Greetings! Christina is a PaCMan member, has volunteered to write our MACH grant requests and reports, helped staff the volunteer Manitou Springs Elementary School Wichita Lot Crossing Guard Program (2022-2024), has been an amazing member on the Manitou Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PARAB), successfully applied for a Manitou Springs Garden Club grant and implemented a garden beautification project near her home that benefits the entire neighborhood, passersby, and #pollinators—and the list goes on! Christina truly epitomizes helping community and #spreadspositivity wherever she goes.
Did you know that she also #cycles, walks, and takes #publictransportation as transportation? We hope that you are inspired by her story and will help us replace car trips once a week by walking, cycling, PikeRide #ebikeshare, shuttles, and/or public transportation.
How long have you been living in Manitou Springs and why did you choose to live here?
Love brought me to Manitou Springs in 2002 from Madison, WI. My boyfriend, now partner of 25 years, had recently moved to Manitou from Madison to live with his dad. Six months later, I moved too. We both fell in love with Manitou and have built a life here. We still live in the same house just off of Lover’s Lane. Now we have a 13-year-old son, and we all live in grandpa’s big old house (he’s still here too). I remember the first time I saw Manitou Springs. It was nighttime when we arrived. We turned off of Hwy 24 onto Sunshine Trail and then onto Washington where there is a great view of the town. All I could see were twinkling lights on the hillsides and the enchanting little town down below. I couldn’t believe it, it seemed like a dream.
What are the pros/cons of bicycling/walking/rolling/taking shuttles/public transit to get around in Manitou?
The ability to get around Manitou without hopping in the car has greatly enhanced my whole family’s quality of life. My family members and I can walk or bike everywhere we want to go in Manitou-out to dinner, the post office, out to enjoy music, the library or an art opening. My son gets to school independently by walking to the elementary school and taking a school bus to the SILC building. At 13 years old, he has complete agency of how he gets around. This is great for his growth, development and self-confidence as a young person and great for his social life! How many kids in the United States have this amount of freedom and agency? It also means my husband and I don’t have to drive him here or there as much which frees up our time to work or rest or recreate. There are so many pros that are really immeasurable. There are health benefits, environmental impacts, connection to community and so much more!
Please tell us about your e-Bike experience. Were you able to apply for and utilize an e-Bike voucher to make an e-Bike purchase? If so, which e-Bike voucher program did you qualify for: Manitou’s e-Bike voucher program or the Colorado State e-Bike rebate?
I bought an e-bike in September, and I’ve been riding about 6 miles to work and back in Colorado Springs almost every day that I work. I work 3 days a week. I purchased my e-bike at a retailer in Colorado Springs. They applied the $450 e-bike voucher that is currently available through the State of Colorado right at the register. It was really easy. I didn’t really have to do anything. The voucher instantly subtracted $450 off of the price of the bike. The retailer then will get reimbursed by the state when they claim it on their taxes. This program has since permanently closed.
How has having an e-Bike changed your life/affected your life in a positive way?
I love riding my bike to work. It’s fun, engaging, I can breathe the fresh air and experience the local environment. I have a somewhat stressful job as a healthcare provider so biking to and from work helps me maintain good mental health as well as physical health. It’s likely that I arrive to work and at home in a better mood and if I ride my bike to work even twice per week, I have no problem hitting the recommended 150 minutes of cardiovascular exercise! If you haven’t noticed, we live in a beautiful place, biking through Garden of the Gods and seeing the ever-changing view of the Peak makes for unbeatable scenery. I recognize that I am very privileged to live in Manitou, afford an e-bike and to have the ability and health to ride a bike to work. Since I am afforded all of these privileges, I feel the responsibility to take one car off the road and give Mother Nature some love.
What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your cycling/walking/rolling/transit experiences in Manitou?
I would love a dedicated and protected bike lane that goes both directions all the way down Manitou Ave and through Old Colorado City. Currently I ride on El Paso Blvd from Manitou Springs to Colorado Springs which is lovely during the day but rather dark at night. I’m not a huge fan of adding more streetlights as this has a negative impact on wildlife. Since Manitou Ave is already a major thoroughfare with streetlights, it makes to have a bike lane there especially if we want to encourage folks to commute by bike. I would also like to see more bike racks at businesses and destinations throughout the city so that bike parking is safe and convenient. This will encourage more people to ride their bikes.
What advice would you give someone who would like to give active transportation in Manitou a try?
Manitou is full of special places, hidden surprises and magic. By choosing to get around by walking or rolling, you will be rewarded in more ways than you imagined. You will encounter wildlife, see artwork, hear live music, see birds flying overhead and have a chance to put your feet in the creek. If you want to experience what makes Manitou special, give it a try!
What do you think would increase more bicycling/walking/rolling/public transit use in Manitou?
It needs to feel safe, easy and enjoyable to get around without a car. Continuing to create infrastructure that promotes safety for pedestrians and people outside of cars is key. We need to prioritize our youngest schoolchildren. If they can walk, bike, scoot or take a bus to school independently, then we have done our job to promote safe mobility in our community.
What other form(s) of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?
Depending on where I’m going, I use different modalities. I do quite a lot of walking around the downtown area. If I’m going someplace outside the downtown area, like the pool, Field’s Park or the Buffalo Lodge, I typically ride my bike. I don’t often use the free shuttle, but I recommend it frequently to out-of-town visitors that want to ride the cog or do the incline and avoid trying to find a parking spot. My family used to use the free shuttle a lot when my son was younger because he thought it was fun. The shuttle is really helpful for parents with little kids that get tired out as well as older people and visitors that aren’t used to the altitude.
Is there anything else you think we should know about you that would help inspire others to use active transportation?
For me a big motivator is seeing other people doing it. I hope that when others see me biking to work, they feel encouraged to try it themselves. I’m not a super athlete or an absolutist in any way. However, I do know that if I can bike to work even part of the time, it will make a difference for my health, my community and the planet.