Thanks to Matthew Rockwell for sharing his active mobility story with us. We also believe that E-Bikes are a viable means of transportation for people of all ages and abilities and encourage replacement of vehicular car trips!
Why do you walk, roll, bike, and/or use public transportation?
When travelling, I try to visit places that make it easy to get around without a car. It’s always such an enjoyable experience that I do my best to recreate it at home.
My work and hobbies mostly involve a screen, and on top of that, I work from home. Using a bike to grab lunch or run errands is a way to guarantee I get some exercise in. Plus, parking a bike is free and usually closer to the entrance than any car space. Choosing a bike trail over a busy road is a more pleasant way to travel. In the city of 300 days of sunshine, almost every day has weather that is more than good enough to be riding.
What aesthetic and/or infrastructure improvement would have the most positive impact on your active mobility experiences in Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs?
More bike racks! So many places I go have nothing better than a nearby tree or street sign to lock a bike to. A strip mall has room for literally hundreds of car parking spaces, but not one little spot for a bike rack? Having a safe and sturdy place to secure a bicycle is a good way to make me feel welcome.
How has your E-Bike changed your life and how could we encourage more people to replace car trips and errands using active mobility?
I don’t consider myself a “cyclist.” I don’t own spandex, clip-in shoes, or even a bike with drop bars. Back when I biked to the UCCS campus (2009-2013), I often depended on the shuttle to haul me (and my bike) uphill. An E-Bike is a game changer. Now I can go further, faster, and not worry about the intense vertical climbs all over the city. I can leave the car at home and make a day out of biking to downtown and back.
My partner and I have three E-Bikes between the two of us, and we owe it to Pike Ride for letting us dip our toes in the E-Bike waters. In 2020 after we saw Pike Ride spots popping up at our usual spots, we spent an afternoon riding them around. We purchased two of our own the next day and still use them six years later.
Encouraging active mobility becomes easier if we start them young and make it safe, comfortable, and convenient. I was lucky enough to bike to middle school, but that kind of independence is only possible when the streets support it. Protected lanes or fully separated bike paths are better for everyone than just painted lines on busy streets. Slower neighborhood streets via traffic calming features beats speed limit signs and active traffic enforcement. Once the design of a neighborhood makes parents feel their child will be safe biking to school alone, then the infrastructure is safe enough for everyone.
