An Appreciation Post for Mobility Advocates
In which I highlight several advocates working for more equity in transportation right here in the American South
For transparency, I have another blog post I intended to throw out into the world today, but it does not quite feel ready. I want to let it sit in the oven for a tad longer, so I figured I would spend some time highlighting some other advocates who I am inspired by. The three advocates I will be highlighting in this blog post will be based within the American South, as I think lots of folks just assume walkability and the South just do not mix. I do not agree with that assessment and will likely speak more on that in the future.
Preface: My own activism
I feel as though I have given y’all plenty of insight into my interests and reasons for jumping into this work, so I will be brief. I just want to restate that I found myself consuming plenty of urbanist content, especially during the pandemic, and I got to the point where I had to start actually using what I was learning. This inspired me to walk Spartanburg more and to pay attention to the challenges and opportunities for growth in my own city. This helped me to love Spartanburg more, and it allowed for me to see that potential more clearly.
All of my writing, speaking, and activism has come from this place of love. I have enjoyed talking with folks who also love where they give and want to make it better. This project is not even 6 months old, yet I have already gained so much traction. I have been nominated for the Kevin A. Gray Community Advocate Award in the inaugural Spark Awards, hosted by Young Democrats of Spartanburg County.
If you would like to, use the link above to get tickets and come on out and support all of the awesome leaders in our community that will be recognized as nominees. The awards ceremony is on May 31st from 6 PM to 8 PM at the Spartanburg Community College Downtown Campus’ Evans Auditorium.
Rebel Without A Car (Greenville, SC)
So “Bike Mary” is someone who I was originally introduced to by a fellow member of the board of Keep OneSpartanburg Beautiful. My fellow board member recommended me check out @rebelwithoutacar on Instagram, which led to me both following her and reaching out to her via DM. That was a few months ago, and I have enjoyed seeing all of the great things she does in her community. Bike Mary sold her car in 2015 and has been a full-time bike commuter in Greenville ever since. Below is a video from her Instagram celebrating 8 years of being car-free. I highly recommended going to her Instagram and reading the lengthy caption included on that post.
Through following her and speaking with her online, I have gotten a better look at the community of folks working in our neighboring city towards a more walkable Greenville. Bike Mary inspired me to make the drive with my partner to Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery, it is a very short drive and we really need public transit connecting our cities, and we loved exploring the Swamp Rabbit trail surrounding the cafe. It is really cool to see all of the ways that the cafe works with BikeWalk Greenville. I got to pick up the Happy Trails coffee beans from Methodical and Swamp Rabbit, which gave a portion of the proceeds to BikeWalk.
I definitely am inspired by Bike Mary’s work to further my work here in Spartanburg. She gives me a good example that a car-free lifestyle is possible in South Carolina.
Andy Talks Urbanism (Durham, NC)
This next creator is one that I found through researching living car-free in Durham. For those unaware, this summer I will be working in Durham for the second summer in a row. For this period, I spend about a month and a half full car-free in Durham. I am glad I found Andrés this way, because he does a good job showcasing what is working and what isn’t working in his place — Durham, NC. His passion and excitement shines through in his content when he is showcasing his car-free trips to neighboring cities or to local festivals.
I really like how Andrés is able to showcase just how exciting a car-free life can be. It is easy to focus on the bad — almost getting hit by cars, rude drivers, folks who criticize our choice to live car-lite or car-free — but there is so much fun to be had when living this way. There is a lot of value in showcasing how fun it can be taking a bus to Raleigh for a day or going grocery shopping by bike. I think that sometimes it is hard for people to grasp how they will be able to live day to day without a car, and this content helps people see how possible it is.
Andrés is also a member of Durham’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission, meaning he has a direct role in making sure that his place develops more equitable transportation for all. I love how he brings attention to public comment periods about the GoDurham bus system and how he lets people know who to contact about different plans happening in Durham.
The Happy Urbanist (Chattanooga, TN)
As I became more and more aware of walkability, The Happy Urbanist’s TikToks really helped me to understand the important of walkability. Chattanooga is a place I have never been to, but he makes me really care about Chattanooga getting better. He speaks with conviction about what needs to be done to make Chattanooga safer and healthier. I definitely think that The Happy Urbanist has mastered the Reel/TikTok format, something I am working on, which helps to make urbanism accessible for folks wanting to learn more.
I appreciate how The Happy Urbanist is able to walk you through a place, and then use statistics and visuals to make you truly understand why the place either works or does not work. One of his pieces that especially resonated with me was one in which he described a “freak” accident that happened in Chattanooga (the video can be found here). As he describes this accident, he keeps repeating the phrase “but that isn’t what’s crazy.” This video’s description allows us to see how normalized traffic violence is and how it is preventable, yet our cities refuse to act by creating safer pedestrian environments.
The first time I saw this video, it floored me. It is the kind of thing that sits with you. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. I remember sharing it with others. I think it is highly effective and puts things into perspective.
I do not just fight for more walkable, livable places because I personally love a good walk. I want folks to have safety and dignity in the ways that they move. I am not content with the system we currently have in which these accidents are normalized.
Conclusion
This work is necessary and important, and I hope you feel inspired to check out these advocates. I love the way they fight to make their places better, and I hope to the same right here in Spartanburg.
While it may be easy to throw up one’s hands and think North America can never improve walkability, especially in the South, I think it is admirable to put one’s time and energy into changing out communities for the better.
Until next time,
Liv.