Happy Friday! Im excited to share some meaningful news from last night, I was honored to receive the Womens Transportation Seminar Greater New Orleans Chapter Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award.The Rosa Parks Diversity Leadership Award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the transportation industry, while advancing the mission of WTS.This years award recipient is Allene La Spina, Executive Director of Bike Easy, New Orleans leading nonprofit advocating for safe and enjoyable bicycling. Under Allenes leadership, Bike Easy expanded its operational capacity, staff, partnerships, and geographic reach to better serve communities across Greater New Orleans. Her approach to education centers on meeting people where they are and giving them the tools to feel confident and safe.That means building curriculum that works for kids, teens, adults, and drivers. Every year, Bike Easy hosts numerous bike safety trainings, driver education workshops, community rides, and outreach events, demonstrating a deep commitment to inclusive, peoplefocused transportation education. I personally love the idea of working with both professional drivers and the public about safe driving in the People Friendly Driving classes, especially since our chapter also provides a drivers education scholarship every year.Allene is a tireless advocate for safer streets and a fearless voice for bicyclists. Whether speaking at City Hall or organizing in the community. As she so perfectly puts it: Showing up matters. If were not in the room, the needs of people who bike dont get heard.This recognition reflects the collective work of our community to advance safer, more equitable streets for everyone, and Im deeply grateful to all of you who make that work possible.As many of you head out to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, I hope youre enjoying the music, the food, and everything that makes this season so special. Remember to check the Purple Way guide as you get around the next couple of weeks for all the tips you need to know to bike there, take transit, and use bike share among other options. I plan to come out a couple of days to lend a hand to our friends at Blue Krewe at their station on Fortin Street. With all of this energy in the air, Im excited to invite you to join us at several upcoming Bike Easy events in the weeks ahead:Give NOLA Day (May 5) is right around the corner, and early giving begins April 28! This year, Bike Easy is proud to be part of this powerful community-wide effort organized by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, with a goal of raising $20,000 to support safer, more equitable streets across our region. If you believe in this work, I hope youll consider making a donation starting on April 28th, every donation helps us continue advocating, educating, and building a culture of safety for all who use our streets. Bookmark this link and set a reminder to donate As part of our Give Nola campaign, we will be co-hosting a bike ride with Blue Bikes:We are also bringing back our Lemonade Happy Hour on Tuesday, May 5th in partnership with Blue Bikes and the Lafitte Greenway Partnership at the Greenway Circle from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Come and say hello! Youll have a chance to learn about all of our organizations, donate to our Give Nola campaigns, and get some of Bike Easys merchandise, also available at Bayou Bicycles!Other upcoming events include:Bike Easy is excited to have you join our 3-PartSmart Biking Workshop.ThisFREEcourse is designed for those who want to becomesmarter, safer and more confident bike riders. To learn more and to register, click here.Bike Easys~Biking After Dark~is aFREE workshopfor those who want to learn how to be safer biking at night! Biking after dark can be fun, but it is important to plan ahead and make sure you always have the right equipment to be visible every time you get on your bike. To learn more and to register, click here.Last, but not least, we have a couple more Bike Valets at Wednesday at the Square in the next couple of weeks. Ill be there on Wednesday, April 29 to promote our Give Nola campaign and answer any questions you may have for us! So come and say hello.Thank you again for all your support and enjoy this lovely biking weather!In Service,{{broadcaster.name}}Executive Director