Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Powell.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In 2002, I moved from a bike-friendly town in the Midwest to Orlando.
Despite the relatively car-centric nature of Central Florida, I was determined to use my bicycle as a primary mode of transportation. This experience provided a better understanding of what we needed in Orlando to truly become The City Bikeable: separated, protected, and connected routes for people who ride.
I started the Orlando Bike Coalition (OBC) as a Facebook page on December 17, 2014. The first post was about creating safe and comfortable bikeways to connect Orlando’s Main Streets. Advocating for the development of world-class bicycling infrastructure in Orlando continues to be the primary goal of the organization.
With the encouragement of Peter Martinez and Sarah Elbadri, the founders of Orlando’s first bike share (Juice Bikes), OBC became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on May 26, 2016.
OBC recently doubled the number of Board Members as we aim to increase our membership and impact by attending more public workshops, committees, and City and County Council meetings to advocate for separated and protected bicycling infrastructure.
The Downtown Loop, an 8.5-mile loop that will connect more than a dozen neighborhoods with mostly off-street bikeways, is an infrastructure project that has received enthusiastic support from OBC. With more people riding bikes in Orlando, we look forward to building on this success!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest challenges has been getting folks to understand that creating safe alternative transportation options is a win for everyone. Sometimes, there is an assumption if we just continue to widen roads for automobiles, this will alleviate traffic. Creating safe and comfortable routes for people who want to get out of their cars will lessen the amount of cars on the road. Protecting and separating bicyclists from cars will improve the overall experience for drivers as well because it will reduce potential conflicts.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
You can support our Mission by following OBC on social media and becoming a member by donating $30, which includes a high-quality Orlando Bike Coalition T-shirt!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Long trips start with short steps.
When I first started the OBC Facebook page in 2014, I made a commitment to create at least one post each day. I think having original content seven days a week helped to keep our message out there as we began to build momentum and grow as an organization.
Change can happen slowly in municipalities and county governments, but creating a clear, concrete Mission from the start (“Advocating for the development of world-class bicycling infrastructure”) and working towards that goal each day has been key. It goes back to that one post every day.
In the beginning, I probably had sharper elbows when communicating with the city, but I wanted to get our elected officials’ attention, especially since the greater Orlando region remains one of the most dangerous areas in the country for people who walk and bike.
When OBC became a not-for-profit and formed an official Board, we began to forge more relationships as an organization. I recognize I am not always the best voice for the Mission in every situation, so getting out of the way and allowing others to take advantage of their strengths and relationships has been huge. We now have an amazing group of passionate and talented Board Members, our membership is growing, and having all of these folks working together for our shared Mission is awesome.
We still have a ways to go, but I am more hopeful today than ever that The City Beautiful shares this Mission. Creating a safer and more comfortable environment for people on bikes is a benefit not only to those who ride but also to local businesses. We create a greater sense of community by offering people a way to visit each of our amazing Main Streets without the need of an automobile.
Pricing:
- $30 = OBC Membership with T-shirt
Contact Info:
- Email: info@orlandobikes.org
- Website: http://orlandobikes.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orlandobikes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orlandobikecoalition
- Twitter: @OrlandoBikeCo
Image Credits
David Thomas Moran
