another cycling-friendly candidate for Lt. Governor, Dan Besse
Posted on April 17, 2008
Filed Under bikes, bullcitybikers, out of town, politics, urban design
After profiling Hampton Dellinger, a candidate for Lieutenant Governor, as a Bull City Biker, several readers encouraged me to contact Dan Besse. Besse is also a candidate for the second-in-command position, and he has a good reputation in certain bicycling circles for the work he’s done to extend Winston-Salem’s greenway system.
I offered to profile him as an honorary Bull City Biker — honorary because Besse, 53, prefers Triads to Triangles and running shoes to clipless shoes.
Bike(s) you own and ride regularly: I’m mainly a runner–but at any given time I try to have an old used “clunker” on hand. Ironically, I don’t mind pedaling harder so that I don’t have to take the trouble to deal with multiple gears.
What’s your primary flavor of riding? Exercise and short trips. Mostly on the street.
What’s the length and frequency of your average ride? Highly irregular. My biking goes up when my knee is acting up, and my running mileage perforce comes down.
Why did you start riding and why do you still ride? As a kid I walked or biked everywhere for fun and independence. Now, it’s great exercise.
What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen while out for a ride? Well, there was the day when I rode out of town about 30 miles only to realize that my smooth swift ride was with benefit of a stiff tailwind. On the way back, I saw 30 miles expand to about 300–or so it seemed.
How would your world be different if you wake up tomorrow and there are no more cars? It would be time to buy a better tire pump.
What’s one thing Durham could do to become more bike friendly? Marked bike lanes on more roads.
What will you do as Lt. Governor to make bicycling a more viable transportation option in North Carolina? I’ll be happy to help push the state legislature and DOT to boost funding for bicyling projects. I’ll also press them to follow through on the policy of including pedestrian and bicycling features on every project where practical. A more aggressive state program to link cities and towns via greenways with multi-purpose paths is needed as well. (Expanding our greenway system has been a particular project of mine for years.)
As a Winston-Salem City Council member and a leader in regional transportation efforts, I am seeing increasing attention to alternative transit efforts–and I am doing my best to continue this trend. We should increase cooperation between local and state levels in implementing biking-friendly programs and development planning. Planning and policies which include walkable/bikable communities and transit-oriented development should be linked to state transportation funding.
Tailwinds to both Dan Besse and Hampton Dellinger’s campaigns.
It’s refreshing to have candidates running who recognize that a bicycle is more than a child’s toy. Given the rising price of gas, a state known for sprawl, and a relentless war fought over oil, it’s perhaps not surprising that cycling (as a transportation alternative to single-occupant driving) is a political issue. Nonetheless, NC DOT still behaves as an extension of the automotive industry, and putting some progressive leadership in the Governor’s and Lieutenant Governor’s offices will provide some needed redirection in setting transportation priorities.
Early voting started this morning and runs through May 3rd. If you’re not registered to vote, you can register and vote (through early voting only) all at once — Durham County calls it One-Stop Voting. Early voting/One-Stop Voting locations in Durham are:
Durham County Board of Elections
706 West Corporation Street
Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 5:30PM.North Carolina Central University
Parish Center Meeting Room, formerly Holy Cross Catholic Church,
1400 South Alston Road
Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 5:30PM.North Regional Library
221 Milton Road
Monday to Saturday, 9AM to 5:30PM.
And the primary is May 6th.
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