Our First Annual Biketoberfest was a HUGE success! Thank you to all who came out on Saturday to support our event!

Click here to view all the great photos!

Talk about IMPACT! One of our primary goals of this event was to demonstrate how easy it is to bike around Center City and South End Charlotte. Here's what some participants had to say:

"This was great. I had been afraid to ride my bike around the city because it didn't seem safe and this event really opened my eyes, and now I want to ride as often as possible."

Read our blog for a full list of inspiring quotes!

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Sip + Play: Things to do in Charlotte has a great recap of the event: 

"Saturday was a day to go out and play, and I did. I sped my newly-tuned up bike (thanks Spoke Easy) throughout uptown to experience BiketoberFest. The fundraiser encouraged participants to bike to different spots throughout Charlotte. Each stop featured a question about how to make Charlotte a better community, especially involving transit. Participants received stamps on their BiketoberFest passport at each stop. Some places such as Discovery Place featured activities, such as welding a bike sculpture. It was a great event for families, couples and groups. I saw a few people doing it alone, but it was definitely an experienced to be shared." Click on the image below to check out more great photos by Tonya Jameson:

Photo by Tonya Jameson, Sip + Play: Things to do in Charlotte

Couldn't make it to Biketoberfest? Did Biketoberfest inspire you to explore another part of our city without a car? You're in luck! We are bringing a first-of-its-kind walking initiative, using pedestrian wayfinding signs to the Plaza Midwood Business District! Join us on November 7 for the launch of Walk Your Neighborhood! There will be exciting activities and games, and various local shops and restaurants offering specials and deals to participants! Visit MoveCharlotteSmarter.org/WalkYourNeighborhood to learn more.

Our vision of Charlotte as a bicycle and pedestrian friendly city came to life last week! During Charlotte's first official Bicycle and Pedestrian Week, our city was fortunate to have a visit from Gil Penalosa, founder of 8 80 Cities and world renowned expert on creating safe and inviting urban places for people of all ages and abilities. Last Wednesday, Gil joined our staff, City officials, and other local leaders in the cycling community for a group bike ride! Read our blog to hear more about the group ride and his visit!

Sustain Charlotte staff, City officials, and other local leaders gather at Freedom Park after a group bike ride with Gil Penalosa!

Local residents like you play a critical role in ensuring we have the resources to carry out our work in the community to inspire choices that lead to a to a healthier and more vibrant community for generations to come! Help us do more by becoming a Sustain Charlotte member today for as little as $3/month -- that's one cup of coffee! Click to learn how easily you can support our mission and your community via membership: 

Leaders tout bike, pedestrian-friendly development in Charlotte [last] week [Charlotte Observer]

"Charlotte is still an auto-centric city, but there’s a push to make it more hospitable for those on foot or bicycle...Gil Penalosa, an urban planner and founder of 8 80 Cities, addressed local political and business leaders [last] Wednesday morning. 'You need to start building infrastructure, and then people will use it,' said Penalosa...It’s an issue likely to resonate in Charlotte, where traffic in the face of rapid growth is a major concern. While the fiercest political debates have centered around issues such as whether to build a streetcar line uptown or widen Interstate 77 with toll lanes, Penalosa said population growth means cities can’t build their way out of congestion using existing means of transportation." We agree that our City must accommodate population growth not by adding more auto-only infrastructure, but by ensuring that all of our roads are built for bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit riders. 

Replacing four-wheeled commutes with two: Sustain Charlotte hopes to promote biking to work [Charlotte Observer]

"'Bike-friendly' is a big buzzword these days, with new apartments touting their bicycle workshops, bike-sharing programs spreading and events scheduled this month to promote biking to work as an alternative in car-centric Charlotte. And though the automobile is by far Charlotte’s most popular mode of transportation, Jordan Moore hopes to turn biking from a recreational activity associated with Spandex-clad weekend warriors into something much more basic: a simple, safe, viable way to get from Point A to Point B...[he says] 'people won't start commuting by bike until they can see the lines on the road...More people will do it if it’s perceived as safe.'” This great article captures just how much impact our Bicycle Program Director, Jordan Moore has already had on the cycling community here in Charlotte. Our goal is to transform many minds and make Charlotte safe for all cyclists. We look forward to seeing more people like this reporter, Ely Portillo, giving cycling a try!

What is it like to commute 11 miles by bike in Charlotte? Let’s try it for a week [Charlotte Five]

"I’ve had this idea for a while now. I actually pitched it way back when I applied for this job. It centers around this question: What is it like to be car-less in Charlotte? More specifically: What is it like to commute by bike in Charlotte? The subject has come up in many conversations recently, like when I talked to Joe Frey for my story about the Cross Charlotte Trail, and when I talked to Sustain Charlotte Bike Program Director Jordan Moore. Last week — with events like the N.C. Bike Summit and Biketoberfest in town — I started thinking more seriously about bike commuting..." Corey Inscoe is demonstrating that anyone can build sustainable transportation into their daily life! 

5 benefits of riding your bike to work [Charlotte Five]

Here's more on Corey Inscoe's inspiring bicycle commute challenge:

"I’m two days into my “Corey rides his bike for a week” challenge now and, I’m not going to lie, I’m tired. But I also start each work day with more energy than normal. That’s just one of the benefits I’ve noticed about riding my bike to work this week. Let’s dive into them: (1) I show up to work wide awake, with my blood pumping...(2) Calories, burnt..." Click here to read the other benefits! We are so impressed that Corey Inscoe is taking up this challenge to ride his bike to work! We hope you will all be inspired by his story!

 MANY THANKS TO OUR BIKETOBERFEST SPONSORS!