Show #73 – January 14, 2012

Occasionally, all the factors come together to produce something that exceeds our wildest expectations. One of those occasions is today, and the factors are Diane, and our two guests. And the irony is, that while one of our guests does ride a bike, neither of them are what you’d think of when we say the word “cyclist”.

First we are happy to welcome Stephen Auerbach, the producer and director of the film Bicycle Dreams, which chronicles the solo competitors in the 2005 Race Across America (RAAM). Stephen talks about why he wanted to make a feature-length film about RAAM, the innovative way the film was shot, and how it’s taken on a life of its own with thousands of local screenings, including one on January 26th at the Big Dog Theater in Conventry.

In the second half of the hour, we head over to Boston, Massachusetts, and Dr. Anne Lusk, of the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Lusk has been researching the relationship between public health and transportation for over thirty years. She also worked on some of the first bicycle infrastructure in the U. S., and is a strong advocate for European-style cycle tracks as a solution for both health and transportation. Far from being a dry academic, Dr. Lusk is a bundle of both facts and energy, who walks to work instead of riding because she “knows too much science.”

So interesting, and packed with information, you might have to listen twice!