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BikePortland Podcast: Catching up with community activist Hami Ramani


It seems like just yesterday this guy named Hami Ramani started popping up in our social media lists and messages. Who is this guy? I thought. And why on earth is he so eager to move to Portland (from San Diego, California) just to get involved with our bike scene?

Hami Ramani leading the PSU Farmers Market Ride last weekend.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Fast forward a year or so later and there’s Hami — and he’s playing an active role in the community as a ride leader, volunteer, and strong voice pushing to make bicycling better (you should follow him on Twitter @hamiramani if you aren’t already). His weekly PSU Farmers Market Ride has evolved into a little gem of a meet-up. Last weekend I caught the end of this ride and followed Hami and his crew as he dispensed insights about concrete diverters and discussed how to pressure PBOT to make neighborhood greenways even better. I’ve always loved watching volunteer activists find their way and create and impact. It’s inspiring to me how Hami has so quickly and capably plugged into the scene, found a crew to ride with, and become and important part of our community.

I caught up with him this week for the podcast to share more about who he is, what he thinks of Portland as a new resident, and what it’s like to get trolled on Twitter by people who get offended when you tell the truth about massive trucks and the imminent threats they pose to public safety (it’s a wild story). In our our you’ll also learn that Hami first assumed moving to “America’s Best Bike City” of Portland meant he could take a break from bike activism (haha!), and why, even though he found more work to do here than expected, he loves being a part of our community.

Thanks to our supporters and subscribers for making this podcast possible!

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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