Year-End Giving Season: Read Why Ed Morimoto Gives His Support to SVBC
guest blog by: Ed Morimoto
“Almost there.” That’s how I would describe bicycling in Silicon Valley. We’ve almost gotten to the point where we collectively take full advantage of our weather and terrain and improve our quality of life by riding a bike. We’re almost to a place where we can feel safe and confident using a bicycle for transportation. We almost have infrastructure that communicates that cyclists matter.Some childhood friends and I just recently recalled our adventures riding our bikes from Los Gatos to the Pruneyard to see Return of the Jedi when we were too young to drive (and our parents weren’t sympathetic to our need to see it for the 4th time). As an adult, riding is an escape — time for me to be reflective and process everything that seems to bombard me in my personal and professional life.Unfortunately, riding a bike in a world built for cars has its risks. Three months ago, a car pulled out in front of me as I was traveling downhill — a crash that totaled my bicycle, sent me to the trauma center, and resulted in a lacerated leg, a couple broken fingers and lot of cuts, bumps and bruises. It’s a little disheartening that, to my knowledge, I wasn’t doing anything wrong nor could I have done something differently to avoid the crash.Clearly, the difference between “almost there” and “there” is big. The location of my crash is at the crossroads of a few different jurisdictions, highlighting the need for professional advocates like SVBC, who can work with multiple agencies to improve our roads. Fighting the hegemony of the motor vehicle in a place that loves its motor vehicles is a massive uphill battle. It will take a smart, focused, and dedicated organization like the Bike Coalition, one that will persevere through the ups and downs, to achieve significant, lasting improvements in cycling safety and increased ridership. Please join me in supporting them today.Thank you,Ed MorimotoSVBC Lifetime Member