Our Stories Pt 4: Back on the Bike
Famous on Google Street View
What motivates members of our local conversation to take time out of their busy lives to advocate for a strong town?
We have stories.
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Sometimes rediscovering a simple experience from childhood is the kick one needs to make sure future kids (of all ages) can share that experience. Meet Will, the same Will who traveled to Portland OR for some face time with StrongTownsPDX not long ago.
ST: Hi Will. What’s going on in that picture? You’re a teeny bit older now, no?
W: That’s me biking to cross country practice from the camera of a Google car in August of 2013. I had impeccable fashion sense, and as you might also be able to tell from the photo, Hartford, Wisconsin’s infrastructure was not friendly to bikes and unfortunately remains that way.
ST: But there you are anyway.
W: Yeah. Until I could drive, I biked on dangerous country roads to get into town to play Dungeons and Dragons and to attend other events. It wasn’t much safer in town, but at least the drivers drove slower. Despite that, I actually loved that bike ride into town.
ST: And then you followed the path a lot of us tend to follow?
W: As soon as I got my license, I exclusively drove our 300,000-mile Camry until I went to college. [In Hartford], travel felt easier and safer in all respects. I forgot all about my love for biking until a trip to the Netherlands a few years ago.
ST: Ah, Amsterdam. So it begins….
W: I didn’t actually bike anywhere while I was there, but the design of the cities and the popularity of cycling reminded me that 1) cities can be good, and 2) bikes are a legitimate form of transportation.
ST: What came next?
W: In the last couple years, I’ve rediscovered that love [of cycling] as I experience Milwaukee by bike. I’ve lived it and seen firsthand what works and feels comfortable for bikers as drivers get more reckless and unpredictable. I love being able to avoid traffic and parking year-round by using the Oak Leaf and other safe pieces of infrastructure.
For those reasons, I got involved in Strong Towns in 2023 or so. I have helped start a YouTube channel with some other members, attended a bunch of public input meetings, started canvassing, taken charge of general fundraising, and generally been more active in the community. I love it all!
ST: And from this, we understand a life-changing decision has been made?
W: The stuff I’ve been helping our group (and by extension our city) with has been the most fulfilling work I’ve ever done. Because of that, I applied and was admitted to UWM’s Urban Planning Masters program. I am switching careers from automation engineering to planning because this work is so fun and rewarding.
I hope I can continue to build community and connections, and hopefully I get to meet anyone and everyone reading this!
ST: Congratulations Will. That is fantastic.
Editor’s note: those who join our local conversation aren’t asked to change careers. Everyone who participates has found a little time in an otherwise packed schedule because there’s a passion to do the advocacy or small-scale projects that make life in our city a little more comfortable and sustainable. If Will’s backstory is familiar to you and you haven’t done so already, get in touch.