BikeWalkNC

North Carolina’s advocate for safe cycling and walking

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Friendly Driver Program Drives Change: Quarterly Recap and Highlights

Over the past quarter, the Friendly Driver Program has continued to grow and reach new audiences—all with the goal of fostering safer roads through education and understanding.

Thanks to grant funding and strong local partnerships, our program has reached two of our priority counties this spring. Last quarter, we reached 461 new student drivers through 11 in-classroom presentations delivered in collaboration with high school Driver’s Education programs. These young drivers walked away with tools and awareness that help create safer conditions for everyone on the road—whether behind the wheel, on foot, or on a bike.

Led by Program Manager Oliver Sendall, our team facilitated engaging and informative sessions that break down real-world scenarios and provide simple, practical guidance for everyday travel:

  • Motorist driving habits that affect people who bike and pedestrians;
  • Explanation of common bicyclist practices;
  • How to avoid common crashes between motorists and vulnerable road users;
  • Active transportation infrastructure (like bike lanes); and Complete Streets concepts.

These sessions are strengthened by the relationships we’ve built with local educators who see firsthand how this information resonates with students. They’ve described our sessions as “engaging,” “real,” and “a helpful extension of the Driver’s Ed curriculum.”

As we look toward the rest of the year, we’re continuing to connect with more school systems, organizations, and community leaders who want to help make North Carolina’s roads safer. The Friendly Driver Program is available both in person and virtually, making it easy to bring these important conversations to your classroom or community—wherever you are in the state.

Special thanks to the Governor’s Highway Safety Program—our program wouldn’t be possible without their support.

Want to host a session?
Email us at programs@bikewalknc.org to get started.

URGENT CALL TO ACTION: Protect Active Transportation Funding!

Protect active transportation funding from decisions made in Washington DC and restore access to active transportation funding here in North Carolina. 

We need your voice now!

At the National Level,

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has announced plans to freeze discretionary grants that are not fully obligated—specifically those connected to biking, transportation programs, and certain technology investments. This could affect important projects across North Carolina, including funding for sidewalks, greenways, trails, and other transportation improvements.

We need North Carolina’s Senators and Representatives to push back against this funding freeze and state legislative changes that would allow NCDOT to fund active transportation projects.

Contact your Senators and urge them to demand transparency from USDOT and to protect all funding for active transportation projects:

You may also sign the League of American Bicyclists’ petition to support active transportation here.

At the State Level,

Proposed changes to G.S. 136-189.10(2)g. and G.S. 136-189.11(d)(3)c. would remove restrictions on state financial support for independent bicycle and pedestrian projects. These updates would allow the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to use federal and local funds to support walking and biking projects, making it easier for municipalities to invest in better transportation options.

For years, state law has blocked NCDOT from funding stand-alone bicycle and pedestrian projects, leaving communities without the resources they need to improve safety and connectivity. Right now H282 would restore flexibility for local governments to access state funding for critical infrastructure improvements. 

Find and contact your state representatives using BikeWalk NC’s 2025 Advocacy Manual, to ask them to support the change requested in H282 here in North Carolina. 

Act now—contact your representatives today! Together our voices are strong.

Making North Carolina’s Roads Safer: The Impact of the Friendly Driver Program

Designed to educate motorists on safely sharing the road with pedestrians and cyclists, the program fosters safer and more inclusive streets across North Carolina. Last year alone, 687 attendees participated in FDP workshops, each taking an important step toward building a culture of awareness and respect on our roads.

The Friendly Driver Program is a one-hour interactive course covering essential road-sharing topics, including:

  • Common crash scenarios and how to prevent them
  • The legal rights and responsibilities of all road users
  • Practical strategies to reduce conflicts and improve road safety

Throughout 2024, we expanded the program’s reach by hosting workshops across the state and virtually, making the course more accessible than ever. We also strengthened collaborations with local organizations and redesigned our presentation materials to enhance the learning experience.

One of our most impactful partnerships has been with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS). Over the past year, Oliver Sendall, BWNC’s Program Manager, and our team have collaborated with Driver’s Education classes to equip young drivers with the essential knowledge to safely navigate around bicyclists and pedestrians.

“We have been scheduling Oliver and his team from BikeWalkNC for approximately a year now.” said Charlie Jarman, WS/FCS Driver’s Education Coordinator. “They have a very professional and informative, approximately one-hour presentation that the students seem to enjoy, and it keeps them engaged. They spend about thirty minutes on things bicyclists are supposed to do, and how drivers can make the roads safer for them. They also cover the same safety information for pedestrians. This complements what our teachers are covering. They cover some things that are not in our textbook or handbook. After their presentation they have plenty of time for questions from the students. This will definitely help make the roads safer for everyone.”

Community members have also seen the program’s value firsthand. Joey Lawson, a WS/FCS Driver’s Education Instructor and local cyclist, shared: “BikeWalk NC engages with the students in a very professional and positive manner. As an avid cyclist, I have seen how this program benefits both drivers and those of us who ride. Moving forward, I hope WS/FCS continues this partnership with BikeWalk NC.”

Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to bring the Friendly Driver Program to even more communities. With your support, we can continue to educate drivers, prevent crashes, and make North Carolina’s roads safer for everyone.

Interested in hosting or attending a Friendly Driver Program session?
Contact us at programs@BikeWalkNC.org.

Two New Resources Now Available

Over the past three years, volunteers, interns, staff, and our board have worked to collate the hundreds of existing bicycle and pedestrian plans across the state.  Today, we present them to you in the 2025 Bike/Ped Plan and Policy Toolkit, a comprehensive guide designed to support your advocacy efforts and empower your communities to create lasting change for active mobility.  We hope that you will use this resource to review plans, policies, funding needs and project priorities that exist in your community already but remain unfunded or underprioritized.  

With the historic background of this toolkit, we know that you will need help knowing what to do with this information now at your fingertips.  

With that in mind, we have also assembled the draft of our BikeWalk NC 2025 Advocacy Manual.  This manual will provide a link with essential information on how to contact key decision-makers that represent you and make transportation decisions for you at the North Carolina General Assembly and NCDOT. It’s designed to help you make a direct connection to advocate for the active mobility changes that matter most to you and your community.

We know that creating safer roads isn’t just about building infrastructure—it’s about changing the conversation around transportation to prioritize people over cars. The 2025 Policy Toolkit  and the 2025 Advocacy Manual will help you make the right connections, mobilize local action, and directly influence the policies that shape our streets and public spaces.

Whether you’re a community organizer, an advocate, or just someone who believes in the power of safe, walkable, and bikeable infrastructure and the engineered transportation network, these resources are here to help you make a difference. With your engagement, we can build a transportation network that serves everyone and provides safe transportation choices for your children, your family, your city, your county, your region and our state.

Together, we can make North Carolina a model for safe, active, equitable mobility.  

Download resources now

Let’s Make the LAB National Bike Summit a Success!

The League of American Bicyclists (LAB) National Bike Summit is an amazing event for cycling and active transportation advocacy, bringing together passionate individuals and organizations to push for safer, more accessible streets.

Lobby Day is your chance to meet directly with lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and advocate for policies that support biking and walking. Let’s join forces to amplify our impact and make a stronger case for better transportation solutions.

If you’re planning to attend, let us know at contact@bikewalknc.org.  To learn more about the summit, visit bikeleague.org/events/summit/. Together, we can coordinate and make this year’s summit a powerful success!

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