The first leg of seven miles of planned bicycle lanes in uptown Charlotte is now open. The new lanes along Fifth and Sixth streets aim to improve safety for cyclists, walkers, joggers and drivers alike, city officials said at an event Saturday celebrating the Uptown CycleLink Program.

In 2016, about 4,000 residents joined the non-profit Sustain Charlotte organization in asking the city to build the uptown bike path, Shannon Binns, Sustain Charlotte founder and executive director, said in Saturday’s release. ”We look forward to working with the city to make more of our streets safe for all users,” he said.

Read the Charlotte Observer article.