Call

Blog

Law
02

Blog

Some Great Clubs in NC (and a Vacuum)

A few nights ago I/Ann was the speaker for the Boone Area Cyclists’ annual meeting. It was amazing! But I knew that about the club before I went there. One of the things that is so impressive about the Boone Area Cyclists is that they seem to have equally enthusiastic contingents of commuters, roadies and mountain bikers. (And definitely some cross racers, as I learned after the meeting). They did a pretty good job of filling the auditorium at Watauga Medical Center, on a cold evening with snow and ice still on the roads. For a town of 15,000 permanent residents, that was no small feat.

20150224_181357

The club conducted its business before I got up to speak and it was clear to me how active this group is – from building trails and negotiating with the county for new ones, to running youth and collegiate development teams. It seemed like everyone at the meeting had a project or activity they were working on.

20150224_191849

I’ve been to other groups like this – the Blue Ridge Cyclists come to mind, as well as the Carolina Tarwheels in Hillsborough and the Cape Fear Cyclists in the Southeastern part of the state. Each is a little different, but they all have some things in common – they are consistent, active and have been around a long time. All representing fairly small constituencies, yet all growing bicycling in their areas. It got me thinking – why is it that some communities are so successful in forming and maintaining these groups, while others see repeated efforts die slow and painful deaths?

Since I live in Charlotte, I can’t help but think of our city as an example. For years, the Charlotte Area Bicycle Alliance dominated the advocacy front. But there were problems, including very little communication with the public, so that donors and potential members asked, why am I putting my money into this group? What is it even doing? And as technology and social media advanced, the silence became louder and louder. Interest dwindled, was reignited, dwindled again and the group all but fell apart. Was it lack of leadership? Lack of community interest? Lack of funds? Why can’t a city of 800,000 people come up with enough enthusiasm to generate the type of work the Boone Area Cyclists is accomplishing?

Some of those questions will soon be answered. Recognizing that bicycling makes communities better, the Knight Foundation recently committed $600,000.00 to bicycling in Charlotte. And the Foundation began implementing a plan methodically and professionally, by holding a series of meetings of bicyclists and bicycle and business community leaders to gather information. At those meetings, people from all walks of cycling and the business community showed up and we learned that community interest is not a problem. And thanks to the Foundation, there will be money to get started. Based on our ideas, the Foundation will put together goals and a mission statement and get to work.

Another answer is that there are groups in Charlotte getting things done. There are many groups, as a matter of fact. The Tarheel Trailblazers and Dirt Divas meet every month, help run races, build trails and do other community work. The Charlotte Trips for Kids affiliate is very active. Pam Murray, Charlotte Spokes People, and affiliates are organizing rides and events and bringing cycling and commuting to everyone. Team Reeb is a club organized on the concept that a Sunday road ride should be run and accessible for everyone from beginners to racers and that everyone should come together for a beer at the end. Charlotte B Cycle organizes fun community cycling events. Nearby, Mooresville Area Cyclists leader Kevin Elder is doing enough organizing and communicating for 10 people. Transportation Choices Alliance is looking at bicycling under the broader umbrella of general transportation choices. And, of course, Jeff Viscount, www.weeklyrides.com founder, keeps us all informed of everything. There are more: including our own new Uptown Cycles-Bike Law women’s only team under the umbrella of 36th Street Racing. And many more…

This year Charlotte is hosting North Carolina’s annual bike summit. Community leaders are coming together to organize and support this event.

So Charlotte has a lot of bicycle activity going on. What we’re lacking here, and what other communities like Boone has, or, to look outside North Carolina — Charleston, New Orleans, Toronto, Washington D.C.Lansing, and Tempe, to name only a few examples, have — is an ongoing united voice. Looking at these other groups, they seem to contain common ingredients that lead to such unity: strong leadership, well-defined goals and a plan with measureable benchmarks, strong communication skills and an active base.

Although some of us want to ride to work and to get groceries, some want to ride trails from gnarly single track to leisurely greenways and some want to ride very fast on the road (and some of us want to do all of the above), we all share a love of riding our bikes. And on important issues that affect us all, we should find a way to speak as one. I am hopeful that Charlotte will get it right.

Comments

Charlie Thomas Nov 08, 2024

A gap in Texas law is allowing some drivers who hit people in crosswalks to get off scot-free, despite recently passed legislation meant to address the issue. It’s called the Lisa Torry Smith Act and was passed in 2021. This law requires drivers to “stop and yield” to pedestrians, bicyclists, and anyone else legally using […]

Read More
Bike lawyer rides her bike in Charlotte, NC
Ann Groninger Jun 21, 2024

Bike Law lawyer hassled by a driver for riding in the lane. Why, because she was trying to take a left turn!

Read More
E-BIKE LAWS. ARE THEY LEGAL?
Ann Groninger Apr 04, 2024

Love them or hate them, e-bikes continue to rise in popularity. At the same time, lawmakers struggle to keep up with the developing technologies. Every week I get multiple inquiries from people trying to navigate North Carolina’s e-bike laws. If you’re confused, you’re not alone.  We could easily fill a book with all the latest […]

Read More
Ann Groninger Jan 04, 2024

Many of our cycling clients find themselves having to interact with the criminal justice system. Typically, it’s because the driver who hits them (or their family member) is charged with a crime or traffic offense. Occasionally bicyclists themselves are charged with traffic offenses! Every state’s criminal laws are different, but there is a lot of […]

Read More
Bike Crash Road Defect Georgia
Peter Wilborn Jun 14, 2023

We recently shared the story of a trial victory from the State of Texas where a bicyclist was injured due to a defect in a road maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation. Texas Road Defect   We now can tell the story of another huge win in a road defect case, this time from […]

Read More
Road defect dangerous to cyclists
Charlie Thomas Mar 14, 2023

Recently, attorneys with the Bike Law network took a case to a trial against a titan of a defendant: the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT was represented by the Attorney General’s Office, one of Texas’ largest legal teams. We had a great client, but it was a tough case to prove. So tough, in fact, […]

Read More
bike path charlotte
Ann Groninger Jan 13, 2023

  2023 got off to a rough start for Charlotte, North Carolina, particularly in the context of road safety. Within about a week, we lost a young woman who was riding her bicycle, a pedestrian killed in the same area of town, and four people were killed in a car wreck on I-85 in the […]

Read More
North Carolina Bike Crash
Ann Groninger Dec 06, 2022

Unless you’re a very recent follower of ours, you’ve heard us talk before about “contributory negligence.” To recap: “pure contributory negligence” is the law in North Carolina and only 3 other states (Alabama, Virginia, Maryland). In pure contributory negligence states, if a person is injured by someone else’s fault and the injured person contributes even […]

Read More
Is It Illegal to Ride Your Bike on the Sidewalk bikelaw
Peter Wilborn Aug 01, 2022

The laws dictating whether you can ride your bike on the sidewalk differ depending where you live. Different states have different laws on this matter, and local ordinances also vary. Let’s take a look at the legal framework behind various state laws related to cycling on sidewalks. The laws of sidewalk-riding can be very complicated […]

Read More
Load More