This story is part of my ongoing coverage of the 2008 National Bike Summit. See the rest of my coverage here.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Meet Scott Bricker, the Executive Director of Bike Pittsburgh. No, that’s not a typo; that’s just a guy with the same name, same title, and working in the same field as the Portland-based Scott Bricker whom many of you know as the leader of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).
Let me explain.
Six years ago, an enthusiastic cyclist from Pittsburgh wanted to start a non-profit to promote and encourage bicycling; so he turned to the Internet to research existing and successful bike advocacy groups that he could emulate.
When he stumbled across the website of the BTA, he noticed someone on the staff with his same name and thought, “Now that’s someone I need to call.” And he did.
The two great Scotts hit it off right away, but their matching names and very similar positions have resulted in a fair amount of confusion over the years.
For instance, when news spread about the BTA’s Scott Bricker being named the executive director of the organization back in October, the Pittsburgh Scott Bricker said he received several emails and phone calls from friends congratulating him on the position.
They’re also both readers and posters to the same bike advocacy email list, where some folks have started calling them “Scoot” (Pittsburgh Scott) and “Brick” (Portland Scott) in order to avoid confusion.