If you’ve been on your bike in Buffalo lately, chances are that you’ve seen Samantha Stephens on hers. As an extremely active member in the cycling community, Sam has a keen insight into the culture and development surrounding biking in Buffalo. Above all, she thinks education and understanding is something The City needs most. We hope you enjoy this month’s Spoke Folk interview GObike’s Luke Medina conducted last week.
GB:
Can you tell me a little about yourself? What do you do, what’s your relationship to Buffalo?
Sam: Sure! I’m a Buffalo Native, I went to primary and high school downtown, I’m extremely familiar with the area. I’ve been actively bar tending for the past 7 years. I also DJ as often as I can and also do some work with event planning. Biking is one of the most consistent things in my life.
GB:
Do you own a car? Do you commute by bike? If so, how often?
Sam:
I own a van which I mainly only use for long distance travel, and I keep that in storage part of the year. I’ve got a Pathfinder which is currently off the road. When I’m home, I don’t drive. For large grocery runs, my mom lets me use her car. But other than that, no commute in Buffalo proper–where I spend most of my time–isn’t bikeable.
GB:
Any tips or motivations for those who are hesitant to commute by bike? Is it realistic for someone to commute by bike everyday?
Sam:
I think location is a big factor. You also wanna feel comfortable and safe. Comfort is essential. When I first bought my bike when I was 15, I remember not wanting to ride on Elmwood or any other main road. But over time, something happened. Maybe when I started to ride with no hands, there was a change. You gotta get out there, you got to get exposed. Start small.
I was hit by a car when I was 18 or 19 because I went through a stop sign, even though I had the right of way. The car crossing didn’t see me. Ever since that, I know not to assume that I’m seen. I always make eye contact with drivers, which I think is super important. I understand that I need to be vigilant for myself. I know that things happen out of our control, but my advice is to have the power and frame of mind to keep yourself safe. Being comfortable is the first step. Then you need to be 2 steps ahead of everyone else sharing the road.
GB:
What do you think can be done to make cycling a safer and smarter option in other areas of the city that feel less accessible and more dangerous to ride? If you had a magic wand, what would you change?
Sam:
I have been thinking about this a lot, and am interested in starting some kind of local cyclist/motorist coalition as a means to educate and cultivate mutual understanding. I’d also like to see a state or federal supported push to educate folks to make our roads safer.
I truly think that while physical infrastructure is clearly of major importance, unless protected bike lanes are going up every single street, the cyclists who aren’t as defensive and seasoned as some of us are put in dangerous situations when the bike lane ends. I’m all for these lanes in theory, for kids and those who feel anxious in traffic, but I really think we should be teaching cyclists HOW to ride in traffic. Knowledge is power.
Photo courtesy Samantha Stephens
GB:
What are your thoughts on the improvements and renovations to the roads and trails in the area in the past 5 years?
Sam:
Maybe it’s just me, but I never take the protected bike lanes because I’d rather be seen and heard in traffic. On the same token, I should reiterate that we desperately need motorists to be educated on how to drive with bikes. That can’t happen if people who maybe otherwise would fare well on the road, are sequestered to these smaller spaces. We should be taking up space where we belong, in my opinion .This is why I think a coalition of some kind would be cool!
GB:
What do you think GObike can do to move things along in Buffalo?
Sam:
Teach cyclists the rules of the road that are supposed to be adhered to. Teach motorists what cyclists are allowed to do!
I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve been screamed at to “get on the sidewalk” over the years. And if you know me, you know I scream back. Cycling in Buffalo is one big reason why I have anger and have drank to excess over the years. I don’t think the protected bike lanes are helpful in that regard. I have been harassed and physically ran off the road just as often as ever, if not more due to the pandemic energy. I think we also need to implement education at the state and local levels. I don’t remember learning a single thing about bikes in the 5 hour course to get your driver’s license. That needs to change.
GB: Is there a note you’d like to close on?
Sam:
Building the community and building support around this stuff is super important. GObike is awesome for that. I think people from all walks of life can benefit from biking in so many different ways. Biking’s a huge part of my life and I would love to see more people in the community share that joy with me. In terms of progress, there’s a lot of work to do, and it’s a slow process. The conditions have gotten better and progressed. But I would just like to see more change, more safety education, and more understanding from everyone who uses the road.