November Advocacy Spotlight: Kye Nordfelt
Utah is home to many community bicycling advocates, who dedicate time and energy to making riding in their cities and neighborhoods more safe and accessible. Bike Utah is excited to highlight an advocate each month, with the goals of recognizing their work, connecting with more community members, and inspiring new advocates to take action!
Occupation: Director of Health Promotion at the Southwest Utah Public Health Department
Associated Group: Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance
Position: President
What are some of your favorite local rides?
I love to ride in St. George. I primarily ride my e-bike like a car. For example, I commute every day to work and I go grocery shopping on my bike. I love to ride the trail system in St. George with my family - I have ridden the trail from Sun River, in the south, to Washington in the north; from the center of St. George out to Snow Canyon. I love riding my bike through Snow Canyon, such a blast. I primarily ride my comfort bike on paved roads and paths, but I also enjoy mountain biking around the St. George area.
How did you get involved in bicycle advocacy?
I work as the Director of Health Promotion at the Southwest Utah Public Health Department (SWUPHD) and I am the President of the Southern Utah Bicycle Alliance (SUBA). In both capacities, I work to advocate for more bikeable communities in Southern Utah—from Cedar City to the St. George area and out to Kanab.
Our goal is to create a healthier community. Obesity related diseases (e.g. diabetes, heart disease, etc.) are increasing in our country every year - impacting people's quality of life and burdening the healthcare system. We know if we can create a more bikeable and walkable community, with bike lanes on roads and sidewalks on shoulders more people will be active. As more residents become active, obesity-related illnesses will decrease.
What future projects do you hope to see happen?
SWUPHD has had a number of great successes in the area. Recently we organized a neighborhood, with the help of the local PTA. We surveyed over 150 residents and petitioned the City of St. George to build a bike/walking path to connect 100's of students to 3 schools (Bloomington Hills Elementary, Desert Hills Middle School, and Desert Hills High School).
The city responded in such a great way. The road was set to be rebuilt way into the future, but hearing the needs of the students and the amount of support they bumped it to the front of the line, invested significant money, and completed the buildout in about 9 months. The bike path is about half mile long and made a safe route to school available to kids and a recreation facility for older residents in the neighborhood.
What advice do you have for someone who’d like to see an idea become a reality?
The key is relationships. Spend time with the city council you want to influence. Get to know them, find the council members that are sympathetic to your cause. Work with the council members who support biking and bring projects to their attention. Show the council members community support.
How can we engage future generations to continue advocacy work?
Currently SWUPHD is working with Dixie State University and Southern Utah University Bike Clubs and Sustainability Clubs. I have found student leaders of these clubs are fantastic advocates and we are trying to get the training now so they can continue down the path of advocacy.
We are also working with the Engineering students, students who will be building our future roads. We are trying to train them to look at roads as more than just for cars, we want roads built for all modes of transportation. The students I have worked with give me hope that the advocacy will continue.
Do you have a follow-up question for Kye? Would you like more info about your local bicycling advocacy group or have a specific active transportation project you’d like to see initiated? Do you know an advocate we should highlight? Email info@bikeutah.org!
