cycling and walking - City of Winston

MAY 2011 2016
SEPTEMBER
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
Bike Month in Winston-Salem
The April showers that stayed around for May might
have affected participation levels but not the interest
and enthusiasm for bicycling in Winston-Salem. Piedmont Flyers Bike Club, Clemmons Bike Shop and the
Winston-Salem Community Bike Ride offered cyclists of
all ages and abilities the opportunity to ride with others.
Employees from Forsyth County and Innovation Quarter
enjoyed two different rides.
The Village of Clemmons sponsored a Pedal & Metal
event on May 21st at Morgan Elementary School with
a variety of events, including bike checks, helmet fittings, and bike rides. Participants could also check out
a variety of large vehicles from heavy-duty trucks to an
ambulance.
Two bike-related films, sponsored by the city at
a/perture cinema, drew enthusiastic audiences. Capping off the month were national bike races: Volkswagen USA Cycling Road National Championships and
the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic. While the races
Parent looks on as her child is fitted with a bike helmet.
were held in various venues in the area, the downtown
races attracted large crowds of spectators. The city also
received rave reviews from bike racers and their supporters. Stay tuned for information about Bike Month
2017. Dedicated cyclist, Matthew Hart, worked with
the Winston-Salem DOT and the Winston-Salem Police
Department to host the Ride of Silence on May 18th to
honor those who have been injured or killed while cycling. Cyclists pedaled in silence through a 6-mile route
around downtown and the near west side. The Ride of
Silence is a worldwide movement with rides scheduled
in cities around the globe on May 18th.
Cyclists mill around Innovation Quarter prior to the start
of their ride.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
2
Walk & Roll Winston-Salem—Sunday, May 1
Walk & Roll Winston-Salem 2016 kicked off Bike
Month on Sunday, May 1st. Fortunately, the rain
stopped around 11 AM in time for exhibitors and
vendors to set up for the event. The gray skies, which
eventually gave way to sun, kept the temperature more
comfortable. Several hundred people of all ages walked,
biked or skated during the event from 1-4 PM.
Safe Kids Day was also part of the event with Ken’s
Bike Shop and Cycle Your City Bike Shop checking out
bikes and pumping up tires. Safe Kids Northwest North
Carolina and Brenner Children’s Hospital organized bike
helmet fittings, giving away 67 bike helmets to children
who didn’t have them. Helmets were provided by Active
Routes to School and Joshua’s Friends Foundation. The
The Trike & Bike Parade drew all ages.
Winston-Salem Bike Patrol ran a bike rodeo to teach
children how to ride safely. Each child who completed
the course received bike lights that officers installed on
the bikes.
Kona Ice, Gunny Smitty’s Hotdogs and Juicy Bird
kept participants fed and well hydrated while all enjoyed performances from the Downtown School’s West
African Drumming Corps, the D-Unity Dance Team from
Konnoak Elementary, and Whitaker Elementary’s Wheel
Power & Company with students on unicycles and
pogo hoppers.
A member of The Adaptables educates children about disabilities.
Thanks to the many community agencies who provided exhibits and special activities for all: Children’s
Museum, Omega Sports, the Adaptables, Wake Forest School of Medicine, SciWorks, Novant Health and
Gateway Nature Center. Special thanks to Primo Water
for providing a tent with large water containers so participants could refill their own water bottles. Piedmont
Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) had a small
bus on display so participants could practice loading
and unloading their bikes from the rack on front of the
bus. Winston-Salem Cycling Advocacy Network (WS
CAN) hosted the bike valet area at the event.
All in all it was an enjoyable event. Participants
expressed appreciation and look forward to next year’s
Walk & Roll event.
Participants line up at Kona Ice Truck.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
Bridge Repair
in Progress
Salem Creek Greenway Detour
3
Reynolds Park
Golf Course
Reynolds Park
Golf Course
Salem Creek Greenway detour route.
Section of Salem Creek Greenway closed
because of construction to the bridge.
Construction affecting Salem Creek
and Muddy Creek Greenways
Muddy Creek Greenway—Work on the new Jamison Park off Meadowlark Drive beside the Meadowlark Schools
has closed that area to parking for people using the greenway. However, the school system has agreed to allow greenway users to park in the gravel area at Jefferson Elementary School’s parking adjacent to the school’s greenway connection. Signs point you in that direction.
Salem Creek Greenway—The current detour (that requires riding up Salem Avenue and through the WinstonSalem State University campus) is scheduled to go away this fall, opening up that closed section of the greenway. You’ll
see some improvements under the US 52 bridge to better accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. However, work is
starting this summer on two bridges on Reynolds Park Road, which will affect the greenway. The planned detour is
shorter and less disruptive to greenway users. The map above shows the location of the detour for cyclists and pedestrians using the greenway during the bridge repairs.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
Bike to School Day at
Sherwood Forest
With a light rain falling close
to the meeting time for Bike
to School Day, parent organizer Sean Barb expected only
a couple of student cyclists to
show up for the 4th annual Bike
to School Day at Sherwood Forest Elementary School on Friday,
May 13th. Amazingly, approximately 24 students turned out
for the event and were joined by 6-7 adults. Some of the adults were
on bikes while others walked. As usual, the students were excited and
thoroughly enjoyed biking with their friends—rain or not.
4
Matthew Burczyk
honored by
Sierra Club
City Bicycle &
Pedestrian Coordinator Matthew Burczyk was honored
by the Foothills
Group of the Sierra
Club for his work to
improve conditions for walking and biking in Winston-Salem. Matthew had been
invited as a guest speaker for the group’s
monthly meeting on June 16th at the
Single Brothers House in Old Salem.
Project Updates
Clemmons
• Sidewalk project along US 158 is undergoing environmental engineering.
• Sidewalk project on Middlebrook Drive is ready to go out for bids.
• Wide shoulders are planned for the Idols Road extension.
Winston-Salem
• Innovation Quarter Rail Trail—work is well underway on the southern
portion of this trail, which will run parallel to Research Parkway from
Martin Luther King Drive on the north to Rams Drive on the south. A
10-foot paved path adjacent to the Salem Creek Connector will link
the rail trail with Salem Creek Greenway.
Construction of the Salem Creek Connector,
which has closed parts of the Salem Creek
Greenway for two years, is nearing
completion.
• Polo Road bike lane and sidewalk roadway project is under construction with completion estimated for Spring 2017.
• The Waughtown Greenway is under construction and will provide a
connection to the new Quarry Park from the Salem Creek Greenway
• Muddy Creek Greenway Connections—Work is underway for the
connection at Cedar Trail to connect neighborhoods to the greenway
from the west side of Muddy Creek.
Grading work continues for the Cedar Trail
connection to Muddy Creek.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
5
BikeWalk NC will host 5th Annual NC Bike Summit
BikeWalk NC will be hosting the 5th Annual NC Bike
Summit in Asheville, NC from September 16-17, 2016.
For the past five years, the Bike Summit has brought
together a variety of individuals passionate about issues
affecting the cycling communities in the Southeast,
including business owners, elected officials, planners,
engineers, and community advocates, to foster collaboration between the various bicycling movements occurring throughout North Carolina.
The theme for the 2016 Bike Summit, “Pedaling Towards Economic Development,” will include numerous
presentations on related topics such as fundraising strategies for bicycling, ways to improve bicycling advocacy,
and the economic benefits of bicycling.
The NC Bike Summit seeks to bring together a diverse
crowd of bicycling enthusiasts to share knowledge and
experience, so there is sure to be something that appeals to everyone who enjoys bicycling. Http://www.
bikewalknc.org/nc-bicycle-summit/
Cardinal Hotel offers bikes to guests
The new Kimpton Cardinal
Hotel, which opened in downtown Winston-Salem in May, gives
new life to the former Reynolds
Building. The hotel, on the bottom
six floors of the building, not only
offers gracious accommodations
but provides bicycles for its guests
to use, further adding to WinstonSalem’s bikeability.
Built in 1929, the 22-story
building has served as downtown
Winston-Salem’s architectural signature for 85 years, being referred
to as “the Grand Old Lady” by
Mayor Allen Joines. The building’s
architects used this project as a
model for the Empire State Building in New York City.
Kimpton Cardinal Hotel Bike is available for guests to use.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
6
October is Walk to School Month
Walking to school is a great way to get kids’ brains working and ready to
learn. If you have school-age children, consider walking with them to school.
If you live too far to walk from home, park at a location off-campus but near
the school and walk from there.
If you don’t have school-age children, consider volunteering to help
lead a group of children on their walk to
school, what is called a Walking School
Bus. Kimberley Park Elementary is planning a Walking School Bus during the
month of October, only in the mornings.
We’re hoping the one or two other schools
will also participate. Students walk every
morning but leaders can choose the days
and frequency for their participation.
If you’re interested in volunteering,
contact Judi Wallace, Safe Routes to School
Coordinator at [email protected] or
336.768.3339.
Linking trails along the
East Coast
Cyclists riding on greenway in fall
The East Coast Greenway Alliance has been working since 1991 to
connect the whole geography of the Atlantic seaboard with protected
bike paths. So far, 850 miles of trail have been designated as Greenway. The project is about 31 percent complete, says Dennis MarkatosSoriano, the executive director of ECGA. By 2020, the ECGA hopes to
add another 200 miles.
As it winds down the coast, the East Coast Greenway passes
through 450 communities in 15 states. Efficiency is not the point:
Instead of cleaving to interstate routes, the Greenway mostly follows
the rivers and old train tracks connecting the cities and towns along
the coast. “Even though a pretty small percentage of the trail’s miles
actually pass through cities, it’s still very much an urban story,” says
the Director of Greenway Development Eric Weis.
The ECGA cannot predict when the whole Greenway will be completed, but the organizers understand that a gradual approach will be
necessary to ensure the long-term success of the project.
CYCLING AND WALKING
WINSTON-SALEM’S ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWSLETTER
Cycling and Diabetes
Prevention
A recent study by Martin Rasmussen and colleagues, as
described in a recent PLOS Medicine article, examines the
impact of cycling for commuting and recreation on the risk
of developing Type 2 diabetes. In this cohort study of Danish
adults recruited between the ages of 50 and 65, those who
reported higher weekly quantities of cycling were less likely
to develop diabetes, particularly in respect to cycling to and
from work. “Cycling and Diabetes Prevention: Practice-Based
Evidence for Public Health Action”.
While sport offers one route to health benefits for those
who participate, active travel
(walking and cycling) may offer
an easier way for many people
to integrate more exercise into
their daily lives. A number of
cohort studies have demonstrated a beneficial effect of active
commuting on cardiovascular
outcomes. Even after taking
the hazards of air pollution and
injuries into account, modelling
Commuting cyclist
suggests that a population shift
parking bike
toward more active travel would
Photo Credit: Bikes Belong
bring about substantial health
gain and environmental co-benefits.
Perhaps the most interesting and original finding of the
study is that those who took up cycling after the study began also had a lower risk of developing diabetes than those
who did not. This suggests that it is not too late to gain the
benefits of taking up cycling, even in the years approaching
retirement.
7
U.S. Bike Routes:
194 new miles
approved in 4 states
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)
has approved 194 miles of new U.S. Bicycle
Routes (USBRs) in four states. These routes help
touring cyclists identify less traveled and safer
routes for their trips.
Connecticut and Massachusetts designated
USBR 7, which follows the Western New England Greenway. Two new spur routes were also
approved in Virginia (USBR 176) and Georgia
(USBR 621), and Idaho realigned a small portion of USBR 10 through Sandpoint.
North Carolina has one of the first US Bike
Routes—USBR 1—in eastern North Carolina.
The official U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS)
now encompasses 11,243 miles of routes in
twenty-four states and the District of Columbia. See details and view the National Corridor
Map to learn more.
Cyclists riding beside rail line
This newsletter
is published
This newsletter
is published
quarterlyby
bythe
theBicycle
Bicycle&&Pedestrian
Pedestrian
in the
City of Winston-Salem
Department
of
ProgramProgram
in the City
of Winston-Salem
Department
of Transportation,
Transportation,
which serves
Winston-Salem Urban Area.
which serves
the Winston-Salem
Urbanthe
Area.
Publisher:
747-6884,
[email protected]
Publisher:
MatthewMatthew
Burczyk,Burczyk,
336-747-6884,
[email protected]
Editor: Judi
Wallace,
336-768-3339,
[email protected]
Editor:
Judi Wallace,
768-3339,
[email protected]