As Charlotte continues to grow and roads become more congested, alternate modes of transportation such as light rail, buses, walking, and biking become more appealing. Biking to work, school or the store is better for your health and the environment — not to mention getting a more scenic view of the Queen City.
About ‘Rock The Ride’ Fridays
Charlotte Center City Partners and Historic South End invite residents to embrace biking through their Ditch the Drive, Rock the Ride campaign, hosting “Rock the Ride” Fridays on May 11, 18 and 25 in partnership with Charlotte B-cycle, a public bike sharing system, Queen City Bicycles shop and The Unknown Brewing Company.
The festivities kick off in the mornings with Free Wheelin’ Fridays. Start your commute at Owen’s Bagel at 2041 South Blvd. for breakfast at 7 a.m. and then ride as a group to work in uptown Charlotte at 8:15 a.m.
The adventure continues after work with Bike Commuter Happy Hours from 5-7 p.m. Drop by Charlotte Trolley Powerhouse Studio at 1507 Camden Road (which is accessible via the Charlotte Rail Trail) to sip a brew, listen to live music and participate in contests for a chance to win prizes.
Those seeking a workout can take part in the Booty & Beer Ride with Unknown Cycling at 6:15 p.m. Rides depart from the brewery at 1327 South Mint St. and continue along the Booty Loop in Myers Park in preparation for the 24 Foundation’s major cancer fundraiser in July.
Protected bike lanes uptown under consideration
Charlotte is considering adding infrastructure including protected bike lanes in uptown. One identified lane by the Uptown Connects study currently in design is a lane on Fifth and Sixth streets, which the public tried out last fall during a demo. The goal is to provide cyclists an exclusive lane to ride protected from vehicular traffic to make the streets more people-centric.
In other cities, benefits of bike lanes have included safer conditions and fewer crashes for all road users—drivers, pedestrians and cyclists alike—as well as increased retail sales along the lanes. Previous studies have also shown protected bike lanes have little to no effect on automobile traffic or travel time. Additionally, Millennials strongly prefer to live in cities where they do not need to rely on a car for transportation. In fact, a study found 46 percent of people ages 18-35 in Charlotte, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis strongly agreed that they would like to live in a place where they did not need to rely on a car.
For more information about the campaign and its events, visit www.rocktherideCLT.com.
