My NYC Biking Story: Dr. Janice Turner
We are back with another installment of our hit series, "My NYC Biking Story." Recently Streetfilms spent the afternoon with Dr. Janice Turner in the South Bronx, and we toured some of her favorite waterfront trails. As a recreational cyclist for forty-plus years and a board member of Sustainable South Bronx, Dr. Turner believes that biking can be part of active lifestyles and reduce rates of asthma, diabetes, and obesity.
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Dr Janice Turner: [00:04] This is the neighbourhood that I grew up in.
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Dr Janice Turner: [00:12] So I’ve been cycling for over 40 years. For me it’s always been recreational and it’s also a way to unwind.
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Dr Janice Turner:
[00:26] So when I was a kid I played outside, every single day.
Children are not playing outside as much anymore. The health problems
in the Bronx are extremely severe. They’re worse than the rest
of the country. The asthma rates are higher, the rates of diabetes
are higher, and obesity. Now I don’t believe everyone needs
to ride a bicycle, but I think everyone needs to be active. I’m
on the Board of Sustainable South Bronx, which is a local environmental
organisation. Sustainable South Bronx has been involved in helping
to develop a greenway in the Bronx. And this is a greenway project
which will be a place for physical activity such as walking and cycling.
So another aspect of my life has to do with taking kids out to teach
them to ride safely and to not be afraid of the traffic. I absolutely
love bikes. I have three bicycles now. I still have my original
bicycle, which is from the early 1970s. I tease my family and
I tell them I want to be buried with it, but I’m not sure if I’m
really teasing.
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