The 2026 NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit will take place September 17 to 19, 2026 in Carolina Beach and will bring together transportation professionals, advocates, public officials and community leaders working to advance safety, health and equity on North Carolina roads. Sponsoring the Summit offers a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s commitment to people-centered transportation while connecting with an engaged audience influencing policy planning and practice across the state. Sponsors receive valuable visibility throughout the event and help support hands-on learning, meaningful networking, and the exchange of ideas that attendees carry back to their communities. Sponsorship opportunities are limited and we invite you to review the Sponsorship Package and register through the Summit webpage to support this important gathering.
Friendly Driver Program: 2025 Statewide Growth
BikeWalk NC’s Friendly Driver Program has experienced significant growth over the past four years. From 2022 to 2025, total participation increased by 655 percent, reflecting expanded partnerships, stronger outreach, and increased demand for road safety education across North Carolina.
Designed to help motorists safely share the road with people walking and biking, BikeWalk NC’s Friendly Driver Program continues to build safer, more welcoming streets across North Carolina. In 2025 alone, we delivered 53 presentations and reached 2,242 participants statewide. Each session represents another step toward a culture of awareness, accountability, and mutual respect on our roads.
The Friendly Driver Program is a one-hour, interactive course that covers essential road-sharing topics, including:
- Common crash scenarios and how to prevent them
- The legal rights and responsibilities of drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians
- Practical strategies to reduce conflicts and improve safety
Throughout 2025, the program continued to grow and connect with a wide range of audiences. We worked with schools and driver’s education programs, municipalities, engineering firms and transportation professionals, YMCA partners, Wake County Safe Routes to School, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, Durham Public Schools, partners in Chapel Hill, and students at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. In 2025, we also launched a new design suite for all Friendly Driver materials. The updated visuals improved clarity, accessibility, and consistency across presentations and outreach efforts.
In 2025 our presentations were nearly even split between in-person and virtual participation. In-person sessions allow for direct engagement and interactive discussion, particularly in classrooms and municipal settings. Virtual sessions increase accessibility and allow us to reach professionals, organizations, and partners across the state without geographic or transportation barriers. Maintaining both formats ensures the program remains adaptable and responsive to each community’s needs.
As we look ahead in 2026, we are focused on continuing this growth and bringing the Friendly Driver Program to even more communities across North Carolina.
Interested in hosting or attending a Friendly Driver Program session?
Contact programs@bikewalknc.org
Save the Date for the 15th Annual BikeWalk NC Transportation Summit
We will be releasing more details in the coming weeks and months, but here are some key details.
Save the date for the 2026 NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit taking place September 17 to 19, 2026 in Carolina Beach, North Carolina. This multi day conference focuses on the safety, health, community design and equity dimensions of active mobility and brings together nationally recognized and regional presenters along with hands-on tools and experiences attendees can apply in their own communities. The Summit is designed for transportation planners, engineers, elected officials, students consultants, nonprofit advocates, health professionals, bike and pedestrian practitioners and others working toward safer and more equitable transportation systems. Registration for the 2026 Summit will be limited to 200 participants for the main sessions, so space will be limited. Plan to register early.
What is the NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit?
The Summit is a multi-day conference that focuses exclusively on the safety, health, community design, and equity dimensions of active mobility. The event features both nationally recognized and regional presenters. It also offers interactive, “hands on” tools and experiences that attendees can bring back to their own communities. The BikeWalk Transportation Summit is a valuable educational and networking resource for anyone who cares about creating safer streets and healthier, more equitable communities for all road users.
Who Should Attend the Summit?
The summit offers valuable information for transportation planners, elected officials, students of City Planning and Public Health programs, road engineers, planning consultants, nonprofit advocates, health promotion personnel, bike/ped professionals, nonprofit trail groups, and others who are interested in safer roads and transportation options.
Where Will the Summit Be Held?
The 2026 NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit will take place in Carolina Beach, NC, with sessions hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Carolina Beach Oceanfront, along with additional offsite educational and social opportunities.
A room block has been secured for Summit attendees:
Courtyard by Marriott Carolina Beach Oceanfront
$254/night + tax
Start Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026
End Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
The special group rate is available until Tuesday, August 18, 2026. If you have questions or need assistance with your reservation, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Curious about past NC BikeWalk Transportation Summits?
Explore our archive of Summit Programs to see the range of sessions, speakers, and topics covered in previous years. These programs highlight the practical tools, innovative ideas, and conversations that shape each Summit.
Honoring Lives Lost. Calling for Safer Streets.
This week, communities across the globe will observe World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, honoring those killed or seriously injured in crashes and calling for action to prevent future tragedies. This year’s theme, Safe Speeds Save Lives, is especially relevant in NC, where high-speed roadways, wide arterials, and limited pedestrian infrastructure continue to put vulnerable road users at risk.
Across the U.S., families and survivors are turning their grief into advocacy. Their stories mirror the loss we see in North Carolina communities every year. In Maryland, Dan Langenkamp is riding to the Lincoln Memorial in honor of his wife, Sarah, urging Congress to expand federal support for safer walking and biking infrastructure, policies that would directly benefit cities and towns across North Carolina. In Philadelphia, safety advocates point to dramatic improvements after adding speed safety cameras on dangerous corridors, cutting pedestrian crashes by 50%. And in Fresno, families are calling for redesign of high-injury streets to prevent future deaths. This echos the same kinds of changes needed on many North Carolina corridors where speeding and roadway design contribute to repeated, preventable crashes.
These stories highlight a truth that deeply applies to our state, traffic violence is preventable. Even small reductions in speed can save lives. As we recognize World Day of Remembrance, BikeWalk NC encourages partners, and local leaders across North Carolina to advocate for the systemic changes.
Strengthening Road Safety Through Policy Education
On Friday, November 7th, BikeWalk NC’s Executive Director, Terry Lansdell, spoke at the 2025 Triangle Bicycle and Pedestrian Workshop held in Holly Springs. Terry delivered an engaging presentation on the long-standing statutory restrictions that limit North Carolina’s ability to invest in standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects. He walked through the “fine print” language that has shaped the state’s transportation landscape for decades and explained how these barriers directly impact community safety, mobility, and local planning decisions.
Terry highlighted how small pieces of legislation can have big, long-term consequences for people walking, rolling, and biking, and why modernizing these statutes is essential for reducing crashes and creating safer, more accessible streets statewide. He also emphasized the growing momentum among local leaders, agencies, and advocates who want to see meaningful policy updates.
BikeWalk NC continues to educate partners and community members about the policies that shape transportation safety and to advocate for evidence-based solutions that improve everyday travel for North Carolinians. For more information about our advocacy work or to request a presentation for your community, you may reach us at contact@bikewalknc.org.
