This month is our Member Drive, and we’re celebrating by sharing the stories of a few of our 3,000+ members. The following story comes from our member Jennifer from Philadelphia. Feel compelled to share your own story? Email our Membership Coordinator, Ashley.
I’m one of those urban cyclists who nearly never started. The truth is, cycling in the city can be glorious or it can be terrifying. After one too many encounters with cars, I decided to rely on public transit and my two feet.
What brought me back? In a word, infrastructure. The bike lanes on Spruce and Pine. The Indego bike stations. The bike racks on SEPTA buses. The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, the Grays Ferry Crescent, and Bartram’s Mile. The bikeways on 13th and 15th Streets. The kind of infrastructure that the Bicycle Coalition has advocated for years.
It was a urban riding basics class that taught me it was possible for a cyclist to ride assertively in the city. Since then, I’ve ridden from my house in South Philly to work on Broad Street, to school in North Philly, to appointments all over Center City and beyond. The best part, besides the exercise? No need to pay for the subway or bus!
Here’s the most important part about the Bicycle Coalition’s work for me: from that urban riding class for women I took years ago to the Women Bike PHL initiative, their advocacy of female cyclists in Philadelphia now means that there are more women like me commuting. The more there are of us, the safer it is for all of us!
Want to join Jennifer in supporting our vision for safer streets and better bicycling? Join as a member–or renew your membership– today! All this month we are thanking our members with something extra: a special gift at the $45+ level, and entry to win a 17″ Fuji Nevada mountain bike at the $50+ level. This week’s special gift? An enamel pin with our classic I Bike PHL logo, produced by The Pinnery. Get it today.
