FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 11, 2016

CONTACT:

Shannon Binns, Executive Director

Sustain Charlotte

phone: 704-338-2610

email: [email protected]

Vote4Bikes website shares NC House and Senate candidate views on bicycling

Charlotte, NC - Thanks to the Vote4Bikes website (vote4bikes.org), voters across the state of North Carolina can easily see where NC House and Senate candidates stand on many issues related to bicycling.

Vote4Bikes was created so that state Representatives and Senators would understand how important bicycling is to residents in the state, and to educate voters about candidates’ positions on issues important to people who ride bicycles. Candidates were asked to share their views on the benefits of bicycling, permitting for group rides, concerns for cyclists on the road, contributory negligence, protected bike lanes, and ideas for making North Carolina municipalities more bike and pedestrian friendly.

The project was developed by and is presented by the staff, volunteers and supporters of Bike Law NC, Sustain Charlotte, and WeeklyRides. Felipe Sanchez, a sophomore at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, worked as a summer intern at Sustain Charlotte to send survey questions to candidates and compile results. The survey was sent to all candidates by e-mail with follow-up requests for participation made by phone. All answers that were returned by candidates have been posted to the website by district.

Shannon Binns, Executive Director of Sustain Charlotte, helped to launch the project because, “North Carolinians’ health, access to jobs, and quality of life depends on whether elected officials support more options for residents to travel safely, affordably, and conveniently. Driving motor vehicles is the most expensive form of transportation from an economic, health, and environmental standpoint. Vote4Bikes empowers voters by giving them the knowledge of how their candidates view bicycling as a transportation choice.”  

Ann Groninger of Bike Law NC believes the website will empower voters.  "We expect to see action this legislative session on bicycling laws. It's important for voters who care about bicycling to understand where their leaders stand on these issues. Otherwise we risk losing our rights and, along with those, the health and economic benefits of bicycling in North Carolina."

ABOUT THE PROJECT PARTNERS

Sustain Charlotte is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, engaging and uniting citizens to solve Charlotte’s sustainability challenges. We inspire choices that lead to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come.

Bike Law is a network of attorneys who represent cyclists. We advocate the rights of all cyclists, not just our clients. We report, comment, and campaign on bicycling safety.

WeeklyRides.com provides the most comprehensive list of regularly scheduled training rides, charity rides and cycling related community events in the Charlotte area.

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