Outspoken Cyclist – 6/18/2022

Outspoken Cyclist

With flowers in bloom and trees in full leaf, we look to put the cold weather behind us and take to the paths and trails.

Which takes me to our first guests – Aliison Burson, National Director, and Kristine Keeney, Northern New England Manager – with the East Coast Greenway.

It’s been almost a year since I’ve checked in with the Greenway and with all the great legislative wins, state and local funding options, and a carbon reduction program, I wanted to hear how things are percolating along the trails.

In the second half of the show, we learn about City Thread – a new non-profit start-up that has been leading the charge in getting trails done – FAST.

When we look at our local cycling and walking infrastructure, are we seeing great networks of connected paths and trails?

In some places that answer is yes, even here in the U.S.

But, in many places, that answer is not only no, there isn’t even much of a plan in place, or that plan, having been on the drawing board for years if not decades, still only sports a series of disconnected and unprotected byways.

But, what if you could harness the powers that be – local, state, federal – and especially every-day folks like you and me, and get our dream networks finished and paid for – quickly and efficiently?

Sara Studdard and Zoe Kircos are two of the three principals at CityThread and in a relatively short time they’ve taken their combined 50 years of experience in urban planning, marketing, communications, equitable public participation, fundraising, grant making, community engagement, strategic planning, and campaign management to bring hundreds of miles of trails to fruition.

In the second half of the show we’ll find out how they did it and what they were able to do with messaging, communication, and perhaps a little chutzpah.