For this installment of Stories from the Field, Berkeley SafeTREC’s Kristen Leckie chatted with Adrian Cardenas, School Engagement Coordinator at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. Cardenas calls out the importance of creating programming that empowers the communities one works with. Read his Safety Story below!
What is your current role at the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition?
I am currently the School Engagement Coordinator of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition working under the Safe Routes to School Program.
What inspired you to work in active transportation with youth and families?
Being able to help kids and parents discover the benefits of using alternative modes of transportation and the impact it has in the community has been very rewarding and fulfilling.
What does a successful youth and family active transportation program look like to you?
I want to continue implementing programs like Safe Routes to School directly into school curricula, so that the schools can continue educating students about the advantages of opting for alternative modes of transportation but also providing them with the necessary resources to easily embrace these options. For instance, classes for fifth graders that focus on how to confidently navigate the city via Muni (and how they qualify for free rides!) can help shape the next generation of public transit riders, which is a lasting change for those students and their families.
Tell me about Monroe Practice Days. How did they get started and what makes the program unique?
Monroe Practice Days is truly a community effort. The seed was planted last October with Pedalea Fuerte (meaning Pedal Strong), a Learn to Ride a Bike class focusing on BIPOC youth and families in the southeast part of the city. That first class was a collaborative effort with Excelsior Strong, the Excelsior Collaborative, Community Well, and the Mission YMCA. After the successful event, discussions arose among partners on how to create a sustainable pipeline for adult bicycle education and providing bikes to the community.
From these conversations, Monroe Practice Days was born. This program is unique as it serves two mostly monolingual communities (Spanish and predominantly Mandarin) in one event, with English being the less common language among participants. Due to its nature and language options, and because along with our partners we’re providing child care so that parents can attend the classes, it has been warmly embraced by the southeast community.
What have you learned from the Monroe Practice Days that could help inform other active transportation projects?
Monroe Practice Days has taught me key lessons for active transportation projects. Listening to the community, collaborating effectively, and sharing knowledge are crucial. These insights highlight the importance of inclusivity, engaging with neglected communities, and empowering individuals with resources and safety skills. This is a blueprint for success that I believe we can use to elevate the impact of similar projects, and deserves recognition.
How has COVID influenced the work you do?
Getting back to pre-pandemic event standards for in-person activities has been a challenge for all industries. But now that it's safer for people to gather, there's a growing interest in the types of activities I work with schools to implement (walkbuses, bike rides, in-person workshops). Our programs also have options that can boost health, like regular exercise and enjoying the outdoors so I'm dedicated to helping folks uncover these health benefits for a healthier and safer lifestyle and the positive impact it can have on their community.
If you had a superpower and could change anything, what would the future of active transportation safety look like?
Imagine reliable and extensive continental light rail systems, powered by renewable energy. Imagine connected networks of protected bike lanes in every city and town. Imagine free bikeshare programs for kids and youth and low-income communities, creating access to sustainable and flexible transportation options for everyone. Imagine a new model of car ownership that treats cars as a public and collective utility (like car sharing models, incentives for low car usage) so that we can reliably maintain healthy air quality levels in our cities. That's my dream vision of a future where sustainability and clean energy govern our everyday activities and move us towards a healthier and safer world.
This Stories From the Field interview was conducted in collaboration with UC Berkeley SafeTREC. The opinions and perspectives expressed are those of the interviewee and not necessarily those of SafeTREC.
