BikeWalkNC

North Carolina’s advocate for safe cycling and walking

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Tour de Fat Benefit for BWNC in Charlotte – Groupon available –

 

Tour de Fat Charlotte May 27th – Groupon has discount tickets to this fun concert HERE.

What is it? New Belgium is throwing a party with country rock band A Thousand Horses and the Tour de Fat ensemble cast of performers. Ready your eyes and ears for a mix of musicians, circus performers, vaudeville acts, magicians, comedians, and mind-blowing provocateurs. Costumes are highly encouraged (and a mindset to party is mandatory). Tour de Fat Charlotte benefits Bike Walk NC, so be sure to grab your tix today.

Request for Proposals Open Now for 2017 Bike/Walk Summit in Wilmington Nov 3-4

Please consider speaking at the 2017 Bike/Walk Summit in Wilmington Nov 3-4.  Click on this link to submit your proposal:

Partnering with AARP, Cape Fear Cyclist, NCDOT and others, we plan to generate lots of information sharing and time for networking.  Visit the Summit Website for the latest information about the summit.

The theme this year is “Completing our streets….for all!”    Here are the three main areas for breakout sessions:

* Funding Complete Streets

-With NCDOT’s interest in re-invigorating our state’s Complete Streets policy, we hope to have some speakers that will talk about Complete Streets Implementation.  Our national keynote speakers from AARP will talk about Complete Streets and Liveability.  We’d love to hear about local complete streets issues, funding, implementation strategies, etc.

* Improving Multimodal Safety

– With our state’s new effort to achieve Vision Zero, we plan to have a session on Vision Zero (what it means, how to get your town to be a vision zero community,). We also plan to have a session around SRTS/ARTS (so if this is something you are working on – please send in a proposal). Please share with us your strategies and programs that are working to improve bike/ped safety.

* Community Engagement and Capacity Building

– We plan to have roundtable facilitated discussions around capacity building for local advocacy organizations (e.g., board member development, recruiting volunteers, developing your network including businesses and members). We’d like you to share information on community efforts such as planning events, community engagement on projects, etc.

Hope to hear from you soon – help make the 2017 Summit the best yet!

 

Get Out and Enjoy a Bike Month Event!

This May, BikeWalk NC encourages you to celebrate National Bike Month! In 1956, the League of American Bicyclists made Bike Month official. This is a prime opportunity for people of all ages to gather for events ranging from festivals to group rides to educational sessions, all inspired by the shared love for bicycling and the desire to help spread this love to others. The month offers opportunities to explore your community and the many reasons people choose to ride. It is an excellent chance for people to get motivated to go out and ride with others.

Be sure to keep an eye out for a Bike Month event in an area near you, or take the initiative to travel somewhere new for an alternative experience! Several places in North Carolina are celebrating, and we have compiled a list of some of these wonderful festivities.   If you are responsible for your area’s events, email us at Contact@bikewalknc.org and we can add to this list and have your contact for next year.

Bike Month events across NC

Asheville:

Cary:

  • A link for all the events in the Cary area can be found here.

Charlotte:

Durham:

  • May 1-30: A list of various rides, events and socials offered by Bike Durham and other sponsors

  • May 6: Durham Bike Co-op 10-year anniversary ride, 4 p.m.

  • May 17: Ride of Silence. Leaves from the Bull Statue (CCB Plaza) at 7 p.m.

Greensboro: details for all below events can be found here

  • May 5: Bike Downtown for Open Streets, 6 to 9 p.m.

  • May 7: Wheels on the Greenway will have music, food and a variety of activities for adults and kids. 2 to 4 p.m.

  • May 13: Bikes & Brews Pub Roll. Leaves from 298 Spring Garden St., 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

  • May 17: Ride of Silence. Leaves from the Forge at 219 W. Lewis St., 6 to 8 p.m.

  • May 19: Celebrating New Bikeways Ride. Leaves from Deep Roots Market, 600 N. Eugene St.

Raleigh:

  • May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: weekly Bike Month celebration at the Downtown Farmer’s Market in the City Plaza

  • May 5-14: Oaks & Spokes Bike Festival celebrates its fifth annual celebration of the bicycling community, including a Light Up the Night Ride, a fashion show on bikes, and a bicycle tour of Raleigh’s murals

  • May 5: Capital City Bike Ride will begin in Dorothea Dix Park, travel along low-stress streets and greenways, and finish at the State Capitol building

  • May 6: Marbles Kids Museum Bike Rodeo: young bicyclists can learn to ride safely in a fun environment

  • May 6: Bike MS Picnic & Ride at Anderson Point Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • May 10: National Bike to School Day

  • May 16: Bike/Walk/Bus Listening Session with Raleigh’s DOT at the Chavis Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m.

  • May 17: Ride of Silence to honor those who have been injured or killed while bicycling on public roads. Starts in Dorothea Dix Park at 7 p.m.

  • May 19: Bike to Work Day pit stops in Raleigh for snacks and giveaways

  • May 20: Dorothea Dix Park Ride starts at Eliza Pool Park, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Wilmington:

Winston-Salem: details for all below events and more can be found here

  • May 4: Temple Emanuel Environmental Movement Movie Night, 7 p.m.

  • May 6: Electric Bike Forum and Ride, 8:30 to 11 a.m.

  • May 13: Bike Safety Day will educate children about the importance of bicycle safety, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • May 13: Bike-In Movie of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, at Bailey Park, 8:30 p.m.

  • May 17: Ride of Silence. Leaves at Foothills Brewing Company, gather at 6:45 p.m.

  • May 20: Forsyth Off Road Bike Association Tanglewood Park Mountain Bike Trail Work Day, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

  • May 20: Clemmons Pedal and Metal Fest 2017 at Morgan Elementary School, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • May 27-29: Winston-Salem Cycling Classic

  • May 29: Walk & Roll Winston-Salem, 1 to 4 p.m.

Triangle Area:

A list of Bike Month events in Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, Knightdale, Raleigh and Wake Forest

Tour de Fat Promotional Events Month of May

MONTH OF MAY TOUR DE FAT PROMOTIONAL EVENTS

Look for MORE DETAILS SOON about these fun pre-Tour de Fat promotional events that will be hosted at various Duckworth’s Bars in the Charlotte area:

  • Ballantyne (5/15) – Live artist demonstration
  • Park Rd (5/18) – Musician on the patio
  • Huntersville (5/22) – Live Art (sampling) or another option (Sumo wrestling tournament, Beer and Beer Cocktail Activation, Lip Sync Competition, etc..)
  • Uptown (5/24) – Bike Ride with Spoke Easy, BikeWalk NC, Women on Wednesday, Sustain Charlotte, B-Cycle and other partners to promote bike advocacy (ticket Giveaway)

DAY OF TOUR DE FAT – SATURDAY MAY 27, 2017

COSTUME PRE-PARTY – A pre-party Costume Party is set up for VBGB and a karaoke contest for tickets at the 820.

  • At this event and at the Tour de Fat we will have costume items purchased from Halloween Express with proceeds from those items to go to BIKEWALK NC.

AFTER PARTY – Post-Party at the Fillmore (2000 capacity) for the after party – Jack the Radio, the Tour de Fat opening act, is also playing a set at the After Party.

 

First BWNC Lobby Day a Success!

On April 5, over 30 advocates for active transportation met in Raleigh to meet with our state legislators for BikeWalk NC’s first Lobby Day. Participants traveled from as far east as Southport (southeast of Wilmington) and as far west as Sylva (west of Asheville).

“We were thrilled with the turnout, as 40 registered without our really publicizing the event,” said Executive Director Lisa Riegel. “Since we had never hosted a lobby day before, our goal was simply to put our toes in the water.”

Lobby Day participant Lora Sharkey was able to speak with both of her local elected officials, Sen.  Rabon and Rep. Iler. Since the appointments were made in advance, Lora believed the lobbyists schedule was more productive. Lora emphasized the importance of making the conversations personal. “The elected officials want to know how [active transportation] issues impact their particular constituents, not people living in a county miles away.”

Lora also had a major success with the colorful bicycle pins, which struck up conversations about bicycle and pedestrian funding with elected officials and citizens alike. In the future, Lora suggested having safety statistics on-hand to incorporate into discussions with legislators. Providing facts on bicyclist and pedestrian injuries and deaths from motor vehicles can clearly demonstrate the need for prioritizing active transportation legislation.

“Overall, we think the event was a great success, and we plan to expand it next year,” said Lisa Riegel. “What’s really important is for our advocates to follow up with their legislators in their home district to continue the relationships between government and citizens.”

Rep. Torbett, co-chair of house transportation, was generous with his time, and he understood that having active transportation choices helps solve the overall transportation challenges. Over the next 30 years, North Carolina faces at least a $60 billion funding gap for transportation. BWNC was glad to partner with NC Go!, an organization that aims to increase transportation funding, to create an overall Transportation Lobby Day. This broader focus is important because it recognizes bicycling and walking as legitimate transportation modes, and as part of the overall transportation network solution.

BWNC would also like to thank the Association of General Contractors for letting us join in their legislative reception. We look forward to next year’s Lobby Day!

Photo credits: Harry Johnson
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