This episode features a conversation with Lena Tibebe, the founder of Ride to DC, which is a NYC-based organization that aims to diversify cycling.

Last year, Ride to DC began hosting an annual group bike ride from NYC to DC--hence, the “Ride to DC”--as a way to recognize the existence and significance of Black Lives. During the inaugural 2020 ride, 127 cyclists joined the week-long, 306-mile journey.

We discuss the origin and inspiration behind Ride to DC with Lena, as well as providing more context about her own personal relationship with cycling in New York City. Lena is also an ESL teacher in the Bronx and a Bike New York board member, so she brings many different perspectives to her understanding of bikes in the city.

This conversation was such a delight because it covered so many topics--from fun places to bike in the city, to inequitable bike infrastructure across different boroughs, to why bicycles became such powerful tools of protest last year.

If you want to learn more about Ride to DC, or even join the 2021 ride, visit www.ridetodc.com. You can also find and follow them on Instagram @RidetoDC.

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Everyday Environmentalism is a podcast that tells past and present stories about "urban nature" in New York City. We interview current activists in tandem with environmental historians to produce a long history of the ways ordinary New Yorkers have experienced the urban outdoors and created more sustainable relationships with their environment.

Visit www.everydayenvironmentalism.org for more information.

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To see to a transcript of this podcast with accompanying audio, visit this URL: https://otter.ai/u/YJ5Y2e83CIkrUv8H2gKcJKpQPZk

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