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July 1996
Commuting By Bicycle: One Woman’s Way

By Zoe Waldron

 


My use of bicycles developed organically out of my desire for freedom and independence. As a child growing up on Long Island, a single-speed Schwinn Breeze was my transportation, getting me to my friends’ houses. My bike allowed me to explore surrounding neighborhoods and nearby towns. By age twelve, it was making an economic difference in my life, for I was a paper girl for Newsday. Little did I know nor did my parents realize that I was an adolescent vehicle owner with transportation as sophisticated and as personal as an automobile.

When I was a teenager, I moved to Greenwich Village. The bike continued to play a significant role in my life. I tooled around the city as I pleased, exploring this vibrant town. I didn’t worry too much about traffic or theft, the pluses of city riding seemed to outweigh the minuses.

In my 20’s I got a job for a short time as a bike messenger. I felt powerful as one of the few women out there. After my first day, I was surprised to find my face and legs covered with soot.

I enjoyed the challenge of beating the system with my bike. I found it to be the quickest and cheapest way to get around town, go to work or do errands. I figured out that I didn’t need a car to get to the beach house I shared one summer — I could take my bike on the Long Island Rail Road and ride there. On another escapade, my friend Martin and I took our bikes on Metro North and explored rural Westchester County, camping in a county park. Later I learned that what I was doing (bringing bikes on trains) was called intermodal access.

For the next two years, I volunteered as an editor of Transportation Alternatives’ newsletter, City Cyclist. I absorbed everything I could about bikes, bicycling and cycle politics. I went on long rides with local cycling clubs; my quadriceps grew. I gained the knowledge of the roads and bridges of my city. In the summer of 1994, I rode across England solo, 500 miles in 10 days, testing my physical — as well as navigational — skills.

As I worked with the folks at Transportation Alternatives, I became aware of how our lives are dominated by the automobile: by advertising, noise, fumes, crime and accidents, and the amount of public space given over to the car. I discovered the immense cost we pay for cars. I realized that not owning a car can free you from the nine to five trap, giving you economic freedom to put your energies into activist causes you believe in. My reasons for riding a bike grew to mean freedom from the automobile hegemony.

If you want to ride a bike in New York City, think about the many ways it can benefit you, and do it any way you can! I’ve met many who have learned to ride as adults, and others who have only recently started riding in the City. It’s all possible here. I share my story with you in the hopes that it will inspire you as you find your own (bike) path.

Zoe Waldron is a bicycle rider living in Greenwich Village.

 

 


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