Barb Chamberlain: Confident 2-Wheeled Commuter

Since being the youngest woman ever elected to the Idaho Senate and House in the early 1990s, Barb Chamberlain has never lost track of her passion for environmental conservation. Spokane is now benefiting from her presence as a community leader and her efforts to promote the infrastructure needed to ease dependency on automobiles. As Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Washington State University — Spokane, she heads “Bike to Work Week” and is a member of the City of Spokane Bicycle Advisory Board. An avid biker herself, Chamberlain practices what she preaches, pedaling to and from work each day until the snow becomes too heavy in the winter – then she switches to the bus. If her love of pedals and alternative transport is as contagious as she would like, Spokane could be in for a much greener future. What is Bike to Work Week? Bike to Work Week is a means of promoting and celebrating bike commuting, making it more accessible for people through education, support and incentives, and helping make motorists more aware that we all share the road. We’re about commuting and community. Our goal is to get people choosing to bike —not only to work but also to school, errands, entertainment, worship services — anywhere they might otherwise drive. What inspired you to get involved? I’ve been a bike commuter since around 2003 or 2004. My bike commuting progressed from “I bike to work once in a while” to “I bike to work pretty often” to “I’m a bike commuter.” Once you realize that it’s very manageable logistically, that you come to work energized and then at the end of the day get to pedal any of the day’s stresses, you get hooked. So when the idea of a formal effort around Bike to Work Week was proposed last fall I volunteered. How do you deal with the sweat factor? Of showing up to work ‘glowing’? I’m in luck—it’s downhill from my house. I keep baby wipes in a drawer. We also have showers in the building if I need those. Some of the building owners, such as Unico Properties with the Bank of America building (the major sponsor for Bike to Work Week in 2008), are making a point of telling tenants they have shower facilities as a way of supporting their bike commuters. Is Spokane a bike friendly city? It’s getting better every day, and the more cyclists out on the road, the better it gets for everyone. We represent less traffic congestion, less wear and tear on the roads, zero competition for parking spots, and decreased air pollution. Do you consider yourself to be part of the green movement? Yes. But it’s funny — part of me is reluctant to put what feels like a boundary around it by calling it a “movement.” It’s the future — or at least it is if we want to continue to live with the kinds of assets and privileges we have as Americans. Has much has changed regarding the programs you’re involved in since the economy took a down turn? Every nonprofit and good cause knows that we’re facing tough times for fundraising to keep our efforts moving forward. For bike-related activities, though, I think the realities of our energy future will lead to more interest and funding, not less. The city just made the decision to invest in a bike/pedestrian coordinator, so that’s new money that should more than pay for itself. Are drivers courteous of you when you ride, or do you fear for your life? The vast majority of drivers are courteous. I noticed this especially during Bike to Work Week, when people honked and waved. I was grinding up Grand and a motorcyclist honked as he passed and gave me a thumbs-up. Do you have a message for the SUV driving commuter? We’re in this together. I’ll watch for you, you watch for me, and we’ll all reach our destinations safe and sound. Also—try it, you’ll like it.