We’re only 2.5 months in to 2022, and we’re already moving at 100mph. It’s important that you take a little time and dive into what’s happening right now at BBP, because we need your help on the road ahead.

112 Miles of Pathways!

The first thing to celebrate is eight years of hard work that culminated with the adoption of the City of Boise Pathways Master Plan. This plan, recently adopted by Boise City Council, identifies 112 miles of off-street pathways in every neighborhood across Boise. I recently joined Mayor Lauren McLean on an episode of Idaho Matters to tell the story, but I’ll summarize the origin story below.

In 2014 one of BBP’s bicycle recipients was hit while riding his bicycle from school to BBP on Boise Ave. The fifth-grader was not injured, miraculously, but his bicycle was in bad shape. After fixing almost everything on his bicycle, I rode him back to his house, trying to find a safer route. Unfortunately, Boise Ave, with its 3-foot-wide bike lane, and the cars traveling at 35-40mph alongside, was about the safest option.

That night I did some exploring on Google Maps and came across a nearly 2-mile long dirt road that would take him almost the entire way from his house to BBP without interacting with a single car. It was a canal maintenance road. When I reached out to the irrigation district, I was informed that it was far too dangerous for kids to be walking or biking along this canal, and there was just no way it would ever happen. I had to wonder: is it more dangerous than biking three feet away from a vehicle traveling 40mph? We kept pushing.

To be clear, this idea has been talked about for decades but has been, for the most part, given up on as impossible. Impossible has always been a word I’ve struggled with. Fifteen year ago, a lot of people told me that the idea of BBP was impossible. Fifty years ago, people told the visionaries of the Boise Greenbelt that their idea was impossible. Clearly impossible things have been done and will continue to be done. And now, eight years after BBP started pushing the impossible, there are 112 miles of pathways coming to Boise, and the City is breaking ground on at least two stretches this year!

What I love most about the Pathways Master Plan is that it will have a direct impact on the kids and families we serve at BBP. In the next five years, there could be pathways that connect BBP’s kids to schools, libraries, community centers, and countless other opportunities all over Boise to grow and thrive . There will certainly be challenges (such as funding and relationships with irrigation districts and railroads) along the way; but I am convinced that with persistence, partnerships, and creativity, we can find ways to turn these obstacles into opportunities.

We have a plan!

At the beginning of 2021, BBP launched a year-long strategic planning effort with Idaho Partners for Good (a local nonprofit and philanthropic change-maker). The result is our new BBP Strategic Plan that we unveiled at our Annual Membership Meeting last week. This plan centers on our values of Community, Connection, and Empowerment and will guide our efforts for the next five years. If you go to page 8 of the plan, you will see our new Advocacy, Amenities, and Infrastructure efforts that will help empower the Pathways Master Plan mentioned above.

At the Annual Members Meeting, we also showcased our 2021 Annual Report. This report outlines the incredible work of our volunteers, board, and staff in 2021 and our immediate goals for 2022. Hard copies of the report should be available at the shop next week.

Now Hiring: Volunteer Manager and Lead Educator/Mechanic

We’re bringing back two modified positions that BBP hasn’t had since the beginning of the pandemic. Your feedback in the strategic planning process told us loud and clear that you wanted more volunteer opportunities and the ability to engage in new and meaningful ways. To do that, we are hiring a full-time Volunteer Manager (formerly known as the Volunteer Coordinator) who we hope to have identified and in the shop by the end of March. What’s new about this position is a focus on integrating volunteers into our daily shop operations and programs, strategic outreach to recruit a more diverse group of volunteers, and a focus on developing volunteer leaders within our BBP community.

You also told us very clearly that you wanted more opportunities to build in-depth mechanic skills. So we are also hiring a full-time Lead Educator (formerly known as the Lead Mechanic). This position may take us a little bit longer to fill, as we’re looking for someone with extremely high levels of mechanical skills, high levels of educational skills, and the desire to share both with our staff, volunteers, members, and people we serve. What’s new about this position is the level of involvement the Lead Educator will have in training our staff and volunteers and the focus on creating curriculum for teens as we begin to build a new Youth Apprentice Program.

3 ways you can help!

Donate:

We need to ensure our growing advocacy efforts (including canal pathways) are well funded to keep the current momentum going and growing. We need to ensure that we have the ability to hire and retain top talent for these two new and empowering positions. Donate now, or if you want to talk about supporting these areas in detail, please email jimmy@boisebicycleproject.org

Direct Recruitment

There are a lot of folks hiring right now, and we need your help reaching out to people you think would be a great fit at BBP. We offer competitive wages, 100% medical insurance, wellness stipends, flexible schedules, paid vacation and sick leave, all sorts of bicycle commuter incentives, and a fun and engaging work culture. Send them to our careers page for all the positions available.

Read the Reports and Plans: