Talofa American Samoa!

The month of May is designated National Bike Month and this past week (May 12 -16) was “National Ride Your Bike to Work Week”.

Did anybody else here know that? I did not — that is, until a colleague last week told me  when he saw that I’ve begun riding my bike to work as a new routine. (Just a coincidence that it happened to be “national ride your bike to work week”). And a lot of sense it makes to me.

That’s why I’m writing this: To encourage an increase in the use of bikes in American Samoa for people to get around — to work, to school, to the store, etc.

From the standpoint of American Samoa, there would be a number of benefits. To name a few, there would be reduced use and dependence on gasoline (which is imported at a high cost); it will give people exercise they need (thus promoting fitness, health and well-being); there will be reduced traffic congestion, which relieves some of the pressures on Public Works; it will also reduce pressure for more car parking spaces at places of employment, schools, and businesses.

Furthermore — and a really positive addition — it promotes increased social conviviality; people on bikes or walking interact more than people shut up in separate cars. I certainly had a lot more people calling out to me, “Malo lava” or “good morning” on my way to work on my bike than I would in my car, or even on the bus.

The current effort on island to increase bike lanes, as well as sidewalks, is in line with this encouragement, as are the initiatives to control the stray dog population on island. A barking (vicious) dog tends to inhibit bikers as well as pedestrians. An important item that should not be overlooked is bike racks for parking areas, and being able to lock one’s bike. We need to have them at all major places of employment and schools so people have a convenient secure place to park and lock their bikes. So far I have not seen any, which certainly inhibits biking.

Perhaps bike racks could be produced in welding classes at ASCC or Nuu’uli VocTech, possibly using recycled metal. Another item that would encourage employees and students to make more use of bikes would be shower and locker facilities at the major schools, government offices, and businesses. Wouldn’t that be great — together with more associated Wellness Centers, like the new one at ASCC?

Another current inhibition on increasing the use of bikes on island is the lack of bikes for sale, as well as services to repair or maintain them. The few vendors that do include bikes in their inventory, mainly market them as toys for children and mainly around Christmas time.

Generally, bikes in American Samoa are not seen as a potential form of transportation, or as recreational for adults (imagine a whole family out on bikes for a weekend outing – hardly seen here). This point contrasts to many other areas of the world, including China, Japan, Netherlands, Belgium, and other well-off countries, and many parts of the United States (for example, the City of Davis, California) where bikes are used frequently as a form of transportation and recreation, and where bike parking racks and bike lanes are fully present. This may be something for a local entrepreneur wanting to start up a business to consider.

Right now, I’m using a bike that a friend fixed up from a junker and sold to me for a cheap price. It provides me a way to get in shape as well as gets me to work, a couple of miles from home.

Waking up early and riding to work at 6a.m. is a great new routine, helping me feel new dimensions of wellness — physically, from the exercise of peddling the bike, spiritually, from riding in the peace of the early morning in the open air, and socially from the greetings received from early morning people on the road.

I realize it will not be feasible for all American Samoans to be able to ride their bikes to work or school, for example, if they live in a remote village. There will be also be times when the weather makes it more challenging. But the more we do to promote biking, through bike lanes, bike racks, dog control, and shower facilities at work, the more American Samoa and its people will benefit and develop wellness in body, mind and spirit!

Ia soifua Amerika Samoa!