Welcome to ERI Rider Stories. ERI Riders Stories celebrate the diversity and depth of the people who make up Hamilton Bike Share’s Everyone Rides Initiative (ERI) and reveal how equity works differently for everyone. 

The Everyone Rides Initiative is an equity program within Hamilton Bike Share in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We identify and remove the barriers that prevent people from accessing bikes for transportation and fun! As an organization, the ERI has met many amazing people and supported their journey to accessing bikes and introducing cycling into their lives. These videos feature ERI riders Hebah Ali, Miguel Monterrosa, and Donovan Wilkinson.

Equity impacts everyone differently. #ERIRiderStories show how our riders use Hamilton Bike Share, and how equity plays a role in their ability to access bikes and cycling in a way that benefits them. 

Hebah Ali

Hebah Ali has been an integral bike share rider since she first discovered how fun the bike share system could be 2 years ago. After years of showing up at group rides and encouraging her family to join the ERI, Hebah persisted in helping the spirit of bike sharing stay alive by translating our educational and onboarding materials into Arabic. Her hard work made it possible for dozens of riders to fully participate in the ERI’s educational workshops and surveys, and her infectious personality and love for the world around her shows in every word of her #ERIRiderStories. We are so thrilled to provide her with access to bike share in a way that benefits her but to also have her as part of our team.

Miguel Monterrosa

Monterrosa has been an ERI rider since 2017. His favorite pastimes include keeping busy by traveling around the city to see its many parks, and exploring the culture of his James Street neighbourhood before returning home to his cat, Don Gato. When Monterrosa believes in something, he raises his voice to quietly and firmly defend it; such as advocating for more group rides around the city. Years ago, he first learned about Hamilton Bike Share and the Everyone Rides Initiative through weekly group rides hosted by Steps to Health at Good Shepherd Ministries on Wentworth.

And now, Monterrosa attends Good Shepherd Ministries' "Step to Health" program group rides each week. He rides at the front of the pack of cyclists in order to feel the wind in his hair, and tells the ERI team each time he sees them how much new and unsure riders would be welcome on Steps to Health rides.

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Monterrosa ha sido ciclista de ERI desde 2017, es una persona sociable y le encanta establecer vínculos con la gente. Monterrosa conoció sobre Hamilton Bike Share y la iniciativa Everyone Rides a través de paseos grupales semanales organizados por Steps to Health en Good Shepherd. A Monterrosa también le encanta pasar tiempo con su gato, Don Gato. Como organización, ERI ha conocido a muchas personas increíbles y ha apoyado su jornada para acceder a bicicletas e introducir el ciclismo en sus vidas. Durante el próximo mes, compartiremos videos con los ciclistas de ERI Hebah Ali, Miguel Monterrosa y Donovan Wilkinson.

La equidad impacta a todos de manera diferente.  #ERIRiderStories muestra cómo nuestros ciclistas usan Hamilton Bike Share y cómo la equidad juega un papel en su capacidad para acceder a una bicicleta y andar en ella de una manera que los beneficie.

Donovan Wilkinson

Wilkinson is a lifelong Hamiltonian who finds something new to love about his city each day on his bike share rides. He joined the ERI in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic after discovering the ERI’s pass subsidy, and an alternative and active way to commute and exercise. Wilkinson is an energetic and adventurous rider who rides across the city often to revisit places he remembers fondly with fresh appreciation. His love for cycling around Hamilton will make you want to settle into our diverse and lively city and take another look at all the natural wonders we have surrounding us. Wilkinson rarely goes a day without riding, he is always on the go and rides hundreds of kilometers per week.

Thank you to the Ontario Trillium Foundation (@ontrillium) for their support of cycling equity in bike share.