An unlikely group hopes to bring more bike share stations to North Brooklyn: Hasidim for Bikes, a Williamsburg-based organization which hopes to “give a voice to the silent majority of Hasidim who live in Hasidic neighborhoods and want bikes in their neighborhoods.”
The Hasidic community in Williamsburg has a long history of battling against bikes–one spokesman for the community, Isaac Abraham, even threatened “civil disobedience” if Citi Bike racks were installed in that neighborhood. But Hasidim for Bikes hopes to change that hostility. “Bikes keep us healthy, carry us from point A to point B, save us from high gas prices, and make our roads less congested,” goes a post on the group’s website. “Bikes fill our lives with adventure and excitement, relaxing our minds and energizing our souls.”
The group’s Twitter feed is full of pro-cycling sentiments:
We believe that one day #hasidic South Williamsburg will be full of #Hasidim driving #bikesPlease RT if you share our believe!
— Hasidim For Bikes (@HasidimForBikes) June 6, 2013
(Photo: Shinya Suzuki/Flickr).@stephenlevin33 as our rep in #hasidic south #Williamsburg we ask you to demand #citibike stations for our neighborhood.#HasidimForBikes
— Hasidim For Bikes (@HasidimForBikes) June 6, 2013
