Pedaling it forward to a new generation
One in a series of Open Streets 704 profiles on Charlotte’s bike and pedestrian advocates.
For nearly every kid growing up in America, wheels mean freedom. From cities to suburbs, if you have a car and the gas to put in it, you can go places. And if you’re a kid, or even before your first car, a bike can get you where you want to go.
That was life for Bethanie Johnson, growing up in rural Louisiana. Once her older brother got a car, his old ten speed was hers. And with it came freedom!
“I found I could ride all over the Parish (county), to see friends. I ended up visiting most of the towns in my Parish by bicycle,” she recalls fondly. “I loved the freedom it gave me to visit friends and to be social.”
Ahhh…. freedom. And as a teacher, Bethanie wanted to share the freedom and exercise she found on her bike with the kids she teaches. She expressed to a colleague the joy she found starting her day by riding to school, and how a struggling student in her class might benefit from it. An idea was born, and now Bicycle Friday is in its 5th year, and started its new school year with 45 riders. “Our first ride of the school year was a record-setting Friday!” exclaimed Bethanie.
Along the way, the parent of that struggling student — who now rides his bike to school each day — suggested that more kids could use bicycle safety classes. Bethanie connected with another educator, Charlotte Cadieux, through Cycle Savvy instructor and Tuesday Night Ride founder Pam Murray.
Charlotte Cadieux was inspired to ride bikes as a teen while growing up overseas. In college, cross-country trips with friends planted the seed for a “bike school” in the back of her mind. Her post-college job at ALC Mosaic, a local student-directed school, allowed her to put her ideas into practice in a school setting. Charlotte and her students would regularly bike around town on field trips to sweet destinations like Amelie’s, Rita’s, or the library.
Once Charlotte and Bethanie connected, the idea for CLT Bike Camp was hatched. With love and support of family and friends (and local cyclists), they launched their first camp in 2016. The camp makes learning about cycling fun (and safe!) for kids who participate. Lessons in the classroom are practiced in the streets and greenways of Charlotte, and rewarded with visits to parks and other fun places.
Not only do Bethanie and Charlotte cherish the opportunity to teach kids to be safer cyclists, they know the lessons translate into a lifetime of awareness, fitness, and… better drivers! They’d welcome more bike education.
“I would like to see more classes and promotion about how to get started, and how to navigate the world of cycling and riding in our city,” says Charlotte.
The duo is excited about more opportunities for young cyclists, like bike lanes and greenways, where they can ride safely. Both agree that Open Streets 704 opens a whole new world for people who are used to going everywhere in a car.
“What I love about Open Streets is that it shows our communities that roads are not just for cars. It’s great to see people take over the streets,” says Bethanie, noting that she loves the way it brings all different types of people together. “I also believe that the more frequently people use our streets for other than just driving, the more drivers come to the understanding that they really need to give their attention to the road.”
Charlotte couldn’t agree more, exclaiming, “Let me count the ways! I can!”
“Just the sheer number of people Open Streets engages is astounding and it celebrates many powerful aspects of our community from arts, to businesses, to police enforcement and many, many other elements,” she says. “It shows people what is possible, and for some, is a first opportunity to ride or walk parts of our city safely.”
Walking and riding safely… a vision and a mission for Bethanie and Charlotte, and CLT Bike Camp — creating better pathways for kids, and more responsible travelers along the way, and pedaling the good deeds forward to the next generation.
Want to know more about Charlotte Bike Camp? (Of course, you do!) Check them out at http://cltbikecamp.org.
