Opening up our streets invited my son to grow
My son Takumi is 5 years old, rides a two-wheeler, and is a catalyst for change.
When my husband and I moved Takumi and his brother to a city near Tokyo to spend a few months with my parents, things were different. Even though the city was much larger, the pace was slower. Kids had more freedom.
Takumi was captivated by all the other young kids who biked with their families. His 4-year-old eyes studied his peers and kids smaller than himself pedaling their bikes behind their parents. That was it. After setting his mind to it, he quickly learned to ride a bike without training wheels.
Two months later we moved back to Pittsburgh, and Takumi quickly realized again that things would change. Even though he was physically able to bike the mile to school, it was more difficult than in Japan. Drivers weren’t as friendly. His peers didn’t bike to school with their families.
Because of all that, May 31st, 2015 is a day that my family will remember forever: the first OpenStreetsPGH. Hundreds of families were playing in the street, riding bikes and walking dogs. Left and right, bike bells were chiming as people reveled in a whole new way of enjoying their neighborhood.
From Lawrenceville to Downtown, this city was his.
Your support of Bike Pittsburgh makes events like OpenStreetsPGH possible.
I’ll always remember his face when and he turned to me in Market Square and looked up wide-eyed at the buildings towering above him.
“Mommy we made it!”
“Yes we did.”
Six months have passed since OpenStreetsPGH, and still when we stand in our backyard and see the US Steel Tower off in the distance, he’ll proudly let you know that he biked there.
What he might not know is that his confidence will help to change our city’s culture – he’s only five and he has made the city his.
Sincerely,
Reiko Yamamoto
NEWSLETTER