SAVE Radio Episode 5 - Interview with Melinda Barnes

This week I took the opportunity to interview local cycling expert and bike shop owner Melinda Barnes. Among the most important things we talked about were cycling safety, and how to ease yourself into cycling and the community if you're new to the scene. There are obvious reminders, such as wearing the appropriate safety gear (helmet, reflective clothes and lights), but there are also operational considerations that should be made at all times, such as being aware of your surroundings and making yourself as visible as possible. That includes making sure your intentions as a driver (you are considered a vehicle while on the road) are obvious and that you obey traffic laws and norms.
If you are interested in beginning cycling, either for recreation or commuting, be sure to pace yourself and adjust to what your body can handle. A good idea would be to bike once or twice a week to and from work. If it is quite a distance, see if you can bike to a place and get a ride from there, or find alternate means of transportation to accommodate your needs. Avoid technically demanding rides such as steep slopes and winding roads until you have the confidence to handle yourself safely. If you'd like more information, check out Big Sky Cycling and Fitness at 801 N. Last Chance Gulch or their website bigskybikes.com.


This week's tunes:
Miike Snow - Animal
Cults - Go Outside
Oh Land - Sun of a Gun
Reptar - Stuck in my Id
Matt and Kim - Lessons Learned
FM Belfast - Par Avion
Crystal Fighters - At Home
The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Vocal Chords
Theophilus London - I Stand Alone
Little Boots - New in Town

SAVE Radio Episode 4 - Trains and You

Trains seem to be an almost forgotten mode of transportation in our country. How many people can say that they've taken the train from East to West, or vice versa? It seems that modern day trains are relegated to city-wide light rails and freight lines. That may change, however given the inefficient and unsustainable nature of personal transit. Public transit is set to become a much larger portion of transportation in the coming years, in effect returning to the way that America used to popularly commute. Take a look at city photos from a century ago. You'll see trollies, trains, and carriages mingled in with those Ford Model Ts. We won't be going back to carriages (I don't think), but trains and busses will play an increasingly important factor in our lives. This broadcast focused on the future of trains in America, and how we can again rely on timely, efficient public transit. I don't have the space here to elucidate the many considerations and costs of such an endeavor, but they can all be found here: http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/passenger/31.shtml

SAVE Radio Episode 3 - Interview with Steve Coen

For those of you out there that like to mingle community, the rugged outdoors, and sports, this was the show for you! I had the good fortune of interviewing the owner of the Garage bike shop and president of the Gravity Guild, Steve Coen. We talked about how he has made a career of his passion for the sport of cycling (especially downhill, hence 'gravity') and how this led him from working at the Great Divide Cyclery to opening the Garage. It's a mix of hang-out, workshop, and community center that engages Helenans of all ages to learn about cycling and to meet their fellow community members. One of the most interesting facets of the shop is the DIY workbench that can be rented on a per-hour basis, along with the cycle maintenance and repair workshops that provide you with all the knowledge you need to keep on cycling. Check them out at 334 Jackson Street, or online at gravityguildgarage.com!
We also touched on what it means to be a part of the Gravity Guild, Helena's downhill cycling team. Along with representing the city on the regional competitive scene, the guild also brings tourists and competition to our own South Hills. The team creates and grooms trails, liaises for cooperation and good-will between cyclists and hikers, and also creates and coordinates competitions right here in Helena! Check out the blog and events tabs on their site for more information. These are meant to be inclusive of any interested community members, and many of their events can be done with almost any kind of bike. The competitive factor is up to you, of course.

The playlist for the day will be posted shortly, so stay tuned!

Transportation Policies and Your Health

This article out of San Diego makes a case for urban cycling development and makes use of some sad-but-true statistics to back up the need in such a heavily developed area:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/17/transportation-laws-can-affect-health/

Missoula Powershift

This weekend a delegation of SAVE's Americorps workers and Carroll students traveled west to Missoula to attend the Rocky Mountain Powershift conference at the University of Montana campus. There, we attended presentations and workshops designed to produce effective youth advocates for the environment through grassroots campaigning and alternative consumption and organization. Highlights included a Skyped keynote address from BIll McKibben, a small group discussion with student transit coordinators running the campus's fleet of nine buses, a one-on-one discussion with business cooperative specialists, and community buy-in strategizing with Adventure Cycling Association representatives. In all, we came away with new friends and opportunities to expand on our current work. Keep your eyes on SAVE for future announcements!

SAVE Radio Episode 2 - Interview with Steve Larson, HATS Supervisor

Another successful broadcast has come and gone, and I'm proud to announce that the program had its first interview! I spoke to Steve Larson, the new director of the Helena Area Transit Service (HATS), about how the program serves the city, his vision for its future, and what needs to happen for us to get there. As it stands right now, the service is broken down into a fixed route and a curbside pickup service. The pickup service reaches the all of Helena, but the fixed route serves a relatively limited area of the city, leaving out some neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the city. These areas are important to getting new riders for future operations, but how to get them is the big question. There is a proposed creation of a transit district, which would levy a tax on homes above a certain value threshold to provide funding for new equipment and routes, which could be on a ballot as early as this summer. Other ideas include creating new fixed routes that have been known to be successful in the past, such as a government complex pilot program that saw over 10,000 rides given over its one year operation. In either case, there is a need to know where the new riding constituency is coming from to better accommodate future expansions and this is one of the goals that Larson has set. There will also need to be a change in the proportion of fixed route services to curbside pickups, as pickups are the least efficient use of the shuttle vehicles. Moving forward, HATS will need to find the right balance of services to make sure that it is operating as efficiently as possible!

Also don't forget about the music! Here is last night's playlist:
The Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (4:51)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (3:57)
Animal Collective - Bluish (5:14)
Beach House - Zebra (4:49)
Vampire Weekend - Horchata (3:27)
The Morning Benders - Excuses (5:17)
TV On The Radio - Killer Crane (6:15)
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (5:26)
Band of Horses - The Funeral (5:22)
Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill (3:50)
The Virgins - One Week of Danger (2:45)
The Black Keys - Next Girl (3:18)

Linx Meeting in West Yellowstone

This past Wednesday Linx held its annual board meeting in West Yellowstone, Montana. Many shareholders, providers and staff converged to help decide what the next moves are for the cooperative, and to further define its vision. We have several important announcements:

1) This summer in Yellowstone, look to Linx service providers for your transportation needs throughout the park. Last year's pilot program provided the insight and experience needed to re-calibrate our service plans and better serve those who want to get the Yellowstone experience without the responsibility or liability of private transport.

2) As our membership grows, so too does the capability of our web store. We are working to streamline the booking abilities already available and integrate new carriers into the schedule to make transfers as efficient as possible!

3) Linx will be experimenting with new technologies to make your ride simple and intuitive. These include on board GPS and wifi services so that you can surf the web and track your progress (or that of a bus you're about to take), and are testing the viability of smart cards that you can pre-load and swipe whenever you want to be on the move.


Linx is the first organization of its kind to address the needs of rural transit and connectivity. While still growing and developing, the lessons learned and the drive to succeed that our providers and staff have shown has been nothing short of inspiring. With your support and feedback, we'll become the standard for travel around the Greater Yellowstone Region. Book a trip or drop us a line at linx.coop!