Bike Durham Member Cynthia Bland on Her Car-Free Summer

I appreciate the friends and family who have offered rides and the strangers with their tepid or apologetic waves as I've lived car-free this summer, but I don't need those. Instead, I ask you to contact your local and state government leaders to support your friends and neighbors who travel by walking, rolling, riding bikes or transit. We need safety, visibility, care, and funding. 

For context, I was in a severe crash in June where my car was totaled.

The totaled car

I was headed to get a Friday night milkshake at the Cook Out when the driver of a cargo van turned left in front of me and crashed into the driver’s side door of my Corolla. I blame this crash on a flashing yellow turn signal that lulled this driver into thinking it was safe to turn left. The driver wasn’t sure exactly what happened, except that it was his fault, and he was really sorry. I’m grateful to the good vehicle engineering that left me remarkably OK and just some lingering neck soreness these two months later.

Site of the crash

It’s hard to get a car these days and part of me doesn’t want a car again. I struggled with the idea that I could look at this as an opportunity to make a personal change, but it’s been hard to get around Durham without a car. I worry about my safety as a pedestrian and cyclist. Even being on the fence, I started the paperwork and contacted a car dealership and my credit union soon after the crash and it still looks like it’ll be September before they can secure a car for me. I wasn’t too worried since I’m a household of one, don’t travel a lot, mostly work from home, live near a grocery store and on some bus routes.

Plus, I love my bike! A big thank you to the folks at Bullseye Bicycle who listened to my needs and got me set up in 2019. My office in RTP reopened in late June. One of the things I missed about the office was a once or twice a week trip by bike. It’s 40 minutes each way. Much of that is on the American Tobacco Trail (ATT), but also includes a few places that feel uncomfortable with traffic. 

Cynthia Bland

So what’s not working? Much of it can be summed up as: Cars. Or more specifically that Durham plans for and prioritizes cars and little else. Drivers go really fast! It’s a me-first attitude. Our city is designed so that cars get to take up space and people walking or cycling seem barely considered.

It’s also summer and it’s hot out. There’s very little shade on our streets. Organizations like Keep Durham Beautiful do great work to increase our street trees by raising money to plant native species, but trees grow slowly. The bus stops near my house are just posts without benches or shelters. Fellow riders and I try to stand in the shadow of the power poles or anything for a respite from the direct sun. My floppy brimmed hat helps, but walking in this heat or even waiting at bus stops without shade is hard.

GoDurham bus stop on Fayetteville Road

As a kid I was confused by the Shel Silverstein book “Where the Sidewalk Ends” because it ended in so many places! My mom had to explain that in cities like New York and DC sidewalks are continuous. They sure aren’t in Durham! I live in a neighborhood with walking trails, but not sidewalks. To get to the bus stops I walk through sections of town where there aren’t sidewalks or they start and stop. Last week I traveled to a conference out of town so I took my rolling suitcase with me as I walked and took three buses to RDU. I rolled it more than I carried it, but just barely. Sometimes the sidewalks need intensive repair and other times they’re blocked by signage or seemingly random spools of heavy wire.

Where the Sidewalk Ends, Durham style

Sidewalks connect people and places. They’re the last little bit that can make a trip feel safe or dangerous. I would have more choices of destinations near my home if we had more continuous sidewalks and if there were safe places for people to cross bridges. I live near Southpoint Mall and the roads over I-40 are not at all designed for people to travel by foot. Sidewalks make a place feel like a community and are vital to the transportation of people with wheelchairs, strollers, or luggage.

I would love to see more prominently marked crosswalks. The zebra-style crossings look more like crosswalks to drivers and maybe that type would keep cars out of the crossing areas at intersections. Mostly, I’d really love the white walk signal to actually mean it’s safe for me to cross the street. I discovered this summer that it doesn’t! The traffic lights are set up to allow drivers to think it’s their turn when it’s also my turn to walk. This is a huge conflict and has led to several close calls since I have to turn and keep looking back for turning left-traffic and ahead for right-turning traffic. That sore neck hasn’t made this any more fun.

It would help for drivers to use turn signals. They're cheap and easy! Please use them all the time, not just when you think another car needs to know where you're headed. They’re super helpful to pedestrians and cyclists. Using turn signals should be a habit and not a decision. A bit of advice to new drivers that seemed obvious was “look where your car is going.” Wow, huh? Well, it’s excellent advice related to turning! I can tell that many drivers are not looking where they are going. If they were, they might notice a person trying to cross the street.   

Turning to transit, many of our GoDurham and GoTriangle bus routes only come every 30 minutes or 60 minutes. This lack of frequency means transit users have to meticulously plan our day! There are some decent apps for this, but riders pay a high price for their time when bus schedules don’t align or when you have to arrive somewhere 45 minutes early so you’re not 15 minutes late.   

Many transit routes are organized to funnel riders to our downtown station. That worked well in a world where people commuted to a job each day. But there are other reasons to use the bus like shopping, childcare, doctors, entertainment and this model doesn’t work as well. There’s also evidence that this type of model doesn’t serve women as well as men. Women tend to travel in off-peak hours and link more errands or activities together. The move toward telemedicine is helpful in some situations and I wish my doctors would be more adaptable in offering that for situations that are more conversational.

Most GoDurham routes end at the downtown bus station

Back to cars: people tout the freedom and pure fun of driving. That’s totally fine! But while they say they love driving, they don’t demonstrate it. I see so many people who are much more interested in their phones than the road. Please show your love for driving by using care, focus, and attention! 

That’s a lot of complaining, but I’m having a great summer! I’ve gained strength by riding my bike more often. I’ve enjoyed summer smells and breezes, increased my time with birds and nature, eaten blackberries along the ATT, stopped for ice cream and donuts, said hello to more people and had fun! This whole post is apparently about how I only travel for my sweet tooth! I’m proof that people on buses, bikes, and sidewalks really do stop into more shops than people driving who are worried about finding parking.

My story isn’t a sad one. I’m OK from my crash. I can afford a new car loan. I haven’t missed out on summer adventures. I’m not worried about me, but I’m worried about our community. We need to prioritize people in Durham. That means all people. We need a city where we can work, shop, attend school, visit parks, and enjoy entertainment without having to use a car or be subject to traffic violence. 

I believe that being a true local shouldn't be about the university you went to, team you root for, hot restaurant you're a regular at, or how long your family has lived here. I feel like a real local knows where their closest bus stop is to their residence. What's that route number? How often does it come? Where does it go?  

Talk to your city, town, county, and state leaders. Donate and get involved with local advocacy organizations like Bike Durham. Even if you have and use a vehicle, make a plan to use transit! It’s not just for people who have to use it. Start with a bus near you: What are the points of interest you might use? Plan a trip to explore and have fun!   

Bike Durham’s Open Letter to Local Officials on Erwin Road Repaving

On August 2, 2022, Bike Durham sent a letter to the local NCDOT district engineer, the City’s director of transportation, and the VP for Administration at the Duke University Health System. The letter outlines our disappointment with current restriping plans, which will essentially keep Erwin Road as-is rather than making it safer for all users. The text of the letter is below.

Memorial Gathering and Ride of Silence for Matt Simpson

Photo of Matt Simpson; credit Allison Simpson

With the approval of Allison Simpson, Matt's widow, Bike Durham has organized a memorial gathering and ride of silence to honor the memory of Matt Simpson who was killed in traffic violence while bike riding with his family.

We will gather Sunday morning, July 24th, at 11am at Westover Park near the intersection where the West Ellerbee Creek Trail crosses Guess Road.  Allison and her friends placed a ghost bike at this spot last weekend.

We will have cards for you to write messages that you can insert into spokes of the ghost bike, and markers for you to sign the bike directly.  We will have black armbands for you to wear, if you choose to participate in the ride of silence.  We also encourage you to bring a cut flower to place at the ghost bike.

At about 11:15, we will call everyone together and Allison Simpson will address the group, and likely one or more of Matt's friends will say a few words.  I will follow with a message about how you can continue to honor Matt's memory with further action to make Durham's streets safer for everyone and some instructions about the ride for those who are able to join us.

We will have a moment of silence before starting the ride.

The ride will be just over three miles in a mostly “on-road” loop starting with a crossing of Guess Road where Matt was hit and killed and finishing up back at Westover Park.  We'll take it at a slow pace and should complete it in about 30 minutes.  We will have at least 8 ride "facilitators" to keep the group safe and together.  They will ride at the front, at the rear, and positioning themselves at intersections to make sure we can all go through together.  We'll have one or two mechanics on the ride in case anyone gets a flat tire or a chain falls off.

The forecast is for hot and sunny weather.  We'll have plenty of cold water.  We encourage you to bring your own water bottles, sunscreen, hats, and helmets if you are riding.

We know that Matt's death has touched many people in his family's circle, in his neighborhood, and in the wider Durham community.  We hope that this event will be an opportunity for you to join in solidarity with others to honor Matt's loss of life and to recommit ourselves to organizing for safer streets for all in Durham.  Please let us know if you plan to join at this link so that we have an idea of the size of crowd to expect.  If you cannot join us, but would like to leave a message for Allison, we have created a digital way for you to express your thoughts.

Statement about the Death of Matt Simpson

We are deeply saddened at the tragic news that Matt Simpson died Friday after being hit while bike riding with his wife and two young children last Sunday. We are angry at the driver, Omari Newsom, who crashed into Matt and then drove away from the scene after removing the bike from under his car. And we are fed up with the officials at legislature, NCDOT, and the City who have not done enough to keep us all safe while walking and biking on Durham streets.

This tragedy is not isolated. On average every 16 days someone is killed or seriously injured while walking or biking in Durham. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to find out details about the victims and their families' interests. Through neighbors, we have been connected with Matt's widow and know that she wants Matt's memory honored with the placement of a ghost bike at the site where he was killed. We will follow up soon with details about the ghost bike event and how you can get involved to make our streets safe for everyone.

Here are links to two media stories about what happened:

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article263536723.html

https://www.wral.com/durham-police-search-for-hit-and-run-driver-after-bicyclist-crash/20368469/ (from last Monday)

Learn more about our Safe & Healthy Streets work here.

Creating a Better Erwin Road

Most people in Durham have likely experienced Erwin Road in some capacity, whether driving to a medical appointment at a Duke clinic, taking a bus to the VA Hospital, biking to work, or walking to class. This experience is generally not a positive one. The road is very wide, there are limited bike lanes, no bus lanes, and sidewalks are usually right up against the road, making it very unpleasant to walk. It is, like so many wide roads devoted mostly to private vehicles, dangerous. There were over 350 crashes on this corridor between 2017-21, including 19 involving people walking. Despite the presence of a pedestrian tunnel, the most crashes occurred at the intersections directly in front of Duke Hospital and the VA Hospital.

Source: Google Maps

The Previous Vision for Erwin Road

For most of the 2010s, the plan was to transform Erwin Road by adding a light rail line along it. Even then, many compromises had to be made because the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), who owns and maintains Erwin Road, would not allow the removal of any general purpose lanes despite the fact that more people would be able to access the residential areas, restaurants, world-renowned medical services, and tens of thousands of jobs using transit. Still, light rail and associated improvements for people walking and biking along Erwin Road would have provided significantly better access for people living and working in the area.

Unfortunately, no comprehensive vision for Erwin Road has been developed since the light rail project ended over three years ago. One of the options shown to the public in the ongoing update to the Durham Transit Plan included a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line along Erwin Road. BRT, if done well, can mimic many of the best aspects of light rail. However, no work has yet been done to flesh out this concept and it’s not clear whether BRT along Erwin Road will make it into the final Transit Plan update or be anything more than a slight improvement over current bus service.

The Next Opportunity

The lack of a current vision for Erwin Road means that when opportunities arise, they are often missed. One such opportunity is occurring this fall when NCDOT will be repaving Erwin Road, something that last happened 15 years ago. Roads have to be restriped after they are paved, but they don’t have to be restriped the same way they were before. Durham has long taken advantage of this low-cost opportunity to repurpose excess space for private vehicles to create bike lanes, bus stops and better crosswalks. In fact, most of the existing bike lanes in Durham were created through repaving projects.

According to their own Complete Streets Guidelines, NCDOT is expected to consider improvements that will enhance the safety and access of those walking, biking, using transit, and driving:

They did not do so on Erwin Road and have not done so for any NCDOT-maintained road in Durham to our knowledge. NCDOT also moved the repaving of Erwin Road up a year, shortening the planning time for any restriping changes that could make the road safer, more accessible, and more inviting. The City of Durham and local transportation advocates recognized that an opportunity existed despite the short timeframe. Unfortunately, the City did not have staff capacity to do the necessary design work and public engagement in-house, so they hired a consultant. The scope of the contract focused mostly on potential transit improvements—a good start for sure—but did not include a more holistic set of potential improvements such as dedicated lanes for people biking.

To meet NCDOT’s requirements, the consultant had to determine whether these potential changes would cause traffic to be delayed at intersections in the year 2035. This nearly singular focus on intersection delay, often codified in a misleading concept called Level of Service, is problematic for a number of reasons. First, it assumes that other goals of a transportation system—safety, equity, health, sustainability, accessibility—are secondary to making sure people don’t have to hit the brake pedal for too long. Second, projecting future traffic delay relies on imprecise traffic models that will almost certainly be wrong. Just as no one would have predicted huge traffic decreases in 2020 due to a pandemic and shift to telework, no one knows what traffic will be like in 2035. Finally, these projections fail to take into account how many people will switch to walking, biking, and using transit when these modes of transportation become more enticing.

The initial ideas presented to NCDOT included bus lanes in both directions on Erwin Road or, if that was not feasible, a bus lane in either the eastbound or westbound direction.

Bus Only Lanes in New York City

Source: https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/transit-lanes-transitways/

All of these options were rejected by NCDOT because they do not believe there is enough spare capacity on Erwin Road to repurpose any lanes. In other words, NCDOT believes that the majority of road space on Erwin Road should continue to be for private vehicles and that even more road space would need to be created to accommodate other ways of moving around.

If Durham is going to get serious about addressing its transportation and sustainability goals, adding more asphalt is not the answer. We have to be more intentional about how we use the space that is already paved on our streets. On Erwin Road, that means carving out some of that space to make walking, biking, and using transit safer and more reliable.

As a reminder, these concerns about capacity are based on imprecise projections looking out thirteen years into the future. Remember also that this project only includes new pavement and new paint. If bus and/or bike lanes really create massive traffic jams, make the street less safe, or delay emergency vehicles in the future, they can quickly be converted back to general purpose lanes until a better solution can be found.

Unfortunately, the City and its consultants abandoned the idea of bus lanes and quickly shifted to looking at smaller improvements. These smaller improvements are still being developed but may include more and improved pedestrian crossings and queue jump lanes for buses. Queue jumps allow buses to use the right lane to move ahead of other traffic at certain intersections, which gives them a speed and reliability advantage over general traffic.

Source: https://nacto.org/publication/transit-street-design-guide/intersections/intersection-design/queue-jump-lanes/ 

A Vision for Erwin Road

While things like queue jump lanes would be welcome improvements, they fall far short of what Erwin Road needs to be. It is a big challenge for most people to envision what a street that’s existed in its current state for decades could potentially look like, so we asked for examples of great streets in front of major hospitals in North America. One of the best examples people sent us is Broadway in Seattle:

Source: Google Maps

Look at how much Seattle is able to accomplish in a much narrower space than Erwin Road! Two general purpose lanes w/streetcar tracks, a center turn lane, two-way cycle track, on-street parking, and wide sidewalks with street trees. This is a street that is safe and inviting for everyone who uses it, whether they are walking, riding in a wheelchair, biking, using transit, or driving.

Meanwhile, on Erwin Road…

Source: Google Maps

Despite being up to 60% wider than Broadway in Seattle, there is no protection for people biking, no priority for the thousands of people who use transit on Erwin Road every day, wide lanes that encourage speeding, and narrow sidewalks, oftentimes right up against that speeding traffic. A repaving will not create streetcar tracks or the curb between the cycle track and general travel lanes, but there is more than enough room for a shared bus/bike lane that can also be used by emergency vehicles if we decide to prioritize it. 

Shared bus/bike lanes have become increasingly popular in the United States. They are not a perfect solution because of continued conflicts between cyclists and buses and where possible, both cyclists and buses should have their own dedicated lanes. However, it eliminates conflicts with the things that are the biggest safety hazard to cyclists and cause for delay for buses, which is cars. Despite an initial rejection from NCDOT engineers, the City should continue to push for these lanes and present them to the public for their consideration. The good news is that there is already an example of a shared bus/bike lane in North Carolina in Charlotte, so Durham does not need to reinvent the wheel:

Source: https://charlottenc.gov/newsroom/cityhighlights/Pages/Bus_bike_lane_debuts_on_4th_Street.aspx

What’s Next

Even if we can get bus and/or bike lanes and improved pedestrian crossings during this repaving, that will not be the end of the story. Paint alone is not going to create a safe, accessible, and beautiful Erwin Road. The City, NCDOT, and key stakeholders along the corridor like Duke University, Duke Hospital, and the VA Hospital must commit to developing a long-term plan for the road and figure out how to fund its construction. But we can also do a lot now to make significant progress towards making Erwin a road Durham can be proud of.

Last year, Bike Durham called for a bold vision of Zero Carbon Emissions, Zero Deaths or Serious Injuries, and Zero Racial or Economic Disparity of Access as the major goals of a regional 2050 transportation plan, which was adopted by local elected officials. Now it’s time to make that vision a reality. You can support us by signing up for updates on the Erwin Road repaving project. Public engagement is scheduled to begin in July and time will be of the essence, so we will need your voices.

Click this button to receive updates on Erwin Road, including information about public meetings and ways to provide input online.

Bike Durham Comments on Draft Policies for the Comprehensive Plan

Durham is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan, which is a long range vision for how and where things can be built in Durham. The Planning Department is currently seeking public feedback on draft policies that will be included in the Comprehensive Plan update.

Bike Durham, with a huge assist from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), sent the following responses regarding the transportation-related draft policies. The format below matches that of the survey.

Bike Durham encourages you to review the draft policies and submit your own comments on them. If any of the responses below speak to you, please feel free to include them as well.

1. Check all the policy areas you reviewed:

Transportation

2d. How well do the draft policies under “Transportation” meet the priorities and needs of those in your community?

Very well

3d. If you responded neutral, somewhat, or not well, how should the draft “Transportation” policies change to meet the needs and priorities of those in your community?

n/a

4d. How do the draft policies under "Transportation" address a problem you have seen or experienced? How might the draft "Transportation" policies impact your community if they were implemented?

Overall, the draft policies related to transportation promote a Durham that is equitable, safe, accessible, and sustainable. The key will be to work with the departments who implement the majority of these policies, both within the City and outside of it, to make sure these policies are being realized on the street. A few aspects to improve the transportation system in Durham, particularly for those cycling and using transit, could be strengthened. See the next two responses for details.

5d. How would you change the wording of the “Transportation” policies to make them more understandable? You can write the policy number if you have feedback on specific policies

Bike Durham supports the following wording suggestions, most of which were made by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC):

T.01  Add the following sentence: "Prioritize pedestrian-oriented design elements such as street trees and raised crosswalks."

T.02   Add the following sentence: “Allow more communities to share in growth and investment by improving non-automotive connections between the north and south sides of Durham Freeway."

T.03  Rephrase sentence to read “Improve ADA design and conditions at crosswalks, along sidewalks, store frontages, bus stops and other transportation corridors …”

T.07  Rephrase sentence to read “Reinvest, retrofit, and maintain areas and facilities which have current transportation needs or network gaps…”

T.08  Add sentence: “Improve service frequency, route expansion, timeliness, reliability, and other key performance indicators of the mass transit system to benefit existing users and facilitate increased ridership”.   

T.09  Rephrase last sentence to read "...increase investment in high-quality, frequent, and reliable transit that expands coverage and  serves mixed-use, high-density areas."

T.10  Add to the first sentence “with a focus on street design".   Add the following sentence: “Ensure that Vision Zero approach does not rely on over policing and does not obviate need for better infrastructure.”

T.11  Change “speeding traffic” to “unsafe speed”.   Add to the last sentence “...raised crosswalks, reduced curb radii, street trees”.

T.13  Rephrase first sentence to read "Implement and design streets using a complete streets approach that allow and encourage walking, riding transit…."

T.14  Rephrase first sentence to read "Provide great, high frequency regional connectivity to destinations in the Triangle." Consider better defining what types of regional destinations are most important to serve, such as major employment centers, medical centers, and universities. The current wording is very general and does not reflect that prioritization will need to be done based on the highest needs. The needs of low-wealth communities should come first.

T.16 Add sentence "Prioritize reduction of parking."

T.18  Rephrase to read "... limit investment in infrastructure that prioritizes single occupancy gas, electric or diesel cars."

T.20  Rephrase last sentence to read “...in formats that are accessible and legible to all people.  “

T.20  As a general comment, this should not be limited to transportation policies.

GI.23  Add sentence “Encourage medium density housing and commercial development, and minimize surface parking.”

N.03  Rephrase first sentence to read "Create neighborhood and site designs in new development that accommodate residents in all non-single occupancy vehicle modes of movement with different mobility needs."   

N.03  Add the following to the last sentence "...and other complete streets methods."

N.16  Add to the second sentence “...locating vehicle access and parking to the side or rear of lots and buildings; providing covered bus stops, and designing buildings …”

6d. What policies are missing in the “Transportation” topic that you would add?

Bike Durham supports the following additions, many of which were suggested by BPAC:

• Propose a new policy for bicycle networks similar to T.01 about sidewalk networks and pedestrian facilities. "Create and maintain a complete, safe, and accessible community-wide bicycle network where bike lanes, off-road paths, and other safe bicycle facilities provide access to daily needs such as work, school, and shopping. Ensure this network serves everyone in Durham, prioritizing communities with residents who do not have access to a car or have few transportation options, and areas with high numbers of bicycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities." In addition, language should be added about ensuring safe and convenient bicycle parking, whether in this policy or one about parking in general..

• Propose a new policy on government support. "Create, promote, and support programs supported by local government or other agencies that reduce financial barriers for residents to utilize non-motor-vehicle transportation modes. For example, subsidies or rebates to enable acquisition of bicycles, e-bikes, or other equipment; share programs; or other methods to lower the cost obstacles for people to use these modes.

• Propose a new policy focused on street design: “Ensure that streets are designed to prioritize the safety, mobility, and experience of pedestrians, cyclists, and transit-users. This includes designing streets for low speeds for single-occupancy automobiles, promoting pedestrian-focused design elements, and creating great cycling and transit facilities on our roadways. At a minimum, modifications and new streets should comply with the “Complete Streets" standards followed by NCDOT as well as NACTO standards.”

• Maximize opportunities to make streets safer and more accessible such as street resurfacings (note: this may be more of an action item rather than a policy statement).

• Propose a new policy that promotes reduction of parking and appropriate pricing for parking.

• Note: A policy should be added that aims to improve the quality of the transit system in Durham beyond maintaining fare-free service. If this is not included as additions to T.08, T.09 and T.14 as suggested in Question 5d, then it should be its own policy statement.

7. Is there anything else you want to share?

A Great First Week of Bike Month 2022

Big Turnout for Biking Fun Festival at Glenn Elementary

April 30

Last Saturday we had a huge turnout for a Bike Fun Fest at Glenn Elementary.  There were more than 70 kids from Glenn and the surrounding neighborhoods and we gave away 65 helmets while the kids practiced their biking skills.  Thanks to a donation from Ninth Street Bakery​, everyone (including me) also enjoyed delicious cookies.  This was a capstone to the four-session bicycle safety training class that the 4th graders at Glenn Elementary completed during the month of May. A big thanks to Principal Hunt and Coach Matheson for all their support.

May 1

On Sunday, we launched a couple of rides from Hi-Wire Brewing. We had a good turnout, and a great time, and appreciate the participation of the Durham Bike Co-op​, Rescue Project Racing​, and Trek Cycles. Thanks to Jacopo Montobbio and Christy LaGuardia for leading the rides.

On Sunday, Ali Shoenfelt and Nikola Milenkovic also held the second of five walk-audits scheduled for the Old West Durham and Watts-Hillandale neighborhoods as part of the traffic calming plan that the neighborhood association boards asked us to develop with financial support from Duke Doing Good. You can learn more about that project on our website.

Council member Javiera Caballero joins with students and teachers from Merrick-Moore Elementary on Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day

May 4-6

Wednesday was Walk, Bike, and Roll to School day.  Fourteen Durham public schools held events on the 4th, 5th, or 6th, and six more will hold events later this month. This represents thousands of students who are getting out and walking, biking, or rolling. Many Durham schools do not have safe routes for students to walk or bike to school, even if they live a few blocks away. Bike, Walk, and Roll to School days are a great way to bring attention to this issue and for the schools to celebrate the joy of walking, biking, and rolling.   You can learn more about our Safe Routes to School program here.

I can’t wait for the rest of Bike Month.

Bike Durham Named Advocacy Organization of the Year

Last Monday, Bike Durham was named the Advocacy Organization of the Year by the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) - our nation’s organization representing bicyclists in the movement to create safer roads, stronger communities, and a Bicycle Friendly America.

LAB gives this award to a bicycling and/or walking advocacy organization or club who, in the past year, made significant progress. LAB recognizes an organization whose leaders have worked tirelessly together to grow and strengthen their organization and fulfill their mission. This award is about recognizing organizations that are inclusive, welcoming, and committed to growing bicycling.

We are thrilled with this recognition for all we accomplished in 2022. We are also pleased that the League recognized our work that centers safe walking and transit equity, as well as safe bicycling. It all works together to give us the transportation system we deserve - one that is safe, affordable, and sustainable for everyone, regardless of who they are or where they live.

The League’s Executive Director, Bill Nesper, asked us to answer three questions that could be shared as part of the award announcement. I want to share our responses with you, too.

What do you hope the future holds for the bike movement? We hope that the bike movement joins forces with others to remake our communities and retake our streets so that its safe, affordable, and enjoyable for everyone to bike, walk, rolll, and use transit.

How should advocates seize this moment to shape the future?  We should all be stretching our comfort zones to invest in the relationships to build a multi-racial coalition for safe, affordable, and sustainable transportation.

What was a recent moment of bike joy in your work?  On a Saturday in early December, we held a Bike Festival for youth following four weeks of teaching bike safety skills to fifth graders at Eastway Elementary in Durham. The turnout was estupendo, and the highlight was when the school counselor got on a bike for the first time since she was a girl.

Thanks to all our volunteers, contractors, Board members, member donors, and supporters. This recognition belongs to all of us.

Below you will find video (credit to Arleigh Greenwald, @DurhamStreets) and print recaps of our 2021 accomplishments.

This award includes the Jon Graff Prize for Advancing Safe Cycling - a donation of $1,000 to our organization.

Our In-Person Presentation to the DPS Board of Education

Last Thursday, February 10th, I had the privilege of presenting an update on our Safe Routes to School program to the members of the Durham Public Schools (DPS) Board of Education.  And we were able to be there in-person!  This was a great opportunity to tell the story of the outstanding reception that we’ve been getting to our work in the schools and to share our plans for deepening our impact in the future.

You can watch the video of the presentation here (it should be set to start at the 2:14:40 mark).  The presentation is 15 minutes long and remarks from the Board members are another 12 minutes.  You can also view the slides independently here.

We have been developing and delivering Safe Routes to School programming under contract with the City of Durham since March of 2021.  Our work is shaped in part through bi-weekly video calls with Dale McKeel of the City’s Transportation Department and Mathew Palmer, DPS’s Executive Director of School Planning, Design and Construction where we discuss our plans and get support and advice from Dale and Mathew.  This opportunity came about through discussion of our desire to deepen the relationship we have, not just with leaders at individual elementary schools, but with district-level leaders.  We are scheduled to make a similar presentation to the Durham City Council on March 24th. 

We are seeking additional Bicycle Safety Educators  

If you are interested in working with the Safe Routes to School team teaching bicycle safety skills to 4th or 5th grade students, please see the job description here.  

Black History Month Slide Deck for Elementary School Students

Stephen Mullaney of our Safe Routes to School Team, and a DPS outdoor learning specialist put together a slide deck for Black History month that highlights Black individuals on bikes from historic figures across the country to current day here in Durham.  This has been shared with all Durham elementary schools.  You can view it yourself here.

May 4th is Bike and Roll to School Day

Every May is Bike Month, and this year the national Bike and Roll to School Day is May 4th. Last October, more than 5,000 students at thirteen DPS elementary schools participated in Walk and Roll to School events. We want this May to be even bigger! We will be supporting administrators, teachers, and parents with planning activities for this May. More details to come. If you’d like to discuss ideas for your school now, please email us at saferoutes@bikedurham.org.

Photo from October 2021 Walk and Bike to School Day at Eastway Elementary

A Great Start to 2022!

We had a great kick-off event last Sunday, February 6th.  There was a great turnout for both the ride and our program where we recapped our 2021 accomplishments and shared our plans for 2022 (see below or download here).  We were sorry that we had to reschedule and change locations - we know that made it impossible for some to attend, but the weather was sunny and Locopops was a great host. (Note: 10% of February sales at Locopops will be shared between us, American Dance Festival, Meals on Wheels of Durham, and Club Boulevard Elementary PTA.)

Take a look at our work plan for 2022 below and get involved!

There are several ways that you can get involved with our work in the coming year:

1. Engage with our action alerts through email or social media (@bikedurham).

2. Volunteer at one of our events or on with a committee

3. Join the Board.  We are looking for additional board members, particularly those with experience in finance, HR, fundraising, and non-profit governance.  If you are interested, please email director@bikedurham.org to learn more.

4. Make a donation.  More than half of our budget comes from individual contributions.

Summary of Bike Durham Plans for 2022