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

Monday’s Headlines: ‘Columbus’ Day Edition

We're off for Indigenous Peoples' Day (but don't tell David Carr). Plus a full slate of news.

October 14, 2024

The 1,000-Page Document That Decides Your Street Designs Just Got a Refresh

For better — or more often, for worse — a single federal document dictates what nearly every American street looks like. Meet the MUTCD.

October 14, 2024

Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Pedestrian on Bedford Av. Hours Before Long-Stalled Safety Redesign Begins

The driver was traveling so quickly that the victim was tossed high in the air before landing back on the car hood and being tossed to the side of the road as the killer drove off.

October 11, 2024

Manhattanites To DOT: Open Queensboro Bridge Pedestrian Path ‘Without Delay’

"It’s really inappropriate for the DOT to delay," said one member of Manhattan Community Board 6.

October 11, 2024

Council Seeks to Force DOT to Build 175 E-Bike Charging Hubs 

A new bill would force the DOT to build over 100 charging hubs, but will it be enough to keep up with demand?

October 11, 2024
See all posts