During the EarthShare NC Corporate Earth Day Challenge, an enthusiastic team of volunteers from Protiviti helped Sustain Charlotte collect data about how pedestrians and cyclists are using the streets, crossings, and Rail Trail in Charlotte's South End.

Sustain Charlotte's bike program manager Kate Cavazza (right) coached volunteers on how to record observations.

It was a warm, sunny day -- ideal conditions for collecting data because so many people were out walking and riding bikes after a long rainy spell. Our volunteer team members from Protiviti were stationed in pairs or trios at key locations including Camden and Tremont (to see how people moved between Camden and the Rail Trail), East-West station, and near the newly installed pedestrian crossing lights on South Blvd.

We'll share the volunteers' observations with the Charlotte Department of Transportation so that, along with their own data collection efforts, they can better understand how to fully meet the mobility needs of cyclists and pedestrians who have to navigate the ever-increasing traffic in South End. Data collection efforts like this are also a valuable experience for the volunteers. They finish the exercise with a renewed understanding of the challenges faced by the most vulnerable people who travel on our streets.

The activity ended at Resident Culture with a celebration of the work done by all of the teams in the challenge. 

We're so grateful to these amazing volunteers for collecting data that will help make Charlotte's streets safer!

Sustain Charlotte is a proud member of EarthShare NC! Find out here if your employer offers employee workplace giving through EarthShare NC. If so, we'd be thrilled if you chose to support Sustain Charlotte!