There’s a gender disparity when it comes to biking. At the Seaport’s District Hall on Tuesday, Sandra Richter of the MIT Media Lab joined a panel focused on civic technology and transportation and noted that there’s not enough women who trek on two-wheels. Whether it’s because the city’s bikeshares aren’t privy to accommodating short skirts, Richeter posited, or that women don’t want to wear helmets, the fact of the matter is biking is dominated by males. That’s about to change in Boston, though, thanks to a new initiative courtesy of Boston Bikes.
On Thursday, Boston Bikes launched its Women’s Program in order to promote women cyclists, encourage more to join and to help them become more acclimated to the infrastructure and regulations pertaining to biking in Boston. “We provide support for women of all skill levels,” reads the newly launched Tumblr, “from the first-time rider to the seasoned urban commuter.”
According to the City, in 2010 the gender ratio of biking in Boston is a staggering 72 percent male and 28 percent female. The most recent State of the Hub report on Boston biking notes that while bike safety and usage continues to increase in prevalence, “By our count men still outnumber women 2 to 1.” Data gathering for the next annual report will commence in the fall of 2014.
BostInno reached out to City Hall to see if Nicole Freedman, director of bicycle programs, would comment on the importance of proliferating the number of women bikers in Boston, but nobody was immediately available to comment.
Boston Bikes is hosting a number of clinics and events – some of which will be tailored more towards mothers with small children, some towards first time riders – in order to get women into the swing of things.
On June 14, the inaugural Mom and Kid Ride will kick off in Franklin Park. Be prepared for a nice ride around the park, a picnic and ice cream social courtesy of JP Licks. Oh, and should the little tykes want to visit some animals, Franklin Park Zoo is giving away free kid’s passes to the first 100 people who register.
Later on the 19th, a gang of women bikers will ride from the Jamaica Plain Boat House over to Harvard Stadium to watch the Boston Breakers dominate the Seattle Reign. If soccer’s your thing, better hurry and sign up because the first 30 who register will be awarded free tickets.
Clinics for those eager to learn to ride will also take place throughout Boston, though the dates and times have yet to be determined. Stay tuned.
What do you think, Boston? What can we do to encourage more women to use bikes, both for fun and for viable transportation options?
Image via Shutterstock
