Moonshine Ink recently caught up with Shelley Pursell of Tahoe City-based bicycling advocates Pedal There to ask few questions about the program.
MI: How did Pedal There start in North Tahoe?
Pedal There: I am an avid cyclist. My husband and I have cycled and traveled around the world, and have seen how great cycling is in other communities. I proposed Pedal There Thursdays to the Tahoe City Downtown Association last year to inspire the community to bike to Farmers Markets in the area. We ended up dropping the ‘Thursdays’ and became simply Pedal There, because we realized it had so many possibilities.
MI: South Lake Tahoe is part of the Bicycle Friendly Communities Program. Is Tahoe City also?
Pedal There: Not yet. We are working with the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition to make that happen. One of the goals is to tie the Tahoe City bike path to South Lake Tahoe and Truckee – not necessarily physically connect it all the way through, but tie it together with standard signage and bike-path rules.
MI: What will Pedal There do with the results of the survey on cycling that is currently being distributed?
Pedal There: We plan to take the information about how the bike path is used to the Tahoe City PUD and CalTrans and ask them to support improvements to the path. Once we get approval, we hope that they will pay for materials. We can supply the volunteer labor.
MI: What one thing would make the Truckee/North Tahoe Region more bike-able?
Pedal There: North Lake Tahoe has a great biking system. Truckee is still working on completing their biking infrastructure with bike lanes and paths. We would like to get motorists and cyclists together to exchange information about how cars and bikes can coexist.
MI: Do you have anything else you’d like to add?
Pedal There: We want to get people out on their bikes having a good time. There will be lots of individuals and businesses hosting bike socials this summer, such as an all-women’s ride and a Bike & Fish day for people who like to fly fish. There will be lots of events, and they will be posted on visittahoecity.com. Pedal There will also be at the Tahoe City Farmers market every Thursday for sign-ups and great cycling info.
~ willpedalforfood@hotmail.com
