The NBA star says bikes have played an important role in his life, and he wants young people to have the same access and freedom that biking gave him.
Basketball legend LeBron James is a bike advocate, and he is partnering with Lyft on the LyftUp program, which will provide bikeshare memberships to young people in New York City, Chicago, and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Eben Weiss attended the press event in New York City where James made a surprise appearance and met with a group of teens who would soon have access to the city’s Citi Bike network. He talked about the importance of biking for him growing up in Akron, Ohio, as well as the need for improved biking infrastructure, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods.
"Sure, the cynic in me registered that all of this was essentially a photo op put together by a tech company with a $14 billion market cap, but so what? Bikes need more of this. When was the last time you saw anyone even remotely exciting—let alone one of the most talented and successful athletes on the planet—stand in front of a bunch of kids and articulate the sheer sense of freedom and exhilaration that comes from riding a bike?" says Weiss.
FULL STORY: LeBron James Is the New Hero of Bike Shares
Nation's Second Bikeshare Fatality Under Investigation in Manhattan
The police report conflicts with videos showing CitiBike rider Dan Hanegby, 36, an avid cyclist on his daily commute, being hit by a charter bus on June 12. Almost a year earlier, a Divvy Bike rider was fatally struck by a truck in Chicago.
Study: Protected bike lanes increase Citi Bike rides by nearly 400 rides a month
An analysis of millions of NYC bike share rides reveals that only protected bike lanes have a 'statistically significant' increase in ridership.
Keeping NYC’s E-Bike Fleet Charged and Running
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The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
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Journal of the American Planning Association