Around town, Steve is know as The Biking Fireman. Usually, we think of firemen as riding around in a big red truck, but this fireman is the 6’7’’ one riding around on a big orange ebike.
It started 10 years ago when he switched to riding a bicycle to work. He drives an ambulance during his 12 hour shifts, so traffic at the end the day was frustrating. Switching to a bike some of the time helped.
Then in January 2020, he decided to get an ebike and commute to work only by ebike. Like many, he thought it might make him lazy or would get less exercise than with his regular bike.
However, the switch turned out different.
Instead of cycling less, he rides his regular bike even more. It is his car that is getting replaced. Short trips around town or taking his kids to school of the park are all done on the ebike.
Switching to full-on ebike commuting wasn’t random.
Steve lives in Elizabeth, NJ, where the deadliest stretch of road in the US is located. Over the last 20 years 25 people have died in intersections of this road just 4 blocks apart from each other.
As an EMT, Steve is a witness to what happens in these accidents on this road and throughout his town. He remembers when electric scooters made their appearance in town and thought someone is going to die on these things.
One month later, a 16 year old boy was killed in a car accident while on an e-scooter. Another friend, a District Attorney in Brooklyn, was killed while riding in a bike lane.
Getting people out on bikes is a great way to raise awareness. I saw it firsthand, and it doesn’t really register until you see if from a different perspective, and being on a bike is a different perspective.
These accidents and others have left a mark, and Steven decided to use his position as a community leader and father to raise awareness of how dangerous our roads are designed.
Raising awareness is an uphill battle, especially in suburban towns like Steve’s where people have been driving everywhere for everything since they were born.
It’s a culture shift that needs to happen, and like I said, I grew up in the suburbs. I didn’t do trains. I didn’t do bikes. From the time I was born to the time I was 30, if I wanted to go somewhere, I got in my car and went.
So that is a tough cycle to break, and that is one thing I love about ebikes is that it provides and avenue to help breaks that cycle, because it takes some of that effort out of it. It breaks down that barrier.
He has joined a couple local boards to help raise awareness and hopefully to get things like speed tables installed. But there are quirky laws that get in the way.
One such law in New Jersey do not allow speed tables to be on streets with over 3000 cars per day. Another law prohibits installing crosswalks on a street unless a certain high number of people cross there per hour… hard to measure the need when jaywalking also prohibits those crossings.
Change is not something that Steve or anyone expects to happen quickly, but we are fortunate that there are people like him out there getting the issue out in front of the public.
The climate is another reason Steve wants to get more people out of cars and onto bikes.
My son was born in October of 2012, and at the end of the month super-storm Sandy came and just demolished the whole area here. So I’m at home with a newborn baby, right, and now I don’t have power for 4 days. That left an indelible mark on my psyche.
And this last year 4 people died from Hurricane Ida right across from the firehouse. So for me, this idea of this world I’m going to leave for my kids is pretty big in my mind.
And I think more people think about that than care to admit it.
I agree with Steve that this is something that most people think about even if they are not vocal about it. Business owners as well as consumers are talking more about sustainability and environmental concerns as of late.
Storms for Steve on the East coast and drought and fires from us on the West coast. And the morning we spoke with Steve, Buffalo, NY was digging its way out from under 6 feet of snow… These things might not be talked about everyday, but they are not ignored.
Steve knows that more awareness is necessary to enable change. Change that is needed from communities and streets, and change that is needed for a better future.
As The Biking Fireman said, ebikes provide an avenue to help break the cycle.
Fortunately, he is not alone. He sees more and more people get on their bikes around town, and a local school even has The Pedaling Principle doing his part in the school district.
Steve is an introvert and never expected to be the one to get out in front of people and be the voice behind a movement, but that is where he landed.
As it catches on, we are going to be here to support the biking firemen, principals, and other local leaders help get more people back on their bike and riding to a better way of living.
And who knows, maybe we can make it cool enough that kids like Steve’s son will be proud to rock the big orange ebike to school.
We want to get more people on ebikes. Not just to ride, but to explore different things and live a colorful life. Because when people get on ebikes, there are more smiles and more unexpected experiences. A little magic happens for you and everyone around.
Support Popcycle by sharing your stories with us or sharing our stories with your friends. and we will build this community together. Contact Dan directly if you have any questions.
Cycling to Break the Cycle