Cyclists spin dreams for future
during local 'Pro-Bike' meeting
By John Furgurson
Of the Emerald
Visions of bicycle education
programs in every school and
automated bike racks on every
street corner dominate the
dreams of many bike enthusiasts.
And bicycle activists from
around the country share these
dreams and attempt to turn them
into reality each year at regional
and national Pro Bike
conferences.
Pro Bike is an “umbrella
organization" formed to bring
bike activists together, says Irvin
Housinger, Eugene bike educator.
Since 1980, Pro Bike con
ferences have added credibility to
bicycle groups and have helped
popularize the need for good bike
facilities.
“Many bicyclists are against
bike facilities because they
haven't ever seen good ones,"
says Ruth Bascom, whose efforts
to promote advanced bike
facilities have earned her the
nickname "mother of Eugene
bicycling."
Pro Bike conferences like the
one held at the University Oct.
7-10 bring in people to see
outstanding bike facilities through
guided tours.
"The conference helped win
many supporters for bike
facilities," Bascom says.
The conferences bring groups
like the League of Wheelmen and
Bike Centennial together to find
out what each group is doing and
to pool ideas for future projects.
Seminars focus on mass event
planning, legislative issues and
future bike dreams to make the
conferences fun as well as useful,
says Dianne Bishop, Eugene bike
coordinator.
At the recent Eugene con
ference, about 30 bicyclists from
around the Northwest shared
their dreams about the future of
bicycling.
One dream, which has become
reality for some cities, is the
replacement of stop signs with
"bikes yield" signs.
The concept of complete rider
education is a dream for Hous
inger, who uses cable television to
inform local bicyclists.
An ideal education program
would start in the fifth grade,
repeat in junior high school and
then be combined with drivers'
education programs in high
school.
"In order for motorists and
bicyclists to have peaceful coex
istence, everyone must be equally
educated in both disciplines,"
Housinger says.
"I would like to see the bicycle
integrated into society just as the
car has been," Housinger says.
A first step toward total integra
tion might be accomodation for
bicyclists using buses and trains
to commute.
At the conference, bicyclists
said Amtrak makes bringing bikes
on board difficult and added it is
nearly impossible to bring a bike
on a bus.
But the Lane Transit District has
replaced the front seats of one
bus with a bike rack. The bus
route runs about 50 miles up the
McKenzie River Valley and holds
four bikes. It currently serves
commuters and touring bicyclists.
Josh Lehman, bicycle coor
dinator for Seattle, had a dream
that was voted unanimously into
reality by the group at the Eugene
conference.
The group voted in favor of
organizing a bid to hold the 1986
national Pro Bike conference in
Seattle. The conference will take
place in conjunction with "Expo
'86" in Vancouver, British Colum
bia, and would utilize field trips to
model towns such as Eugene.
Eugene, with nationally renown
ed bike facilities, made a bid to
hold the 1984 national conference
here, but was turned down for
lack of funds.
Peace speech features Oregon senator
"Waging peace" will be the
topic of a talk by Sen. Mark Hat
field, R-Ore.( when the Willamette
World Affairs Council presents
"An International Affair" this
Saturday night at the Eugene Con
vention Center.
Hatfield will be introduced by
Rep. Jim Weaver, D-Ore., and Ji
Chaozhu, the Minister-Counselor
of the Embassy of the People's
Correction
Due to a copy editing er
ror, an article in Tuesday's
Emerald incorrectly stated
that the University GTF con
tract offers higher salaries.
According to Brenda
Cochrane, Craduate
Teaching Fellows Federa
tion president, salaries and
workload will remain
basically unchanged from
the previous contract.
Republic of China. Chaozhu will
discuss the prospects for coopera
tion between the United States
and China.
The affair will begin at 7 p.m.
with a dinner banquet. Interna
tional entertainment also will be
included.
"An International Affair" marks
the formal beginning of activities
for the council, an educational,
non-profit organization dedicated
to promoting international
understanding.
Tickets must be purchased prior
to the event and cost $20 for coun
cil members, $25 for non
members. Contact Katherine An
thony at 484-0709 for ticket
information.
Forum looks at Senate size
Today's topic at the Brown Bag
Forum is a faculty governance task
force report that recommends
reducing the size of the University
Senate from 54 to 40 and student
representation from 18 to eight.
journalism professor James
Lemert from the faculty task force
and Mike Prothe, chair of the Stu
dent University Affairs Board, will
discuss their respective views of
the proposed change at the Forum
beginning 12:30 in the EMU
Forum Room.
SUAB, with the ASUO ex
ecutive, has been lobbying faculty
members to support the present
plan, which gives students a one
third share in the senate. The task
force recommendation would
reduce student representation to
25 percent.
The Brown Bag Forum is a week
ly discussion series sponsored by
the ASUO and Campus Interfaith
Ministry.
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