Moving the Bicycle Industry Forward with PeopleForBikes and SHIFT'22 Bentonville

Summary

On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes, and John Paul Shaffer, the Northwest Arkansas business innovative director for PeopleForBikes. PeopleForBikes is a non-profit organization focused on uniting individuals and businesses to make bike riding better for everyone. They accomplish this by helping communities quickly build better places to ride. Throughout the episode, James, Jenn, and John Paul discuss PeopleForBikes’ current lobbying efforts, what they’re working on in the NWA region, and the upcoming Shift ‘22 conference.

Thanks for tuning in!

Show Notes:

(1:17) Introduction to Jenn and John Paul

(3:49) PeopleForBikes’ Mission

(4:38) Current Lobbying Efforts

(7:09) Making the Cycling Industry More Inclusive

(9:29) Why PeopleForBikes Chose NWA

(11:20) The Biking Scene in Bentonville

(14:37) PeopleForBikes Work in the Region

(20:15) About the Shift ‘22 Conference

(27:33) Closing Questions

‍

‍Links

James Bell

Jenn Dice

John Paul Shaffer

PeopleForBikes

Shift ‘22 Conference

Quotes

“We really believe the bike makes life great and believe in the profound effect the bicycle can have on lives in communities. So we’ve been centering on this mission of making America a place where bike passes and trails are ubiquitous.” - Jenn Dice, (4:02)

“We do a lot of work in the equity mobility space, making sure all people have a chance to move around their communities freely. There’s not a one-size-fits-all aspect, so we’re lobbying for different purchase incentives or tax credits.” - Jenn Dice, (6:29)

“It’s the same mindset of if we want people to make a behavior change, we need to equip them with the knowledge and the gear. But also on the other side, let’s program things that make them want to get out and ride a bike.” - John Paul Shaffer, (14:53)

“Our three tracks are diversity, equity and inclusion; climate change or sustainability; and fostering assembly manufacturing in the United States and growing jobs.” - Jenn Dice, (21:19)