I grew up in the auto oriented Midwest and never, ever considered a bicycle as more than a child's toy. As I prepared to move to Chicago for college, a friend of mine suggested I get a bicycle. I used my tax return check, drove to the local bike shop, and picked out a 1981 Peugeot Course road bike painted in a gorgeous baby blue. I had not been on a bicycle in years. My test ride around the parking lot created a feeling of absolute joy inside me. It was an amazing sensation. I have always loved the smooth and fluid motion of sailing and ice skating. Bicycling created the same thrill.
I took the ""Peug" with me to Chicago and rode through every neighborhood exploring my new city. It was my cheap ticket to freedom. I was hooked on how easy and fun it was to use a bicycle for transportation. After I found religion, I felt it to be my mission to help people realize how easy and accessible it is to ride a bike in order to get from point A to point B. Eight years after picking out that beautiful blue bicycle, I have found my life completely overrun by the two-wheeled machines. Luckily, my personal values and my professional life overlap with my work because I am creating, planning, and implementing programs that reduce the barriers for people to ride bicycles for transportation. I am helping people find the same "Ah-Ha!" moment I had so many years ago.
Susan Peithman has several years of experience working with pedestrian and bicycle programs. Her work with Alta includes support for Safe Routes to School and personal travel planning programs. She assists senior staff in project and proposal research, writing, editing, layout and production. Ms. Peithman is also responsible for assisting project managers with pedestrian and bicycle encouragement and safety projects which includes document production of newsletters and reports as well as management and execution of public meetings.
Ms. Peithman relocated from Chicago, Illinois to Portland, Oregon in the fall of 2007 to pursue her career in non motorized transportation. Her previous experience working both as an employee of the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation and as a consultant located at the Chicago Department of Transportation has given her a valuable perspective on municipal and contractor relations and coordination. Susan enjoys spending her free time being a bike racer riding very fast in road and stage races.
Recent Projects
- Portland (OR) Safer Routes to School
Ms. Peithman has been assisting in data collection and analysis for the Portland Safer Routes to School program. She is also coordinating communication and information between the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the City of Portland Office of Transportation. - Chicago (IL) Mayor Daley’s Bicycling Ambassadors
Ms. Peithman worked as the Junior Ambassador Coordinator for the Mayor Daley’s Bicycling Ambassador program at the Chicago Department of Transportation. She was the coordinator for the job training program that taught bicycle mechanics, urban riding and bike safety presentations to 50 Chicago teens. Ms. Peithman worked closely with representatives from the Chicago Park District, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago Department of Transportation as well as other community nonprofits to coordinate communication for this collaborative program. She hired, trained and managed the instructors as well as created and managed budgets and supplies.
Selected Presentations & Trainings
- FHWA How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan workshop
- FHWA Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety workshop
- League of American Bicyclists Road I course
- 2006 ProWalk/ProBike Conference attendee
- 2007 Lifesavers Conference attendee