Thoughts on August’s Critical Mass by Oboi Reed and Eboni Senai Hawkins

[flickr]photo:8001891833[/flickr] Oboi Redd and Eboni Senai Hawkins at Daley Plaza. Photo by Vincent Carter. Last month I collaborated with Oboi Reed, founder of The Pioneers Bicycle Club, and Eboni Senai Hawkins, founder of the local chapter of Red Bike and Green (RBG) to create a Critical Mass map highlighting African-American landmarks on the Near South … Continue reading Thoughts on August’s Critical Mass by Oboi Reed and Eboni Senai Hawkins

State of Independence: The protected lane will change to a buffered lane

[flickr]photo:8350454983[/flickr] The city has placed barricades in the protected bike lanes on Independence Boulevard to discourage cycling in them until they are converted to buffered lanes.  View more photos of the Independence Boulevard bike lanes here. In December Red Bike and Green’s Eboni Senai Hawkins notified me that residents of Lawndale, an underserved community on … Continue reading State of Independence: The protected lane will change to a buffered lane

Concerns from locals about protected lanes on the West Side boulevards

[flickr]photo:8288354036[/flickr] Cyclist on Douglas Boulevard in the 24th Ward before protected lanes were installed. Eboni Senai Hawkins, founder of the local chapter of the African-American cycling group Red Bike and Green, recently emailed me that some local residents are “up in arms” about the protected bike lanes being built along the West Side boulevards. This … Continue reading Concerns from locals about protected lanes on the West Side boulevards

Bike share, not white share: can Chicago’s program achieve diversity?

[flickr]photo:8200904854[/flickr] B-Cycle, a small-scale bike share system that launched here in 2010. Photo by Michael Malecki. [This piece also appeared in Checkerboard City, John’s weekly transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets in print on Thursdays.] There’s a common misconception that transportation biking is only for privileged white folks. Recently Tribune columnist John … Continue reading Bike share, not white share: can Chicago’s program achieve diversity?

Bike and proud: Red Bike and Green promotes cycling to African Americans

[flickr]photo:7080466661[/flickr] Last Saturday’s kickoff ride – photo by Daris Jasper [This piece appeared in print in Checkerboard City, John’s weekly transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.] All Chicagoans should have a chance to reap the benefits of urban biking: cheap, convenient transportation, improved physical and mental health, and good … Continue reading Bike and proud: Red Bike and Green promotes cycling to African Americans