient bike routes when it comes to the logistics of commuting and that we need to make information about routes and education on urban cycling more accessible. Your whole biking experience can change based on which route you take. Josh M said, “You feel silly when you’re on a bicycle trying to cross, you know a six-lane highway underneath, it just feels like you’re about to die all the time.” Without proper infrastructure people are disincentivized to bike because it can feel dangerous and unwelcoming. The exciting part about the Council Chatcast is not only does it elevate the concerns of our peers but also the suggestive solutions as well. Interview 1 “I was gonna say bike packing is accessible, but it kind of isn’t because you need a lot of supplies to make it happen: camping gear, you need bags for your bikes, you need supplies, you need a sleeping bag, dicky sack, sleeping mat, and knowledge about biking or about where to camp or the weather. So that’s the main point of Youth Bike America is that we can make it accessible to people.” Said Dasha, a young commuter who uses bicycling and walking as her main form of commuting and is also leading Youth Bike America.

In addition to how infrastructure and access across the US is lacking and how we can solve it, there is so much that our Council Chatcasts voiced this year that I can’t fit into one blog. Our Council Chatcast participants highlighted including making biking communities more inclusive, biking more accessible, e-bikes, how we design cities, a possible biking utopia, how to engage youth, and more. Interview 6, “I don’t think I’ve heard anyone say flying bikes, but now that you said it, I can totally see that happening. They have to make it happen one day.” I plan to tell you more about their ideas, how our advocacy will play a part, and reveal more youth-thinking in 2024. See you then!

Brian, California is number 9 on the Top 20 pedestrian deaths for 2020 (actually tied with Georgia) do you feel that your experience supports that ranking? What are some trips you did in 2023?