Meet Janie Katz-Christy and Sam Christy, a dynamic duo who have transformed their lives and community through their passion for biking. Their journey began in different parts of the country—Janie from New Jersey and Sam from rural Maryland—but their paths converged in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they have lived for decades. Our first-ever Super Commuting Couple pedals through life with passion, sharing their love of cycling with family, friends, and the community every day.

Janie’s love for biking was sparked at age 13 when her mother introduced her to a six-week biking and hiking trip across New England. This adventure, which started in Putney, Vermont, and wound through the Green and White Mountains, ending at L.L. Bean in Freeport, Maine. Through the experience she recalls, “I had found my ideal way to travel, vacation, and just get around. And I shared this all when I ultimately had a family, and a community.”

Sam’s biking journey began in his early 20s with a move to Boston in the mid-1980s. He remembers, “Being on a bike just feels so much better than being in a car.” He instantly began connecting with nature and questioning the city’s-built environment. He recalls seeing, “Our urban streets, once dominated by people, are now dominated by cars…Cars, more than trees, more than buildings, more than people have become the dominant feature of our landscape. Enough is enough.” His commitment to biking has remained steadfast for over 40 years as has his work to change the car-centric urban landscape. 

Janie and Sam’s story didn’t start on two wheels, but bicycles soon became central to their journey. After purchasing and remodeling a Cambridge property with both a house and a carriage house, Janie planned to sell the latter. With its bicycle-themed address sign and a doorbell fashioned from a bike bell, the carriage house caught Sam’s eye, and he knew it was the perfect home and bought it. Before long, the two neighbors discovered a shared passion for cycling, and through countless rides together, their bond grew into something special.

Starting a family often means adding a car—or even two—to the mix. For Janie and Sam, bikes and cars coexisted in their daily routine until the day their children, aged 9, 7, and 5, urged them to make a bold change. Janie recalls the moment her kids sat her down for an honest conversation: “'Mom, you know there’s a climate crisis,’ they said, and urged me to give going car free a chance.” After three decades of car ownership, the idea was daunting. Yet, as Sam put it, “Owning a car and having to drive would be far more challenging.”

The Katz-Christy family were pioneers of family biking in Massachusetts at the turn of the millennium. With three children Janie and Sam got creative. This was a time before cargo bikes were widely available, so they dreamt one up and had it custom built. The trike had a large front basket for two and a tag-a-long would attach to haul a third child. It enabled Janie and Sam to transport three children all around Cambridge car-free. It quickly became the “common hangout” spot around playgrounds. The time spent on bikes together heavily influenced their children’s connection with nature and transportation choices. Today only one of the three children has a driver’s license.

For Sam, guidance for novice cyclists is straightforward and he boils it down to a single word: “START!” Cycling is not just a one-day experience, it’s a lifelong journey, just start! Janie advises, “Talk to another cyclist you know and let them guide you a little bit. Cyclists are often very happy to share their expertise.” She also reflects, “I can’t imagine life not biking! I feel that going out for a bike ride puts a huge smile on my face.”

Janie and Sam’s passion for cycling extends far beyond personal enjoyment - it drives their commitment to advocacy and community engagement. Recognizing the transformative impact of bicycles in their own lives, both have played a role in founding organizations dedicated to making cycling more accessible. Sam co-founded the Somerville Bike Kitchen Co-op, an initiative focused on bike safety education and maintenance, offering a “pay-what-you-can” service center to ensure everyone has access to reliable transportation. Meanwhile, Janie founded and continues to lead the Green Streets Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to normalizing and inspiring biking while helping individuals reduce car dependency and advocating for sustainable transportation infrastructure.

Janie and Sam’s unwavering passion for life, family, and community shines through their devotion to cycling. What began as a personal journey has evolved into a lasting legacy, inspiring their children and future generations to embrace biking as a pathway to sustainability and connection. Through advocacy and action, they have made their community more vibrant and bike-friendly. Their story exemplifies the joy, freedom, and deep sense of discovery that biking brings—whether exploring new routes, connecting with neighbors, or simply embracing the ride. Congratulations to Janie and Sam, our first-ever Super Commuting Couple, whose dedication proves that a bicycle can be much more than a mode of transportation - it can be a vehicle for change.