BikeWalkNC

North Carolina’s advocate for safe cycling and walking

Advocacy

Safer Roads for Us All: online presentation

“When you have a brain injury, you have to start over with everything…”
-Diamone Ricketts, artist and crash survivor

A person’s story can affect  us in a way that data and statistics never fully can.  

The Bicycle Friendly Driver Program was recently honored to partner with the Brain Injury Association of NC, the NC Department of Health and Human Services and others to present Safer Roads for Us All, featuring the stories of North Carolinians directly impacted by motor vehicle crashes.  

Ben Barry, Diamone Ricketts and Onnr Grogan honestly and powerfully shared through their personal stories how our behavior as motorists can forever impact other people.

The presentation’s recording is available here. We encourage you to watch it, share it with others, and most importantly, drive in a way that respects the experience of these presenters and so many other vulnerable road users.

Tell your legislator to advance HB 511

NC transportation funding structure’s failure to meet the moment as walking and cycling grow during COVID has been a constant theme over the past year.  But, since 2013, our NC General Assembly has prevented stand alone pedestrian and bicycle projects from accessing state transprotation dollars. 

This has to end. 

BikeWalkNC successfully advanced similar language in the last NC General Assembly Session but failed to make change.  This year, right now, we have been successful in creating a bill that will restore access to state transportation dollars without disrupting the prioritization process for state, regional and local projects.  

It is time to act: contact the bill sponsors and thank them for their support, contact all members of the General Assembly to advance this bill out of committee and to restore funding for pedestrian and bicycle projects!

find your nc state legislator

Summit Highlight, Vol 3: Equitable Public Input

All of the BikeWalk NC Summit sessions were amazing this year, but this is one that we deem to be a must-watch for any elected official, planner or participant in the public input process.

In this session, panelists discuss why, in order to realize equitable outcomes from our transportation system, we must start by building equitable engagement into our practices for developing transportation plans and projects. Watch this rousing panel discussion to gain insight into how communities can be intentional about centering equity in their engagement practices.

Moderator: Kim Roney
Panelists: Laura Biediger, Hana Creger, Aidil Ortiz, Olatunji Oboi Reed

Let’s Build Some Trails!

Durham’s Trail Implementation Program

Increased use of trails during the pandemic has amplified the call for trails to be considered “essential infrastructure.” See the steps the City of Durham is taking to move projects from its master trails plan toward design and development. The focus on implementation makes this Plan a unique product in North Carolina, one that other communities can replicate.

Presenters: Matt Hayes and Lindsay Smart

How inclusive is Public Transit for those with disabilities?

How much support is given to non-car forms of transportation in our state?

Before NCDOT’s current financial woes, in 2018-2019, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation had a budget of $5 billion dollars. 

From NCDOT’s $5 billion budget, public transit’s share was only $124.5 million for the entire state, which has 90 transit systems. (Note: many of the budget decisions for how NCDOT can spend money come not from NCDOT but from the General Assembly.) This lack of serious financial support makes it impossible to have the type of transit systems that communities ask for.

People often say they don’t take the bus because of the amount of time it takes over driving. Would it be different if buses had more funding, dedicated lanes, and more input from those who depend on them most? And what does the amount of money given to transit say about how our state values those who cannot drive or don’t have access to a car?

The Summit will have a panel discussion that will address several issues related to mobility as it impacts people who are blind or visually impaired or otherwise disabled. With advances in technology, changes in the ways people get around and aging Baby Boomers, increasing numbers of people with disabilities are out and about and engaging in society on all levels. The need for transit and transportation services and infrastructure which will allow for safe and effective travel for school, work, healthcare, social and cultural interactions and engagement has never been more important to the growing community of people with disabilities.

This session will spotlight the needs of those for whom transit is not just an alternative to driving, but a main part of their independence and mobility.

UPDATE: You can watch the discussion below: