Hi {{ FirstName | default: 'Friend' }},
I hope you had a fruitful and at least partly pedal-powered Bike Month! It was cheering to see so many enthusiastic members turn out for our events in May. Bike Month was a fitting close to a remarkable spring for Bike Durham: We received unprecedented, game-changing financial contributions; we brought in a deputy director (see below); and in March, we were named Advocacy Organization of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists (also see below).
For my part, I had an amazingly fun chance to get my pedal on in May, by riding with the East Coast Greenway Alliance on their annual New York City-to-Philadelphia fundraiser ride. Each year the Alliance—based in Durham!—puts on this two-day, 125-mile event. Hundreds of cyclists join in a joyous journey over boardwalks and bridges, on roads and trails, through cities, towns, and countryside. Fellow board member Justin Laidlaw blazed the path for me by taking this ride in 2021; we hope to get a Bike Durham team together for 2023, all members welcome. Stay tuned!
Crossing New Jersey was a great adventure, and also a sobering reality-check of standard North American infrastructure. The Alliance is always looking to add dedicated bike trails to their route, but as it stands, we traversed much of New Jersey on ordinary urban, suburban, and semi-rural roads. Ride organizers set up lots of helpful temporary traffic stoppages, and drivers were largely considerate. We also felt strength in numbers. But I gained a new appreciation for our American Tobacco Trail, where the riding is safe and relatively stress-free.
If you get around on two wheels, a fully separated trail here and there is an amazing amenity. But can you imagine what our city would look like with a whole network of protected, low-stress paths along existing roads? To go with more sidewalks, better bus stops, and a robust transit schedule?
We can imagine it. Together, we can make it a reality
-Marc Maximov, Board Chair
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Take Action
Bike Durham advocates at the local, state, and federal levels for your interests in a safe, affordable, sustainable transportation system for everyone.
Local
Support the City Manager's Transportation Budget Priorities
City Manager Wanda Page has proposed a budget that includes many of our priorities, including funding to increase staff capacity to deliver sidewalks, bicycle facilities, and transit projects faster. The capital improvements plan (CIP) also includes $6.2 million in new local spending on sidewalks, trails, and bicycle facilities. Please send a quick note to council@durhamnc.gov urging them to adopt these priorities included in the Manager’s Proposed Budget. These investments will speed up delivery of projects to make walking, biking, and using transit safer in Durham.
State
Tell our State Legislators to End the Prohibition on Funding Bike/Ped Safety Projects
North Carolina is one of only a few states that prohibits spending state dollars (and most federal transportation money) on projects targeted at improving safety for people walking and biking. Use the button below to email your representatives and senators today!
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National
Cars Should be Safer for People Outside the Cars
A federal safety agency is taking initial steps to ensure vehicles are safer for people outside cars – it could do much more and you have the opportunity to say so. America Walks has an easy way to act. Comments must be received by Wednesday, June 8.
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Interest is Growing in Safe Routes to School
Nearly 10,000 students at nineteen Durham Public Schools participated in Bike, Walk, & Roll to School events. Three of the fun events that connected kids off-campus were held by Merrick-Moore Elementary where Cheek Road was closed so that the students could safely walk through the adjoining neighborhood, Pearsontown Elementary that led a procession to school following a celebration at Solite Park, and Club Boulevard Elementary where students walked and biked from nearby Northgate Park.
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We also wrapped up the Bicycle Safety Classes at Eno Valley Elementary. This school year we were able to provide instruction to more than 400 students at six schools. Thanks to our great team of Jacopo Montobbio, Ruth Kathol Browne, Bes Pittman, Andrew Harris, and Teaja Hamilton. We already have requests from fourteen schools that would like the bicycle instruction provided next year!
In the past several months, Bike Durham extended its contract with the City of Durham to continue offering Safe Routes to School programming. We have had such a great response to the programming that we are looking for additional funding to double the number of students we can reach next year. We recently received a $10,000 gift to purchase a second fleet of thirty bikes and a fleet of twenty-four balance bikes for kindergarten students just learning to ride. We have a goal of raising another $30,000 to hire additional bicycle safety educators. Contact Nancy Cox at nancy@bikedurham.org if you'd like more information about how you can get involved.
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Thanks to Donors, Our Team is Growing
Thanks to the support of our donors in 2021, we have been able to hire Nancy Cox as our director of development and communications. Nancy’s objectives are to deepen our engagement with supporters and to broaden awareness of our mission and programming through Durham. Thanks to a generous multi-year gift from an anonymous donor this Spring, the Board has been able to extend our executive director and director of development and communications positions to full-time positions. This gift, totaling $480,000, has enabled the Board to consider additional staff growth opportunities and how best to program $180,000 in project funding to make Durham streets safer for walking, biking, and rolling.
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Bike Durham Awarded City Contract and Local Grant
In April, we were awarded a contract by the City of Durham to provide equitable engagement for the City’s Bull E-Bike Pilot Project focused on providing better travel options for downtown shift workers. We’ve hired Tony Patterson and Pablo Robles to lead this work for us through November. Read more about this innovative program at https://waytogodurham.com/bullebike/.
In May, we received confirmation of a grant award from the Triangle J Council of Governments for advancing walking, biking, and using transit with Bragtown Community Association and Merrick-Moore Community Development Corporation in their neighborhoods. The work is funded for one year and will get underway in July. We’re currently hiring for a Project Organizer.
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Annual Ride of Silence
On May 18, we continued the tradition of the annual Ride of Silence to remember those who have been killed or seriously injured while biking or walking. Following remarks from our executive director John Tallmadge and City Councilmember Javiera Caballero, we heard Spanish and English versions of the Ride of Silence poem read by School Board member Alexandra Valladares and County Commissioner Heidi Carter, respectively. Then sixty-two riders set off for a silent, solemn ride through the streets of central Durham. The Ride was covered by the New & Observer and CBS17. You can see photos and videos from the Ride on our Facebook page.
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Black Girls Do Bike Partnership
We also built on our partnership with Black Girls Do Bike: Raleigh-Durham Chapter by supporting their youth event in Raleigh. We were delighted to have been asked to support the bicycle safety course. One of the highlights was seeing the big smiles on the two sisters who became confident enough riding to take the training wheels off their bikes.
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Exploring Durham's Hidden Gems by Bike
Our 8-mile bike tour of Durham’s nature preserves, organized in partnership by Bike Durham and the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA) was postponed due to a forecast for inclement weather. We've rescheduled for June 18th. Let us know you're coming!
Stops included the famous brontosaurus near the Museum of Life and Science, and The Rocks, a hidden gem located off of Broad Street. At each stop, Donna Myers, ECWA’s stewardship director, shared fascinating information about the history and purpose of the preserves, as well as how to get involved in maintaining them.
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Sport Your Support for Bike Durham
Have you checked out our new t-shirts? The shirt design was generously created for us by Steven Valenziano, a Bike Durham member and volunteer. If you haven’t gotten yours, there’s still time! Order yours today to wear your support for Bike Durham on your sleeve (or at least on the front of your shirt).
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📣Announcement📣
Durham is now able to accept gifts of public stock. If you are interested in making a gift of stock, please email director@bikedurham.org.
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New Protected Bike Lanes and Neighborhood Bike Routes This Summer
Durham expects to complete eight miles of bikes lanes and buffered bike lanes through street repaving projects this summer. The Department of Transportation has also committed to converting the buffered bike lanes to protecting bike lanes following the re-striping. The first phase of the Neighborhood Bike Route designation will also be completed...and the City's first two-way cycle track is slated to be installed on short segment of Duke Street between Jackson and Peabody Streets.
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Copyright © 2022 Bike Durham, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for our mailing list on our website or at a Bike Durham meeting or event.
Our mailing address is:
Bike Durham
P.O. Box 25236
Durham, NC 27702
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