A Women’s Ride Through the Bronx

 When it comes to fitness in our lives, there are structured and unstructured forms of physical activity. Structured physical activity refers to fitness that is intentional and planned, such as lifting weights or taking a fitness class. Unstructured physical activity refers to unplanned activities that we do but that keep our bodies in motion, such as walking or biking. Our physical environment is a factor that can influence the amount of fitness we receive, from access to safety when seeking out physical activity opportunities, and it affects people differently based on gender.

Biking, whether for recreational purposes or as a form of transportation, is a great form of unstructured physical activity. During the pandemic, there was an increase in biking as a form of transportation that avoided crowding and provided social distancing. “In 2021, in New York City, there was a 147% increase in women biking compared to 68% increase among men, however, only 33% of bikers in the city are women. In the Bronx we observe the greatest gender disparity among people biking to work, where men make up 85% of bike commuters,” according to Transportation Alternatives.

“How can we fix this? One solution is building safe streets that protect bike riders from cars and trucks. Study after study shows that safe streets are the number one thing that encourages more women to bike. In NYC 25x25, we’ve called for building hundreds of miles of safe, protected bike lanes and car-free open space as ways to close the gap.”- Transportation Alternatives

In response to this gender disparity among cyclists in New York City, Transportation Alternatives hosted a Women’s Ride on Saturday, April 2^nd, in the Bronx. This free, family-friendly event, was open to everyone regardless of biking experience. The 6.2 mile ride began at Joyce Kilmer Park, East 164^th Street and Grand Concourse. On that day I joined the ride along with my sister, cousin, and two friends, and we were provided bikes and helmets. Led guides, we started our ride at Joyce Kilmer Park, to Soundview Park, where we looped around to then end our ride at Starlight Park. This ride was my first time on a bike since 2016 and my first time using a Citi Bike. While I did struggle going up the hills, riding downhill made that struggle worth it and I really appreciate the beautiful parks found within the Bronx.

When venturing out we were all together as a big group, which attracted the attention of everyone we passed, who waved at us and smiled at the site of all the bicyclists. Overall the 6.2 mile ride was not too difficult and it allowed me to see parks like Soundview and Starlight for the first time, as someone who isn’t a Bronx native. While we did use the bike paths, they weren’t all connected, on the streets that didn’t have a bike path there were a lot of potholes, and on the streets that did have a bike path, there were double parked cars blocking the path. If it weren’t for the guides, this experience would not have been as enjoyable. If I were to redo this ride on my own, I wouldn’t feel as comfortable as I did that day because of the surrounding traffic and lack of signage directing me to the different parks. While necessary changes, like additions of bike paths, are being made to promote physical activity, there is still work to be done to make the necessary infrastructural changes needed to make physical activity accessible and safe for everyone regardless of gender.

This event was made possible and presented partnership with Citi Bike, New York City Council Member Amanda Farías, the New York City Council’s Women’s Caucus, and Transportation Alternatives, and co-sponsored by Bronx Health REACH.