Long Beach.
(Photo by Russ Roca)
A website, a lot of dedication, some like-minded people, and a dream for a more bike-friendly future — that’s what Russ Roca and the Long Beach Cyclists hope will be the start of something big.
Russ is a freelance photojournalist who rides a bike (or takes transit) to the many assignments he gets in and around Long Beach, California. (For one job, he took a foldable Bike Friday, packed up his panniers and set out on a bike/bus/train combo journey to San Luis Obispo, 226 miles away).
I don’t recall how I first met Russ, but I met him (in person) for the first time at last year’s Tour de Fat. He and some friends were on a Pacific Coast bike tour and made the Portland detour to check out the event.
bike advocacy in Long Beach, CA.
Then, during my trip to California over the holidays, I connected with Russ during my visit to the BikeStation in downtown Long Beach.
Since that visit, I’ve noticed Russ get pulled deeper and deeper into the abyss of bike activism.
It all started after a neighborhood meeting to talk about a new bike boulevard turned sour and resulted in an editorial by Russ in a local weekly newspaper. So when he emailed the other day and said he was part of a newly formed advocacy group, I wasn’t too surprised.
Russ says Long Beach Cyclists already has several members (including the executive director of BikeStation and a few local bike shops) and that it hasn’t taken long for him to realize that fighting for bikes isn’t easy. In a recent email he wrote, “I really have to commend you and all the bike advocates in Portland. It is hard work! Change is never quick and easy and it certainly takes some stamina.”
I’m excited to see the beginnings of a new bike advocacy group in the city where I used to live, and I have feeling there are many more Russ Roca’s embarking on similar efforts all across the country.
Good luck Russ and all your fellow Long Beach Cyclists. Keep your eyes on the prize and keep pedaling ahead…