well-run media + marketing

Long ride ends in driveway, but this trip is far from over 

One in a series of Open Streets 704 profiles on Charlotte’s bike and pedestrian advocates.

Riding your bike to school is a time-honored tradition. A block or two with a helmet and a backpack? No problem! It’s a rite of passage for many kids.

But would you be inclined to do it if your school was more than 8 miles away through uptown traffic? Probably not, unless you’re Douglas Welton and his determined group of friends.

Welton and his son’s classmates at JT Williams Montessori School meet once a week at Freedom Park in south Charlotte to ride with their parents to the new magnet middle & high school, located on the other side of uptown Charlotte — up Statesville Avenue where I-77 and I-85 cross each other. The group grew out Park Road Montessori’s Bicycle Friday program led by Bethanie Johnson and Heather Ruckterstuhl.

It’s a little further than just around the corner and up the block. “We go with them, and show them it’s possible,” says Welton about encouraging the kids ride their bikes that far to school.

Welton is a big fan of biking. He set a personal goal of riding the circumference of the earth — 24,901 miles — in five years between 2009 and 2014. He rode 16 miles a day and reached his goal just 50 feet from his driveway. What made him want to do that?

“I’m just trying to encourage people to get out on bikes,” he says with a laugh.

Sometimes it’s easier than others. Last fall when Open Streets 704 wound through Myers Park and Madison Park, Welton got 30 Madison Park neighbors together to ride the route as a group. It was a great way to bring neighbors together and show them how easy a bike trip can be, he said. The event, as its name suggests, is dedicated to open streets without cars — an afternoon of “car(e) free streets,” if you will– and Welton and his neighbors would enjoy that firsthand as the course wound through their neighborhood.

And riding just got a lot easier for Welton and his neighbors, too, with new greenways opening just to Madison Park’s north and south. The ribbon was cut on a route from Tyvola Road to Huntingtowne Farms Park in June; another picks up behind Park Road Shopping Center and runs north just past midtown. In a couple of years, the greenways will extend far enough to ride from NoDa to Pineville.

“I think that’s just great!” says Welton. “It is the most desirable amenity the city can provide for our neighborhood, ever!”

As a bike or pedestrian commuter, the possibilities are limitless. As a parent, it brings a peace of mind every parent wants for neighborhood children. “We can get to rec centers without ever seeing a car,” Welton says. “The potential for my kids to ride his bike to school safely — and it’s okay to say, ‘go’ — it’s positive for our neighborhood.”

Socially, it encourages anyone who is used to jumping in the car to go a mile or two — to the store or a local restaurant — to hop on a bike instead. Several social hotspots are within biking distance of Madison Park now, including Montford Avenue, Park Road Shopping Center, uptown (including Knights, Panthers, and Hornets games and concerts), SouthEnd and LoSo, and SouthPark.

Welton is excited about it all. Neighbors have picked up social rides on the Back Yard Trails behind the Montclaire/Madison Park neighborhoods, and Thursday night “Ride to a Beer” nights.

Bike commuting isn’t just for work anymore, or just to school. For Welton, it’s a daily thing, and it’s so easy, he says everyone can do it — just like when we were kids.

 

A guy who walks the walk, talks the talk, and rides the ride.

One in a series of Open Streets 704 profiles on Charlotte’s bike and pedestrian advocates.

One of the core ideas behind Open Streets 704, at its inception, was to get people out of their homes, into the streets, and looking at the city of Charlotte in a new and different way. And if you ask Dick Winters, he believes there’s no better way to do that than by bike.

Dick Winters wants everyone in Mecklenburg County to know how to ride a bike and do it often, and he praises Open Streets 704 for giving residents an opportunity to do just that.

“It addresses chronic disease in all populations by giving them healthy activities,” says Winters. Winters uses every opportunity to encourage people to go outdoors and ride around.

Winters is the co-founder of Learn to Ride, an award-winning program that teaches both kids and adults how to ride bikes by using the proven “balance bike” method. Now celebrating five years of success, Learn to Ride won an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for 2018, and was voted Best Kids’ Cycling Event for 2016 by Endurance Magazine. The program operates in conjunction with Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation, and is offered through recreation centers at least 5 Saturdays in 2018.

But Winters doesn’t stop there. He also works with Park and Rec for “Cycling Safety” classes and “Traffic Skills 101,” in addition to working to put balance bikes in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as part of the Trips for Kids program. That program teaches bicycle safety as part of the schools’ Physical Education curriculum. He’s also a long-time volunteer and board member with the Charlotte ReCyclery, collecting “dusty not rusty” bikes, repairing them, and re-selling them to support the Trips for Kids cycling program.

“We have to overcome the perception that cycling is not safe,” says Winters. Learning the rules of the road, he says, is key to that. A new Bicycle Playground at Arbor Glen Recreation Center teaches new cyclists just that — with traffic patterns, signs, and striping painted right there on the pavement. And yes, Winters was instrumental in seeing that project come to life, too.

Winters is excited about the push to build more greenways, which are a safe and popular way for families to get out and enjoy riding together. He also likes the recent introduction of dockless bikes to Charlotte. The bright yellow, lime green, and orange bikes take residents on short, quick trips that are often too short to justify driving, but perhaps too far to walk.

“It’s raised awareness,” says Winters about the 2,000 brightly-colored bikes around town as part of a pilot program that ends in October. He predicts they’ll stick around in some form after then.

And you can be there will be plenty of bikes on the road for Open Streets 704 on Sunday, September 30th, when thousands of people will come outside to meet neighbors, ride around—or walk– and enjoy the miles of car(e) free streets. And like usual, Dick Winters will be there … on his bike.

The finishing touches are being put on a plan for uptown Charlotte’s “Missing Link” bike lane, and public feedback has been “very positive,” says Charlotte’s Bicycle Program Coordinator.

“The main thing we heard is they want more separation, and a continuous protected bike lane,” says Will Washam, the program coordinator for Charlotte Department of Transportation. Washam and CDOT took plans for the the bike lane to “pop-up” displays for a day in July to get feedback from the public. “We got very positive reactions” about the lane, says Washam.

The protected bike lane would connect two popular bike and pedestrian paths that run through uptown Charlotte: Irwin Creek to the west, and Little Sugar Creek to the east. These two creeks and the ridge in between have been credited for giving Uptown its diagonal grid of streets, and even its nickname — “Uptown” vs. “Downtown.” Currently, there are 34 lanes of traffic for cars to cross the ridge between the two creeks and their adjacent greenways, but no dedicated bike path.

Charlotte transportation planners want to change that — to create the “Missing Link.” Each street through Uptown was evaluated for its potential as a bike route until 6th Street emerged as the best choice, says Washam. Width of traffic lanes, sidewalks, and on-street parking were considerations when choosing the route, as well as which street could handle a reduced volume of cars with the least impact. Washam says planners didn’t want to sacrifice sidewalk space, which is heavily used by a high volume of pedestrians in Uptown, as compared to other parts of town.

Planners tested out the track last year with positive results. The design uses mostly 6th Street and a few blocks of 5th street. In some places, a full concrete barrier separates cyclists from cars. In others, depending on how much space is available, permanent plastic pylons will be used. Decorative concrete planters or concrete parking bumpers could also be incorporated, along with street markings, painted lanes, and special traffic signals just for the bike lanes to keep them safe from cars at intersections.

“Safety and aesthetics are big considerations,” says Washam.
Designers will finish up the planning stage for the protected lane in September, says Washam, then move on to conceptual designs, including a few alternatives.

“The beauty of the project is there is already space,” says Washam. A timeline for the finished project would depend on finding funding, which could come from a combination of sources, he says. The goal would be to build a usable space for a reasonable cost.

Look for a funding plan and a finished design by this time next year, says Washam. Construction would follow based on when the funding is available.
All that will be “missing,” then, is a good pair of wheels.

Want to find out about more great projects, people, and programs impacting the transportation landscape in Charlotte? That’s easy! Sign up for the Open Streets 704 newsletter. No spam, just good stuff about great things going on in the streets, giveaways, and events.

The Missing Link is coming to Uptown Charlotte, and it’s going to change the way you cross the sea of cars on a bike. This missing link isn’t some part of our ancestral past, but an opportunity for YOU to have have a say in the future of a legacy project.

Right now, Uptown has 34 continuous lanes for cars crossing east to west between two major natural “boundaries” — Irwin Creek to the west, and Little Sugar Creek to the east. These two creeks and the ridge in between have been credited (or blamed, depending on whom you talk to) for giving Uptown its crazy diagonal grid of streets, and even its nickname — “Uptown” vs. “Downtown.” Currently, there is no dedicated bike path across that ridge, between the two greenways that follow the creeks.

That’s going to change. After a successful pilot program last year, the city is designing a dedicated bike lane — called a “cycle track” or “separated bike lane” — along 6th Street, and a few blocks of 5th street. This will allow two-way bike traffic to safely cross the ridge and uptown traffic.

“It’s to provide a safe connection through Uptown and connect the greenways,” says Will Washam, Bicycle Program Coordinator for the Charlotte Department of Transportation. Harmonizing the flow of bikes, cars, and pedestrians has been a hot topic at CDOT for the last few years as more and more people look for convenient, efficient, alternative routes to get around. Crossing safely from one commuting route along greenways in and out of Uptown to the other has always been a big question for cyclists — a “Missing Link” in the evolution of bike commuting in Charlotte, so to speak.

Each street through Uptown was evaluated for its potential as a bike route, and 6th Street emerged as the best choice, says Washam. Traffic lanes, sidewalks, and on-street parking were considerations when choosing the route, as well as which street could handle a reduced volume of cars with the least impact. Washam says planners didn’t want to sacrifice sidewalk space, which is heavily used by a high volume of pedestrians in Uptown, as compared to other parts of town. Some on-street parking will go away. But now that planners have decided where, the next consideration is “How?”

“The biggest question will be, “what does the separation look like?'” says Washam about the separated bike lane. “Safety and aesthetics are big considerations.”

Washam says the lane will be protected from traffic with full concrete barriers, often called “Jersey barriers,” in some spots, and permanent plastic pylons in others, depending how much space is available on the street. Decorative concrete planters or concrete parking bumpers could also be incorporated, along with street markings, painted lanes, and special traffic signals just for the bike lanes to keep them safe from cars at intersections.

Here’s where you come in: On July 31st, the city will have “pop-up” stops where you can check out the proposed design for the separated bike lanes. Like a busy bike commuter, the pop-ups will move around to different parts of Uptown during the day so everyone can get a chance to weigh in. Here’s the schedule:

8 – 9:30 a.m.                     Gateway Village Promenade
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.      Trade & Tryon (Marriott side)
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.                  4th Ward Park (6th Street near Poplar)
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.                7th Street Market
6 – 7:30 p.m.                      BB&T Ballpark Centerfield Entrance (4th & Mint)

One more perk: If you ride your bike to the Knights game that night, July 31st, you will get a voucher for $4 off your ticket to the game, and free bike valet from Charlotte BCycle. There’s never been a better reason to ride your bike to the Knights game.

And soon, you won’t find a good reason NOT to break out the bike and ride to — and across — Uptown for work, food, and fun. How’s that for progress?

Charlotte Spokes People founder wants you to be Savvy in the saddle.

One in a series of Open Streets 704 profiles on Charlotte’s bike and pedestrian advocates.

If it’s Tuesday night in Plaza Midwood and you see a large group of bikes roll by, chances are that Pam Murray is rolling with them.

The Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride — or PMTNR to those “in the know” — has become somewhat of a tradition, and the rides are Murray’s chance to get people out of their cars and onto two wheels. The group takes meets at 7:45 and takes off at 8:00 from Common Market and rolls back in a couple of hours later. It’s just one of many ways Murray encourages people to ride their bikes instead of driving.

“Plaza Midwood has a great bike culture,” says Murray. “People are used to seeing bike riders, and accommodate them.” Pedestrian improvements have also helped, and neighbors are enthusiastic hosts and participants when Open Streets 704 events roll through the area.

But Murray wasn’t always such an enthusiastic supporter of cycling. A Financial Advisor in her early career, she didn’t gravitate to bikes until 2006, when she was teaching her own children to ride. “I got on, and just kept going,” she says with a laugh.

Murray says Charlotte is one of the best places in the country to ride a bike because you can ride almost year-round. She cites the lush tree canopy and mild climate as reasons people can ride all over town, all year long. “It’s really fun to do in Charlotte,” she adds.

As her children grew, so did Murray’s love of cycling. At first, she learned about routes from friends and that made a big difference. “The route is the most important thing in neighborhood streets,” she advised. She also rides on main roads, but says knowing where to cut through town makes trips quicker.

Four years ago, Murray took a “Cycling Savvy” course in Orlando, and her skills took a huge leap forward. “It changed everything,” she says. “I can ride anywhere.”

The course, based in Orlando, teaches bike safety, strategy, and technique. She thought, “Everyone needs to take this!” She trained to become an instructor, and brought the course to Charlotte. About 200 people have completed the course here since 2014.

Murray’s enthusiasm doesn’t stop there, though. She is one of the founders of Charlotte Spokes People, a clearinghouse of sorts for all things cycling in Charlotte. The website cltspokespeople.org lists a revolving calendar of group rides and fun activities for bike riders. It also has information about Bike Benefits, a program where businesses will offer discounts to members who buy a helmet sticker and ride their bikes over to visit.

Murray believes the bike community in Charlotte is growing, and infrastructure is slowly changing to accommodate it. Even greenways are getting more popular, but Murray warns folks not to wait for a greenway to jump on. “You should ride anyways,” she says.

She’ll be more than happy to tell you how. Don’t be surprised if she asks you to join her on a “rolling meeting” to talk about it!

Want to join in on the ride? Check out the PMTNR and Charlotte Spokes People on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PMTNR/