When the national bike advocacy organization People For Bikes rated more than 480 U.S. cities for bike-friendliness this year, Charlotte received a less than stellar report card: 1.3 out of a possible 5 stars.  There's clearly a lot of work to be done. But we're optimistic!   Continue reading

Will Pellisero has long been a sustainability advocate. He and his family are big fans of composting, gardening, and solar energy. But before connecting with Sustain Charlotte, he hadn’t made the connection between sustainability and transportation. “I didn’t even really think about driving,” he says now. “It wasn’t my biggest priority.”  Continue reading

For all of us, 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year. We’re facing a global health crisis, an economic recession, and civil unrest. Things may feel bleak--but there are some silver linings to this highly unusual time. Continue reading

When Nancy Pierce moved to Charlotte for a job in 1979, she chose to live close-in for the urban feel. But she longed for a body of water she could walk to. In her home state of Minnesota, water was plentiful for play, solace, and inspiration. Continue reading

Hello my fellow Charlotte bike supporters,   The Bike Update is going out a little later than usual because we wanted to include exciting news about Shared Streets, City Manager's Recommended Budget, and the Uptown CycleLink (a sneak peek). With much of the country confined to home and gyms closed, an unprecedented number of Americans are hopping on bikes. Eco-Counter, who makes counting stations for pedestrian and cyclist data collection, has reported a considerable rise in cycling compared to the same time last year. Strava Metro data for Charlotte shows a dramatic increase over the same time last year. Continue reading

When Dustin Branham first moved to the greater Charlotte area in 2007, living life without a car was the last thing on his mind. After landing a job at a law firm in Davidson, he moved to Huntersville in an insular neighborhood. Continue reading

It's hard for bus drivers to stay on schedule and carry riders to their destinations quickly if the buses are getting stuck in traffic. Our city's leaders are experimenting with ways to give buses dedicated space on the street so the public transit system can be more efficient. It's called bus prioritization, and we're huge fans! In December 2019, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) and Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) began a pilot project to provide dedicated street space for the exclusive use of buses and bicycles on E. 4th Street. They created a single, combined bus/bike lane between South McDowell and the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC). How did it go? And why should you care even if you don't ride transit? We have answers! The lane provides exclusive access for buses inbound to the CTC and bikes. (map: CATS) Continue reading

Determining how to advance Charlotte's mobility goals and pay for a major expansion of the transit system is no small task. Fortunately, there's now a task force working to propose a solution! We're thrilled that our Bike + Pedestrian Coordinator, Eric Zaverl, has been appointed by Mayor Vi Lyles as one of 25 key community members members serving on the task force. The first meeting of the new Charlotte Moves Task Force was held virtually on May 14. Watch video of the meeting and view the presentation slides. All images in this blog post are from the City's presentation. Continue reading

Over these past few days, citizens in Charlotte and in over 140 cities across our nation have taken to the streets to demand an end to the unjust, racist power structure that has existed in our country since its founding.  The harassment and injustice that people of color, especially our Black neighbors, experience at the hands of law enforcement in our streets and other public spaces is unacceptable and wrong. We stand in solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and grieve for the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. Continue reading

Our program director, Meg Fencil, spoke during the public forums of the May 26 Charlotte City Council meeting and the May 28 Metropolitan Transit Committee meeting in support of the new bus and bike lane pilot on 4th Street. Check out the full comments below, and watch a recording (start at 10:50 timepoint) of Meg's presentation to City Council. Continue reading