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

Here’s the eighth portrait in Streetsblog’s weekly “Why I Ride” series. Enjoy the long weekend everyone. We'll see you back here on Tuesday.

A lifelong New Yorker, Gloria has lived most her life in the Bushwick area and has been riding a bike for nearly as long as she can remember. She grew up in a family of eleven; even before she knew how to ride on two wheels, she recalls riding her tricycle with her siblings past the Brooklyn Navy Yard to watch soldiers train.

Today she works as a housekeeper and rides her Schwinn (a recent present from her son to replace an old bike) to her various jobs around Brooklyn. She says the bike is a little heavy, but she loves it. "I like the exercise. It makes the legs strong, and helps me breathe better." What doesn't she like? "The 18-wheelers. Those aren't so nice." She feels safer in the new bike lanes, especially the protected ones along Flushing and Kent Avenues. "They're great. We never had anything like it before."

And it turns out that for Gloria, biking is more than just a cheap way to get to work. "Even when I'm not working, sometimes I ride for hours, just for exercise." These rides often take her into Greenpoint and then over the Pulaski Bridge into Queens. Thanks to cycling, she knows all the surrounding neighborhoods really well. "You always see interesting  things around you on a bike. "

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

EXCLUSIVE: City Will Let Mopeds Use Queensboro and Brooklyn Bridge Roadways

DOT hopes to prevent conflicts between moped and bike riders by allowing the former on the main roadways on the Brooklyn Bridge and Queensboro Bridge.

March 13, 2025

Chinatown Pols Renew Push for Cars on Park Row, But Residents Say No

Politicians say getting cars back on Park Row is their top priority — but locals don't want that.

March 13, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Sunset on the Capitol Edition

Sometimes on a slow news day in the city, it's worth heading downtown D.C. — where everything is on fire.

March 13, 2025

Cabbies Call Parking Fines Too Harsh, Demand More Dedicated Curb Space

The TLC hopes to target repeat offenders and make streets safer by increasing penalties for for-hire vehicle parking violations.

March 13, 2025

U.S. DOT Orders Review of All Grants Related to Green Infrastructure, Bikes

Now U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is coming for our bike lanes!

March 12, 2025
See all posts