We began by inviting our youngest mechanic and jewelry-making volunteers to attend. Our offer was met with great excitement and curiosity. We were off to a good start. We recruited a great group of young people: Gabrielle, Shane, Isra and Seth. Local Motion intern Thomas also joined Hannah and Dan as a chaperone. With the gracious support of Bike Recycle and Local Motion donors, we met our fundraising goal before we departed for the trip. 

From L to R: Gabby, Thomas, Seth, Shane, Isra

At 7am on the morning of February 15th, 4 youth delegates and 3 Bike Recycle staff and volunteers gathered at the shop, loaded up the car- yes, we said car-and hit the road for New York.

Heading south, we stopped to visit Tim Johnson of Johnson & Son Bikeworks in Hampton, New York. Tim has committed his life to recycling and selling bikes. After making a decision to dedicate themselves to a bike-centric lifestyle, Tim and his family sold their vehicle, began raising poultry, growing food, keeping bees, and sharing their lifestyle generously with all who visit their home and bike shop. One of our youth participants observed, "I was really amazed to hear that they sold their vehicle because they believe in global warming. The most interesting thing was how Tim said that he teaches people how to fix their own bikes for free and he charges small amount to them to use his tools if they come by on the days that he doesn't help." 

Tim shows the group his homemade trailer.

Before he retrofitted it, Tim's workshop was a horse barn.

For the remainder of the drive, we got to know one another, played games, and listened to music. Mid-afternoon on Friday we arrived in New Jersey, and the crew took the train into Manhattan.

Bike Summit participants board the commuter train from New Jersey to Manhattan.

Gabby, Hannah and Isra pose in front of the New School in Manhattan.

 Later that evening we arrived at The New School for the opening celebration of Recycle-A-Bicycle's Youth Bike Summit. The scene was unforgettable: hundreds of young people (and people young-at-heart)were networking, laughing, eating, meeting strangers and exchanging ideas. The crowd was not only diverse in age, but also in race, ethnicity and socio-economic status. The excitement was contagious, and the energy undeniable- few times do we get to gather with others who are equally passionate about bicycles.

 After the opening celebration that evening, the ladies went uptown to the youth hostel, and the men headed east to stay in Brooklyn.

Saturday began early with breakfast and a keynote address by Enrique Peñalosa. During his two terms as mayor of Bogotá, Colombia, he reshaped the transportation policies of the city, creating safe bike boulevards, once-annual car-free days, and accessible pedestrian space. He instituted road closures of some of the most prominent boulevards every Sunday so that citizens could safely enjoy the heart of Bogotá. He emphasized the need to design cities to be safe for society's most vulnerable populations: the elderly, poor, handicapped, young. He

Says Peñalosa, "Feeling inferior is one of the biggest obstacles to happiness."

 identified children as a kind of "indicator species" of a city; that is, a child should utilize public pedestrian spaces and roads with security and confidence. He also posited that "bike lanes are democratic... they support the idea that a person on a $30 bike is worth the same as a person in a $30,000 car." Peñalosa introduced bicycles as a reflection of- and means to- equality. His achievements during his terms as mayor are testament to his belief that the "distribution of road space between pedestrians, bikes, buses and cars is a political decision, not an engineering or planning one." He encouraged the audience to challenge the norms that have always existed, but don't necessarily support democracy or equality. He encouraged us to advocate and get involved in our cities.  Through the programs and policies he implemented,  Peñalosa demonstrated the power of political will to make remarkable, positive change in urban planning.

After Peñalosa address, the summit participants broke out into workshops. They explored a spectrum of topics: how to involve youth in leadership capacities, up-cycling bike waste, using utility bike trailers for shop operations, the role of underrepresented populations in bike culture, how to design great programs for young people, and others. There was representation from many other organizations like Bike Recycle Vermont who are offering programs to young people.

The workshops had us asking critical questions: How do we empower young people to be leaders in our organization? What do women need in order to feel safe and supported in bike shops? What successes from other shops can be replicated at Bike Recycle Vermont? 

Later that night, the Vermonters boarded the subway to visit Time Square. For a few of the young people, it was their first time visiting New York City. The scene was bustling with people, lights, and amusement.

After a closing session on Sunday, the crew piled back into the van and headed back to Vermont. Before we left Dan's home state of New Jersey, we made sure to stop at a diner for an early dinner.

We reflected on our experience at the Youth Bike Summit. The young people were excited to bring back what they learned to Vermont. "I would like to set up a program to rent cargo bikes and trailers to residents of Burlington," one said. Others were energized by the idea of creating "a girl's bike club here in Burlington," and trying "to make people realize the problems with car-based infrastructure." Dan and Hannah are most excited to "involve youth in positions of power" at Bike Recycle. We left with renewed inspiration and motivation to grow the impact of Bike Recycle Vermont on the greater Burlington community. 

THANK YOU to the individuals and organizations who sponsored us to make this trip possible!