People for Bikes shares the progress here in Charlotte as the Uptown Cycle Track opens on 6th Street.

By: People for Bikes 

Projects don’t happen overnight, but in Charlotte, North Carolina, with determined leadership from a local advocacy organization, a local DOT open to redesigning streets for all, and strong support from the community, real change is in progress. After gathering more than 4,000 signatures of support from people all across the city, Sustain Charlotte asked CDOT to conduct a traffic study, in the interest of a better connected network. The Uptown Connects Study was formed, and with help from our community grants program, Charlotte is working to make ongoing improvements to their network.

Temporary demonstrations

Sustain Charlotte partnered twice with CDOT to put temporary demonstrations on the ground in order to connect the city’s greenways through Uptown. Both demonstrations used plants, cones, hay bales, and murals by local artists to show the community what was possible in terms of slowing traffic and offering safety for people on bikes. The demonstrations also made the street a more attractive and inviting public space.

Like New Orleans’ successful Connect the Crescent demonstration project, Sustain Charlotte’s effort depended on volunteers. According to Kate Cavazza, Bicycle Program Manager at Sustain Charlotte, “One of the most exciting aspects of these demonstration projects was the number of volunteers. We had close to 150 people who were happy to come out and place plants, create art, and roll green paint onto the street. It reflects how much people want safer streets for accessing the city by bike.”

Full story here.