Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Bicycle Safety

Building an App to Help Neighbors Ride Together

Of all the ways to improve your bike commute, riding with a friend might be the simplest. Not only do you have someone to talk to at red lights, you also become more visible and therefore more safe. With that in mind, Transportation Alternatives is working on a new tech solution called Bike Buddy to help New Yorkers find someone to ride with.

The idea is to combine online mapping software with social networking -- Ride the City meets Facebook. You'd plug in your starting point and destination, and the software would show you the best route to take and recommend a partner to ride with. "Ride the City gives routes to cyclists and lets them choose a safer or a more direct route," said Caroline Samponaro, TA's bike director, but she wants to "beef it up and make it more exciting for people." Helping neighbors bike together could be that killer app. 

New York State currently runs a carpooling website, CommuterLink, that offers some bike-pooling assistance, said Samponaro. Bike Buddy would draw on TA and Ride the City's better understanding of bike culture. "Biking is so inherently social," said Samponaro, and Bike Buddy would build off that.

TA is still in the early stages of developing Bike Buddy. If the app goes live, Samponaro expects it to spread across the country. Cycling activists in cities across America have already expressed their interest, and TA says Bike Buddy can succeed as a national website.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Opinion: Jim McGreevey Plots Comeback, But NJ Voters Have Better Options

Why do some politicians think they can recycle the politics of the past and continue to ignore the carnage on our streets?

September 26, 2025

Friday Video: How Car Culture and the Internet Attention Economy Waste Your Time

Our favorite YouTuber breaks down what happens when car culture, hyper-consumerism, and internet brain rot collide — and how to claw our way out.

September 26, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Flatbush Ave. Sees Red Edition

Red-painted bus lanes are coming to Flatbush Avenue in downtown Brooklyn. Plus more news.

September 26, 2025

New Bill Would Force Amazon To Directly Hire Its Delivery Drivers

Council Member Tiffany Caban wants Amazon to have to directly hire its employees who make deliveries across the city.

September 25, 2025

‘It’s Bullshit’: DOT Deflects Concerns Over E-Bike Speed Limit

The cover-up is worse than the speeding.

September 25, 2025
See all posts