Building a safer community

by Joanne Neukirchen,
President, WABA Board of Directors

WABA seeks to create a safe and joyful community in which individuals are able to be their full selves while navigating the world by bike. I write, on behalf of the Board of Directors, to reiterate our commitment to actively dismantle racism, sexism and other systems of oppression that exist within the transportation advocacy and bike community today.

In light of recent serious allegations of sexual harassment and other inappropriate behavior by former WAMU transportation reporter Martin Di Caro towards multiple women and people of marginalized genders in the transportation advocacy and bike community, we are asking for your active support in building a bike community that is not only free from sexual harassment, but one that is a model for mutual respect, diversity, equity and inclusion.

I write to you about this because for many years, WABA celebrated and benefitted from Mr. Di Caro’s reporting. The organization was not aware of this pattern of behavior at the time, but we must confront the reality that within this small community of regional transportation advocates, his victims only now felt safe enough to come forward.

WABA does not tolerate inappropriate behavior of any kind, be it directed toward a staff member, volunteer or event participant. We have and will continue to prohibit people who behave inappropriately from participating in our events and may rescind the membership of anyone who violates our code of conduct.

If you ever experience inappropriate behavior at a WABA event, please contact either WABA’s Executive Director, Greg Billing (greg.billing@waba.org) or the Executive Officers of WABA’s Board (execofficers@waba.org).

In the next few weeks we will be sharing an updated code-of-conduct policy with you.

Thank you for being part of this community at this most-important time, as we actively work to build a better biking community for everyone.