#People of NEI: Jade, President of Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne

Northeast Indiana is evolving. These are the people shaping its future. #PeopleofNEI

This week's feature:

Jade Kelsey is President of Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne. She has been an advocate for biking for years. “When my family lived on the south side of Fort Wayne, we rode our bikes everywhere from Foster Park to other neighborhoods. When we moved to the country during middle school, I couldn’t find a safe place to ride my bike on the country roads. I completely stopped riding. A few years ago, a friend participated in a triathlon, I went on a bike pub crawl, and a friend was biking to work every day. The combination made me realize that I wanted to get back into biking. I went to a local bike shop and told them my budget. They hooked me up with a bike, a helmet, and a lock. I haven’t stopped riding since then. Today, I am president of Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne to advocate and encourage safe and fun cycling in the Fort Wayne area. I also volunteer with Fort Wayne Trails and Open Streets Fort Wayne, as well as partnering with FWPD. I have lobbied state and federal government for biking and walking needs. Fort Wayne currently has a three foot passing law that means that cars have to give bikers three feet of space when driving around them. This protection is not offered across Indiana though, and I am working to change that. I would love for car drivers to know that when I am biking I am just trying to get to where I need to go, and I just want to get there in one piece. I don’t want to ruin anyone’s day. If I take up a full lane it’s because it is the only safe option at the time. I ride my bike three to four times a week for recreation and for transportation. Biking allows me to see our community in a different way. There are so many unique ways to see northeast Indiana from a bike that you will never see from a car. Biking has given me a new connection to the people, the roads, the greenways, and the trails. You don’t need a fancy bike; you just need to feel safe and comfortable. I hope that more people will continue to give biking a try.” #PeopleofNEI
A post shared by Input Fort Wayne (@inputfortwayne) on Jul 15, 2018 at 4:55pm PDT

#People of NEI: Jade, President of Bicycle Friendly Fort Wayne

Read more articles by Stephen J. Bailey.

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