Sustain Charlotte hosted our second Shifting Gears of 2018 on May 24th at Central Piedmont Community College.  The goal of Shifting Gears is for every participant to come away with one action item and one community contact to help them achieve their goal.

Did you miss the workshop?  We have a summary for you right here!

On February 28th, Sustain Charlotte hosted the first Shifting Gears public action workshop of 2018, where close to 60 people discussed ways to propel cycling in Charlotte forward. The goal was for every participant to leave the event with one action item and one community contact to help them make progress toward their goal before the next Shifting Gears meeting!

Biketoberfest presented by The Charlotte Knights was bigger and better than ever this year!  Almost 600 participants, over 100 volunteers, 32 sponsors, 2 routes and 2 protected bike lanes all came together to create a unique urban adventure to show people how easy it is to get around in Charlotte without driving!  We also raised over $33,000 for Sustain Charlotte!  

The pictures and video speak for themselves! Check out our Facebook page to see Biketoberfest photos and see our video recap below. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and talent to make this event possible!  We couldn’t have done it without you. 

Sidewalks that end in muddy lawns.

Faded crosswalks.

Four lanes of 45 mph traffic with no signalized intersections (traffic lights) in sight. 

A flattened decaying possum in the middle of the sidewalk.

No, this isn't a twisted game of Jeopardy. These are actual challenges that were identified during our two Walk2Transit bus stop walkability tours last week!

So many committed volunteers for the Monroe Road tour!

Last week was a scorcher, but that didn't stop dozens of volunteers from AARP Charlotte, Monroe Road Advocates, and area neighborhoods from helping us document these and other problems during two Walk2Transit bus stop walkability tours.

On Rozzelles Ferry Road in West Charlotte and Monroe Road in Southeast Charlotte, we helped connect residents to each other as we partnered on an advocacy project to improve transportation choices! We were honored to be joined by John Autry (NC House Representative, District 100), Dimple Ajmera (Charlotte City Council, District 5 and candidate for At Large), and Ryan McGill (candidate for Charlotte City Council, At Large).

You're invited to a public workshop on March 21 hosted by the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT) to learn more and share your input on the upcoming corridor study of West Boulevard. The study will evaluate existing conditions, identify deficiencies, and make recommendations to improve the safety and ease of walking and biking on West Boulevard between Camden Road and Billy Graham Parkway.

Since last summer, Sustain Charlotte has been working in partnership with the Equitable Transportation team comprised of West Boulevard neighborhood resident advocates for safer streets. 

We met with transportation agency staff from CDOT and CRTPO at our February meeting.

Jon Davis from Sustain Charlotte's Gold Partner Center for Intentional Leadership spoke at our November Monthly Mixer about how his organization develops and supports great leaders. 

In a message that resonated deeply with attendees, Jon spoke about the importance of self care for leaders to avoid burnout. Organizations can support their leaders by nurturing the whole individual, rather than focusing solely on how many hours that person is in the office. Simple ways to do this are walking meetings, breaks in the day to pursue relaxation such as adult coloring books or yoga, and flexible work schedules to accommodate volunteer and family activities. The Center for Intentional Leadership offers a variety of solutions for developing leaders, teams, and organizational cultures. We're grateful for their partnership and support of our staff!

Jon Davis spoke about how effective organizations support great leaders through sustainable business practices.

Perfect weather, hospitable neighbors, and generous sponsors willing to swing open their doors for the afternoon; put them all together, and that’s a pretty good recipe for any event. Put ‘em on bikes, and we’ve got a second successful Biketoberfest! 

Photo by Emily Eckert (click here to view the full Biketoberfest album)

Against the stunning backdrop of the LaCa Projects Gallery in Uptown, Sustain Charlotte welcomed over 300 guests to celebrate the achievements of dozens of sustainability leaders based in the Charlotte region.

Awards were given to First, Second, and Third Place winning organizations in the categories of Energy, Food, Land Use, Social Equity, Sustainable Economy, Transportation, Waste Reduction, and Water. Click here to learn more about the work of the winners and all of our nominees!

Our judges bestowed this year's highly coveted Outstanding Leader Award on Damon Barron, founder of Treecycle America. Damon's passion for keeping Charlotte's fallen trees out of the landfill and crafted into beautiful products is so inspirational!

Outstanding Leader winners Jill Walker (3rd), Damon Barron (1st), Bill Zuehlke (2nd)!

April is our favorite month because it's time to celebrate Earth Day and host our annual Sustain Charlotte Awards honoring local excellence in sustainability! Our staff and about 70 of our friends kicked the month off on Tuesday at the Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte Monthly Mixer at Wooden Robot.

Dylan McKnight spoke about the transformative work that Stantec, a Silver Partner of Sustain Charlotte, is doing to create vibrant, people-oriented communities near Charlotte and across the country. Stantec employs over 15,000 people in more than 250 locations to provide professional consulting in planning, engineering, architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics.

Dylan McKnight explained how Stantec designs sustainable neighborhoods and projects.

Thanks to our many members, partners, and followers who attended the November Green Drinks Charlotte + Sustain Charlotte monthly mixer at The Liberty!

Stephanie Hoffman talked about how our Silver Partner, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, is transforming lives by equipping people with practical job skills and providing work experience. The GRID is Goodwill's unique electronics store that sells refurbished computers, vintage games and gaming systems, and computer parts. Proceeds from Goodwill sales support their programs, so your donations of gently used items will not only keep those items out of the landfill but also allow Goodwill to continue providing jobs and other services to area residents!