New bike coordinator unveils “Four ‘E’ Model”
Jakob Helmboldt, Richmond’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Coordinator, sat with Nathan Cushing of RVANews to address many issues that curious Richmonders are wondering about, like bike racks, communting and the Four ‘E’ Model? I liked that one. Four ‘E’ Model includes engineering, education, enforcement and encouragement. Helmbolt seems to be very interested in speaking about his new role, […]
Jakob Helmboldt, Richmond’s Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Coordinator, sat with Nathan Cushing of RVANews to address many issues that curious Richmonders are wondering about, like bike racks, communting and the Four ‘E’ Model?
I liked that one. Four ‘E’ Model includes engineering, education, enforcement and encouragement. Helmbolt seems to be very interested in speaking about his new role, which so far is satisfying many cyclists, though like Cushing, many of us are concerned about the other shoe dropping. See more from the article:
Perhaps the most immediate challenge for Richmond is to foster a conducive environment between motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians. One of the biggest issues is that cycling in Richmond is seen by many (including cyclists) as being a “niche activity.” There are the VCU students who bike, the Hipsters, the long-distance riders, etc. What Helmboldt wants so see, however, is a push to recognize the “vehicular cyclist” as a legitimate commuter. Biking, says Helmboldt, is “not alternative transportation—it’s transportation.” We talk about how in bike-friendly European cities, say for instance Copenhagen, cyclists don’t identify themselves as cyclists, as Americans typically do. They see themselves as someone who’s simply getting around their city, no different than a driver, or a bus rider, or a walker. “Making it more mainstream, more normal” is Helmboldt’s ultimate goal.
He reminds me of the Go Fish art project that placed hundreds of custom-colored fish statues around the city back in the summer of 2001 (some of which still exist). He also brings up David Byrne, the front man for the band Television. Byrne and the New York City Department of Transportation judged custom bike rack designs that were later installed throughout Manhatten and Brooklyn. He also mentions that Norfolk has followed a similar undertaking. What these creative efforts are doing, says Helmboldt, are “making it cool” to commute via bike. Something in this vein involving bike racks would help Richmond show that cycling is a legitimate and proper form of transportation.
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