Friction Shift

Tamika Butler joins us to continue our discussion about urban planning and the importance of meeting communities where they are before breaking ground. Silvia Ascarelli tells us the story of teaching her neighbor, Shahreen Raman, and her two young daughters how to ride bikes for the first time, and take back their independence from the confines of COVID lockdown.  Featured in this episode:  Tamika Butler, Silvia Ascarelli, Shahreen Raman and her two daughters Zoriah and Zebba  For show notes, visit frictionshift.org [https://www.frictionshift.org/].

Episode five begins a two-part exploration of how cycling and pedestrian infrastructure impact our autonomy and agency as cyclists. In this episode, we hear from two people intimately familiar with the greater Washington DC metro area, and a project in Anacostia county that could serve as a blueprint for equitable infrastructure plans across the country.  Featured in this episode:  Lena Tibebe, Vaughn Perry, and Jonathan Stafford For show notes, visit frictionshift.org [https://www.frictionshift.org/].

For our fourth episode, we’re tackling COVID. We hear from three folks who tried to find themselves a new bike during the great bike buy-up of 2020. Todd Cravens of QBP talks to us about the collapse in the bike part supply chain, and a bike shop manager details how both of these changes – a heavy increase in demand coupled with a collapse in supply – impacted the shop’s ability to serve its community.  Featured in this episode:  Lena Tibebe, Alex Strickland, Cat Weichmann, Brian Bonham, Hannah Simon, and Todd Cravens For show notes, visit frictionshift.org [https://www.frictionshift.org/].

For this episode, we wanted to focus on the bike as a tool for advocacy and social change. Lena Tibebe, who you’ve been hearing at the top of each episode, is the founder and orchestrator of Ride to DC, an annual protest ride centered on the protection and celebration of black lives. You’ll hear captured audio and in-person interviews from the 2021 event, as well as the event’s origin story from Lena herself.  Featured in this episode:  Lena Tibebe, Ella Whickham, Alex Wesser, and Ride to DC participants For show notes, visit frictionshift.org [https://www.frictionshift.org/].

Our second episode is all about bike and pedestrian law, who it’s meant to protect, and whether or not it’s out there doing its job. A close look at modern-day mobility issues segues into the story of how New York City eventually came to legalize the e-bike after years of inequitable enforcement practices.  Featured in this episode:  Lena Tibebe, Charles T. Brown, Julianne Cuba, Adam White, and Dr. Do Jun Lee For show notes, visit frictionshift.org [https://www.frictionshift.org/].