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

Community-Based Bike Advocacy in Chinatown and the Lower East Side

Local Spokes is a coalition of nine organizations that joined up to engage low-income residents, people of color, immigrants, and young people in the Lower East Side and Chinatown to envision the future of bicycling in their communities. To understand the transportation needs of the neighborhoods, Local Spokes conducted an extensive survey in 2010 and 2011 and held a series of workshops in Chinese, English, and Spanish.

Last summer Local Spokes synthesized everything the coalition had gathered from this process into a neighborhood action plan for bicycling [PDF]. The goal of the action plan is to ensure that residents of the Lower East Side and Chinatown will have a role in decisions about bike-related policies and initiatives for their streets, and to create a model for community-based bike plans in other neighborhoods.

Streetfilms teamed up with Local Spokes in 2012 to document their work, and in this video you can see them in action.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Mayor Mamdani Won’t Discuss The Ongoing NYPD Criminal Bike Crackdown That Candidate Mamdani Opposed

Hizzoner has gotten the question at least four times in the last 11 days and has yet to explain why he has not ended the NYPD's ticketing blitz against bikers.

January 16, 2026

New Speaker’s Transportation Committee Signals Departure From Her Car-First Predecessor

The Council committee tapped by new Speaker Julie Menin has a pro-bike, pro-pedestrian chair — and zero Republicans.

January 16, 2026

Mamdani Warns Delivery Apps to Follow New Worker Protection Laws — Or Else

The Mamdani Administration sent letters to over 60 delivery app companies, warning they must comply with new regulations.

January 16, 2026

Advocates to Mamdani: Come See the Cross Bronx Impact for Yourself!

Anti-highway expansion advocates in the Bronx are asking the mayor to hear them out on their ideas to create a safer and more human-friendly environment around the toxic expressway.

January 16, 2026

Friday Video: Remember When Central Park Was Actually Dangerous?

Streetfilms legend Clarence Eckerson reframes the debate about Manhattan's premier green space in just 45 seconds.

January 16, 2026

Friday’s Headlines: Back on Top Edition

The administration is going after the delivery app companies. Plus other news.

January 16, 2026
See all posts