Bicycle advocate, leader or hypocrite?
September 3, 2018
City manager Derek Johnson driving Mayor Heidi Harmon and her bike home from a council meeting.
San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon appears to want everyone to bike – except her. [Cal Coast Times]
While Harmon attempts to push city residents towards a “driver-less future,” she does not regularly ride her bicycle to city meetings. On Facebook, Harmon has expressed a goal of reducing car travel in the city by 60 percent.
During a speech she gave late last year on climate change, Harmon promoted leading by example.
“I really like that picture on the top, it is the entire city council riding their bikes to council,” Heidi said. “So that is another thing that climate champions do right, lead by doing. We really try to set a good example.”
SLO City Council standing near bike rack outside City Hall: Andy Pease, Heidi Harmon, Dan Rivorie, Carlyn Christianson and Aaron Gomez.
On four occasions, reporters watched Harmon leave city meetings in gas fueled vehicles, including evening and afternoon meetings. Harmon either drove a car or hitched a ride for her and her bicycle from the city manager.
On May 15, Harmon left the City Council meeting, walked out to the bike rack and chatted to several council members for about 15 minutes. Harmon then walked her bike around to the back of the building, where City Manager Derek Johnson was waiting.
Johnson attached Harmon’s bicycle to the back of his truck, and drove the mayor to her home in Laguna Lake Mobile Estates.
Harmon did not return requests for comment.
Update: This story was updated to include that Harmon was watched leaving meetings both in the daytime and in the evening.
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