Spokane7
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May 16, 2011 in City
Face Time: Chamberlain is big wheel among Spokane cyclists
Barb Chamberlain doesn’t balk at riding her bike to work in her professional clothes – even when she’s wearing a skirt.
(Full-size photo)
Barb Chamberlain has worn a lot of hats besides her bike helmet over the years.
The 48-year-old director of communications and public affairs at WSU Spokane has been an Idaho state legislator, a teacher and a business owner, and served on all sorts of community-action committees, civic panels and advisory boards.
But in Spokane bicycling circles she is perhaps best known for being the lead organizer of this city’s Bike to Work Week/Month each May, now known as Spokane Bikes (www.spokanebikes.net). Well, that and the fact she sometimes seems to be sending out electronic messages 24/7.
Q. Why change the name of the event?
A. Biking to work is only one part of biking. We had people saying “Well, I bike for other reasons – those don’t count?” And we had started expanding and evolving the last two years, saying “Bike to everything.”
Q. How did you become a bicycle commuter?
A. The city put a bike lane in front of my house.
Q. How would you assess where Spokane stands right now as a place for biking?
A. Decent and improving.
Q. What would you say to those who hate bicyclists?
A. I would point out that people in cars aren’t all nice. For every story about “that jerk on a bike” I could respond with a story about “that driver who didn’t look both ways before turning.”
If we could just recognize it’s about the people and not about how many wheels their form of transportation has, we’d get along better.
Q. What else?
A. There’s a perception that people who ride bikes don’t pay for roads. Those who say that do not understand tax reality.
Q. What role does urban planning play?
A. Most Americans believe in the right to choose how we’re going to do things. Well, there are all these ways that transportation infrastructure constrains your choices and that should really piss people off.
Q. So what is it with you and social media?
A. (Laughs.) I have always tried to look ahead at where communication is going. I am an early tech adopter. And I like to talk and connect with people.
Q. What do you think keeps people from riding bikes?
A. I think there’s some fear. They think drivers and traffic are worse than they really are. As I’ve said, most of my interactions are positive – nice people who wave and smile or try to let me in when they shouldn’t.
Q. What else?
A. Clothing barriers for women in particular. Helmet hair.
Q. How do you think Spokane is going to be as a bike town 10 years from now?
A. I think it will be awesome. Now it’s incumbent on elected officials and staff in all the jurisdictions to keep up that momentum. They can’t say “OK, we put in a few bike lanes, we’re done now.”
The Slice: Salvage a thumbs-up, please 
Dazzeetrader11 on May 16 at 12:28 a.m.
Mary Verner owuld love Barb. Bikes and trees are NOT the future for Spokane. Wait till the new mayor and council works through this. I like bikes. The riders should get licenses as should their bikes. Tabs too.
Fix the allys for them.sidestreets too. Give them a “bike highway”. Keep em out of busy traffic. Safer for the bikers and the auto drivers. Spend spend spend…Verner will love the plan! Bikes and trees!! Something tells me when Verner, Rush and Shogan are history, there will be less of a love affair with the helmeted ones. Meanwhile, be careful out there…
beakaye on May 16 at 12:47 a.m.
We ride to work many days of the week, and by doing that we cut down on gasoline usage, exhaust emissions, among many other benefits, as well as improve our own health through exercise and reduce health care spending because we actually care about our health! Let’s stick us in the alley’s….great idea! I am riding to downtown tomorrow for the kick-off to ride to work week…….see you there!
Dazzeetrader11 on May 16 at 1:58 a.m.
Congrats! The alleys it is!!:)
monkeyman on May 16 at 7:47 a.m.
In that pic she looks like a distraction and potential traffic hazard!
Hope her commute is short :)
CommonSenseJoe on May 16 at 8:09 a.m.
beakaye,
Don’t forget all the traffic laws your fellow riders (and possibly you) violate when you ride to work many days of the week. The non-exhaustive list includes: running red lights, passing on the right, fail to yield at an uncontrolled intersection, running stop signs, failing to pull over when more than 5 vehicles are behind you, driving on and off the sidewalk, etc, etc. I would be all for “sharing the road” if you also got ticketed for all the violations of the rules of the road you all commit.
effrepublicans on May 16 at 8:37 a.m.
@commonsensejoe… I just correct your statement for you.
“Don’t forget all the traffic laws your fellow drivers (and possibly you) violate when you drive to work every day of the week. The non-exhaustive list includes: running red lights, passing on the right, fail to yield at an uncontrolled intersection, running stop signs, failing to pull over when more than 5 vehicles are behind you, driving on and off bike lanes, etc, etc. I would be all for “sharing the road” if you also got ticketed for all the violations of the rules of the road you all commit.”
Remember, just because you are a driver surrounded by metal doesn’t mean you are allowed to blow-off the law. Btw… last time I checked its illegal to drive with cell phones. How about drivers are ticketed for that too since we are comparing lists of complaints.
detroitdude on May 16 at 8:41 a.m.
I’m sort of split on this issue. Biking is great for your health, environmentally conscious, and can also just be fun on a nice day. That being said, I believe Spokane really needs to re-think the regulations as far as this goes. Barb says in the article: “For every story about “that jerk on a bike” I could respond with a story about “that driver who didn’t look both ways before turning.” That’s a fair point but the difference is this. If I get into a fender bender with another vehicle, most likely both parties involved will not be seriously injured. Accidentally hitting someone on a bike, or that person not paying attention and running into you, even at low speeds is a lot more dangerous to the bike rider, safety precautions or not.
I was driving home from work the other day, coming down Division headed for downtown. I noticed traffic was moving very slowly and I then realized it was because of a guy on a bike riding in the slow lane with traffic. Laws and regulations be damned. These people need to get on the sidewalk. It’s a hazard first off that it congests traffic, cars have to swerve partially into the other lane to pass, and to top it off, this guy wasn’t wearing a helmet, or even a shirt for that matter. They may say to ride in the road here, lol, ok have fun with that if you trust all the fools on the road in cars not to run you over. If they want to add bike lanes, they should widen all the streets to give people on bikes a real lane, not just have some lanes in some places and otherwise have them blend in with cars. OK, rant over.
“The riders should get licenses as should their bikes. Tabs too.”
LOL, yeah, let’s make sure to do that for every kid who gets a new bike too :P
biker on May 16 at 9:36 a.m.
This ongoing bike vs. auto debate on the comment boards is growing exhausting. Every feeder believes they are emitting the end-all logic that will squelch this issue once and for all. Problem is, it’s all repetitive…it’s all been said. We have heard the bike haters and the bike lovers; the environmentalist and the gas guzzlers; the crazies and the self-proclaimed profound all battling or defending their desired mode of transportation. There will be a middle ground that will not be found by any of us on these boards…..thankfully.
pdxtomct on May 16 at 9:47 a.m.
I’m forever amazed at the disdain drivers seem to have for bikers. I live in Portland, which is generally thought to be very bike-friendly. Yet I regularly hear of altercations between cyclists and drivers, as well as accidents. My own experience tells me cars and bikes cannot share the same space.
We have bike lanes everywhere here. I honestly believe those are some of the most dangerous streets to ride on. Why? Because there are too many cars on those streets. Cars with distracted, disgruntled drivers who are often talking or texting on their cell phones. I almost always ride on streets that are not heavily traveled by cars, bike lanes or not.
Seriously, cities that want more people to bike need to work on establishing bike-ways that are disconnected from car traffic. That’s a huge expense, but the only way to get more people on bikes is to ensure they aren’t getting run over and killed all the time. Of course, funding a project like this in any city would require a monumental, unlikely shift in priorities. This is why cyclists are stuck riding next to cars.
misjustice on May 16 at 9:49 a.m.
Today would not be a good day to bike to work; with the unrelenting rain.
I wish that I worked closer to home so that I could have the option to bike, or walk, to work; but a 75 mile, round trip, commute makes that impossible for me.
I applaud those which do bike, especially those which do it on days like today!
; )
Dazzeetrader11 on May 16 at 10:45 a.m.
I’ve seen bike highways in some cities. Alleys and sidestreets refurbed. SInce many defy common sense ( in many ways) it’s a project worth looking at. Best solution is to separate cars and bikes. I wonder if Verner and her bunch will do that. It would be a great way to spend money on “safety” (the ruse).
pjc on May 16 at 11:14 a.m.
misjustice wrote: I wish that I worked closer to home so that I could have the option to bike, or walk, to work; but a 75 mile, round trip, commute makes that impossible for me.
Jeez, a 75 mile round trip? Sounds unsustainable by any objective measure - that is a lot of money on gas and other vehicle costs.
CommonSenseJoe on May 16 at 12:04 p.m.
effrepublicans,
You are absolutely correct, drivers violate the same kinds of laws that I listed in my previous post. The point I’m trying to make is if bikers want to share the road, they also have to follow the same rules. When bicyclists do what I posted earlier, it’s them that’s going to get seriously injured or killed, not the driver. Ticketing bicyclists for committing the same acts as drivers will ensure the bicyclists have an “incentive” to follow the rules of the road.
Bucky on May 16 at 1:53 p.m.
I for one like seeing more cyclists out and about, I see no difference between them and walkers, joggers, etc. If they are riding in traffic, yes they need to strive to follow traffic laws, be attentive, and make a point to be predictable/consistent in their actions.
I think we can co-exist on the roadways and it is a learning experience for cyclists, I think we’ll get better as time goes along, drivers please have patience. I’m a cyclist and have to admit certain riders are not courteous when riding two or three abreast, they need to be cognizant of impeding traffic, and form a single line if possible, etc.
Thanks
Dazzeetrader11 on May 16 at 2:16 p.m.
Bucky…sorry Bucky…it’s nice to see them but they mix it up with the cars…..as with the oggers, walkers.anything without 4 wheels I suppose. We do have real deaths. We do have real disability from the mix. Plus the damages are there too.
It might be a bit more prudent to keep them separate in high trafficked areas.
Besides if a new bike highway system was created, it would give Mayor Verner an opportunity to spend more as she always does.
misjustice on May 16 at 2:48 p.m.
@ pjc, I know! I’m pumping a lot of premium gas and putting a lot of miles on my Benz. : (
The job is mid-level management and the pay is very good. I keep looking and applying for work in Spokane but so far I haven’t found a position…trust me, I’d rather have less pay, a shorter commute, and be able to bike or walk to work.
Dazzeetrader11 on May 16 at 2:56 p.m.
Anyone who drives a Benz is evil! Ask the Greenies. Spoiled fat, laggardly types who don’t bike, walk, or plant public gardens.
Buy a 12 cylinder Benz! Big body like J’s. She’s not a liberal..she’s got a Benz…a big one and she destroys your air and uses the communal energy (fossil fuels) . Limosine liberals should be rooted out and exposed. Ms J is one of them.
Tell Obama.
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on May 16 at 3:32 p.m.
Bucky @1:53pm – bicyclists should “strive” to follow the laws? Form a single line “when possible”?
No. They should just DO IT. Period. The same way that drivers aren’t expected to “strive” to follow traffic laws or stay between the lines “when possible.”
I hate sounding like a Republican, but if someone is going to ride a bike on city streets, they need to learn and follow the laws just like a driver does.
reservedparking on May 16 at 3:37 p.m.
Certain streets and roads are certainly more bicycle friendly than others - Rockwood vs. Grand, for example. Bikes need to share the road: stay close to the curb so cars can get around, instead of being forced to idle along behind at 10-15 mph. Been there, done that, don’t mind saying it aggravates me.
monkeyman on May 16 at 4:01 p.m.
@misjustice on May 16 at 2:48 p.m.
“The job is mid-level management and the pay is very good…”
Apparently your job also allows for you to keep posting comments on SR all day long. Sounds like a good deal to me… :)
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on May 16 at 4:02 p.m.
^ also, why any bicyclist would choose to have a line of cars riding just off their hip at 10-15 mph is beyond me, unless they just enjoy the knowledge that they’re inconveniencing others.
blawrence on May 16 at 4:02 p.m.
Many of us who cycle own cars, understand rules, and are polite, hardworking folks. There are some dopes who cycle, but really, would you want them driving a car instead? Please don’t lump us all together.
I have ridden with Barb many times (we often meet up and bike to work together) and I assure you she is a careful and considerate cyclist. She mentors many of us on our journey to become bike commuters and she “walks the talk” like no one else in Spokane.
Say what you will about those darn bikes, but remember we are your neighbors and coworkers; we save parking places for you, keep the air a bit fresher, pay taxes and say good morning to you as we ride by. Give it a try and you will find it to be a joy!
beakaye on May 16 at 4:06 p.m.
Yes……what a silly dilemma we have with this bike/car thing! No real easy or cheap solutions so we all need patience and respect for each other and the rules of the road. I do know that when I lived and biked up in Stevens County, I would have bottles, cans, etc. thrown at me from passing vehicles….just because I am out riding a bicycle (yes, I was on the white line all the way to the right side!). That hasn’t happened to me in Spokane County, so that is a positive!
I know another thing about cars and people…….I have friends that in general are pretty mellow and level-headed educated polite people, but put them inside a car in traffic, and they transform into somebody I don’t know…..they become inpatient, drive fast, curse…..a lot of our bike/car interaction problems are related to the stress of car drivers…..and poor cycling skills simply exacerbates that anger and stress. Thats why I love riding my bicycles as much as possible….especially on bike trails with no cars….it is healthy and cheap medicine for the soul :) People, try to ride a bike more often…..you might like it!!
misjustice on May 16 at 4:19 p.m.
It’s my day off, monkeyman!
; )
Too rainy to garden, take a walk, or ride a bike!
MrNatural on May 16 at 4:20 p.m.
The commute today is in some disarray
As Spokane commuters all freak
To share the road with a cyclist load
This decree they call bike to work week
To cycle they say is a healthier way
To cut pounds and emitted pollution
The problem it seems is compatible dreams
On this road toward a bike-car solution.
We espouse the merits or fuss up like ferrets
The nuisance t’ween pedal and drive
Take patience my nation and accommodation
And we’ll all get to work alive
We ponder the rules see oblivious fools
Weaving in and out sidewalks and lanes
As the cars try to pass it’s a pain in the ass
And harmonious idealism wanes
From shore to shore here’s a metaphor
For how we as a society meld
Drive car or ride bike whatever you like
We resolve to be equally held.
beakaye on May 16 at 5:36 p.m.
Mr. Natural: Absolutely awesome….you are talented!!
aj1152 on May 16 at 9:05 p.m.
I agree with the post about nice people who turn into idiots once they get behind the wheel of a car. Reminds me of the old cartoon, “Motor Mania” staring Disney’s Goofy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZAZ_xu0DCg&feature=related