Founder of BikeAlameda gets clean-air decoration

Oakland Tribune, Jul 4, 2003 by Kristin Bender, STAFF WRITER

ALAMEDA -- The founder of Alameda's only bicycle advocacy group, a woman who rarely relies on a car for shopping, errands or to cart her children to school, has won an award for her earth-friendly, green and clean practices.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District handed down the "clean air championship" award to Lucy Gigli and six others from Alameda, Contra, Marin, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties as a way to reward their efforts and encourage others to jump on the clean air bandwagon, said district spokeswoman Luna Salaver.

The district received some 40 nominations for the award spots and also honored the Port of Oakland and Oakland International Airport for adopting clean air programs, officials said.

The awards comes at a time when the district is trying to hammer home the importance of reducing air pollution by driving less, curtailing the use of gas-powered garden tools and equipment, avoiding aerosol hair sprays, paint, paint removers and lighter fluid and signing up for e-mail alerts on Spare the Air Days ( www.sparetheair.org

A record three "Spare the Air Days" were issued last week when temperatures rose into the triple digits on June 25-27. The days are called when air quality is approaching the federal health standard for ground level ozone.

Air quality management officials said the Bay Area responded with increased ridership on some buses and by curtailing emissions at home and on the job, but everyone needs to do more to keep the air clean and healthy.

"It is not a hardship to do what I do," said Gigli a 38-year-old mother of two, ages 4 and 1. "It is actually easier most times to bike somewhere and get right up to the door, then to drive, find parking and then tote the kids. It is not a sacrifice, it just makes good sense."

What also made good sense to Gigli was founding BikeAlameda, with her husband Dan Wood, four years ago.

"When the city decided to do a master bicycle plan and to map out what they wanted to improve with bicycles, they signed it off, put it up on a shelf and nothing happened with it," Gigli said. "We decided to gather some people together to get some things implemented."

It's been slow going, but BikeAlameda was instrumental in the hiring of two city bike coordinators as well as the formation of the Alameda Transportation Commission last year, Gigli said.

Friends say she practices what she preaches. People often see Gigli bringing her 4-year-old daughter Marisa and 1-year-old son Lorenzo to school in a bike trailer or shopping around the Island with a stroller. To encourage others to ride, BikeAlameda launched bike valet parking at concerts, art fairs and large community gatherings.

"We are trying to encourage people to (ride their bikes) for everyday stuff like shopping, errands, concerts, events and when taking their kids to school."

For her efforts, Gigli was awarded a plaque and will be honored in San Francisco later this month.

An avid gardener, Gigli, moved to Alameda about four years ago. She refuses to use gas-powered garden tools, including leaf blowers that pollute by sound and exhaust. She also won't use pesticides or things that clog landfills like paper towels, paper napkins and paper shopping bags.

All of this impressed Sue Gavrich, the Alameda woman who nominated Gigli for the award. "I instantly thought of her because I admire so much what she does," she said. "I have almost never seen her in her car."