Goatheads, Bike Lanes & City Planning: Making Nampa Bike-Friendly | LaRita Schandorff | Ep 24

Episode 24 — LaRita Schandorff has been pushing Nampa toward a more bike-friendly, walkable city since 2005.In this conversation, we get into the unsexy truth of how cities change: projects are planned years out… and money follows plans.Episode page + show links: https://www.brentonpeckpodcast.comLaRita shares the story behind Bike Walk Nampa and the Nampa Bicycle Project, plus the real-world obstacles that keep people from riding—shared lanes, door zones, missing connections, bike parking, and even “goathead” puncture vines.In this episode:• How it started: one lonely bike sign and early advocacy in Nampa• Why “nobody rides bikes here” is usually just… not noticing• City planning reality: timelines, master plans, and how funding actually happens• “Build a city for a 10-year-old” (and an 80-year-old) — vulnerable road users• Shared lanes vs bike lanes, door zones, and basic road safety expectations• Trails as transportation (not just recreation) + why “parks at dusk” matters• The “last mile” problem: bus stops, bike parking, and real access• Goatheads/puncture vines: why they’re a legit barrier (and what they’re doing about it)• How the Nampa Bicycle Project gets bikes to people who need them—and what comes in the support packageLinks & ResourcesNampa Bicycle ProjectFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NampaBicycleProject/Donate: https://bikenampa.org/donate/Instagram: @nampabicycleprojectBike Walk NampaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/bikewalknampaStomp Out PuncturevinesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/stompoutpuncturevines/Nampa Safe Routes To SchoolFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NampaSafeRoutesToSchoolCity of Nampa – Safe Routes to School: https://www.cityofnampa.us/590/Safe-Routes-to-SchoolNampa Cycling (community group)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NampaCyclingUpcoming (Nampa)• March 7 @ 10:00 AM — annual meeting + open house• April 23 — community block party at Central ElementaryIf you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe — new long-form episodes every week.#urbanplanning #cycling #Idaho #nampaidaho #walkablecities0:00 Intro0:25 “One lonely bike sign” — how this started (2005)2:13 Why don’t we see more bikes in Nampa?4:09 League training + building early momentum5:06 Starting Bike Walk Nampa (2006–2008)6:16 When a car isn’t an option (and why that matters)7:33 Connection to Boise + early Nampa Bicycle Project roots9:25 How road projects get picked (4–5 years out)11:26 “Money follows plans” — the master plan reality12:02 Learning from Boulder + what good infrastructure looks like14:03 “Build for the 10-year-old” — vulnerable road users + downtown rules18:21 Retrofitting a car-built city: paths, greenbelts, seamless routes22:56 Shared lanes, door zones, and the basics of bike safety25:28 Trails are transportation + “parks at dusk”31:09 Bike parking + the “last mile” problem41:49 Goatheads/puncture vines: the hidden barrier49:39 Advisory groups + why planning momentum disappears53:33 How Nampa Bicycle Project actually started (2019)55:36 Locks, lights, helmets — what riders actually need1:05:31 Bike repair stations: grant, vandalism, rebuilding1:10:23 Events + where bikes go in the community1:22:38 How to donate + how to start a bike project in your city1:27:04 Wrap-up