Rolling Bike Summit Round Up

Last month I participated in the first ever South Carolina Bike Summit. The Palmetto Cycling Coalition took an innovative approach by taking the Summit across the state to Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Aiken, Blufton/Hilton Head and Charleston. Taking an opportunity to get to Spartanburg, was nice to see a part of the Upstate that I'm less familiar with. I met some new people, including a member of the PCC Board of Directors.

At the Summit, I had a chance to talk about some of the great bike-related things that have been progressing at Clemson University. The Bicycle Friendly University Program was the speaking topic, as there are several colleges near Spartanburg including Wofford College and Converse College. Clemson University has been designated a "BFU" at the Bronze Level. The program, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclist, is a way to help colleges implement bicycle-related improvements on campus. The improvements can be things like better bike racks or more bike lanes, safety campaigns or education outreach programs. The program rewards college campuses across the country with recognizing those who focus on making improvements.

Speaking at the Summit in Spartanburg

I talked about the BFU application process, and how it brought departments and offices across the University together. The 70+ question application was free to complete, but took quite a bit of research and effort to complete. Becoming a BFU is not a given, and a college has to have a proven track record. Clemson University was honored to recieve the designation on our first try at the application.

The Palmetto Cycling Coalition tracked the support, stories and events of the Rolling Bike Summit on Twitter and Instragram. Check out the hashtag #scbikesummit to review the great ways the biking community came together across the state. Thanks to the PCC for putting on the event, all the local hosts and those that came out to make the Summit a success!

Taking to Two Wheels Together

This Thanksgiving we hosted my brother and his girlfriend. I had a fun time showing off the highlights of the Upstate:  downtown Greenville, a winning Clemson Tiger football team and enjoyable bike riding. They are avid cyclists, and enjoy biking in rides across the country. They brought their bikes with them from Mississippi, and we managed to squeeze in some two-wheel time.

Taking a two-wheel tour of the Upstate

My brother and I grew up as athletes. I was older, and led the way with competing on various swimming, softball and basketball teams. He also became an accomplished athlete, and encouraging each other to succeed and bonding through our similar athletic experiences was one way that we bonded as kids. As we've gotten older, both of us have gotten into biking. Though we bike for different reasons - I enjoy commuting and am just getting into longer, recreational rides, and he's just the opposite - its brought another dimension into our relationship. Being able to take a bike ride over the holidays together was a special experience since we don't get to spend a lot of time together throughout the year.

We spent some time on the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and also took a ride to appreciate the mountains along Belle Shoals Road in Six Mile. There's nothing like riding with views of open fields and the Blue Ridge mountains during the holidays. The ride gave us time to reflect, laugh and share.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my brother and his girlfriend over the holidays. Being able to ride together was icing on the cake...or whip cream on the pumpkin pie. 

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round

Here's an interesting take on the best roundabout designs for bicyclists from the Netherlands that came through my inbox. I think this article is well worth the read as state DOT's are considering, designing, engineering and implementing roundabouts in states across the country, including in South Carolina.

In the Upstate, there are places where roundabouts have been designed with bicyclists in mind using a variety of standard practices. Here's a photo of a roundabout in Greenville, South Carolina (near Woodruff Road, on Carolina Point Parkway). There are several signs to help a variety of users navigate the facility.

SC Roundabout

 And here's another in Asheville, North Carolina with less signage, but on a neighborhood street designed for lower vehicle speeds and less traffic volume.

NC Roundabout

 Both of these try to incorporate design for bicyclists, but may fall short, according to the article.
 
Being a part of APBP (that's the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals), there's an email listserve where folks share and discuss current best (and worst) practices in design and development from across the country and in the world. Thanks to being a part of this great group, I'm able to stay tuned to discussions on best practices, and try to bring the best to South Carolina's Upstate.

If you've ridden around any roundabouts, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what worked well and what fell short.

Upstate News Update, Fall 2014

Welcome to November. I have been a bit busy lately, so please forgive the slack in posting. However, there has been and continue to be some great things happening in the Upstate as 2014 continues on. Let's get right to what's the latest in the Upstate.

SC Rolling Bike Summit. The PCC will bring folks in communities together throughout the state during the state's first bike summit. Two years ago PCC joined with Georgia Bikes to put on the Georgia-lina Bike Summit. Next week, November 17 - 21, the Summit will spend two nights in the Upstate. On Monday November 17, the Summit kickoff's in Greenville, and Tuesday November 18 the conference rolls into Spartanburg. It's open to everyone, and hope to see you out there!

The City of Spartanburg has been busy! In early October, Partners for Active Living met with the City Council to discuss the next steps in expanding trail development in the area. Of the $750,000 set aside for bicycle and pedestrian paths, $650,000 has yet to be allocated to future projects. The City has also continued working on plans for the Northside. The Northside Initiative Master Plan is a powerful project that calls for the transformation of the community. Some of the plans include taking "Nasty Branch" creek and turning it into Butterfly creek with an adjacent greenway, the reinvention of Pearl Street with bike lane installations, the better connections between the Northside, Wofford College and Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.

The City of Anderson unveiled it's master plan this past September for more bicycle and pedestrian paths. The proposed trails would connect key places in the city like Anderson University, the AnMed Health Medical Center, the AnMed Health North Campus, the  Recreation Center, the Westside Community Center and several of the city parks. This plan would be the next level of improvements and connections beyond a few existing greenways in the city. Check out these renderings and images for some great visuals for the future improvements.

Greenville County Penny Sales Tax Vote. Disappointingly, it did not pass when folks went to the polls on November 4. The referendum would have helped improve county roads, sidewalks and bike lanes across Greenville County. Getting national support from People for Bikes and The Alliance for Biking and Walking, there was a great moment for the Upstate of South Carolina to shine. However, there were a few holes, including a major one that did not exclude groceries from the sales tax, that the voters could not overlook.

I've also spent the last 6 months getting familiar with twitter. For the latest events, news stories or to join in the conversation, you can follow me at BikingintheUpstateSC. I look forward to carrying the conversation further with you! Feel free to say hello!

If there's anything else that has gone on in the Upstate that I missed or any future events, please feel free to post in the comments below.

At the Intersection of Happy & Healthy

I recently attended some training on the latest improvements in bicycle facility design with examples of various kinds of improvements and treatments from across the country. Walk Bike Columbia, an initiative that supports the state capital city bike and pedestrian plan, hosted a workshop. National experts came in to share their experiences and wisdom with a group of local, regional and state planners, engineers, landscape architects and other professionals.

One of the most interesting designs that was shared was the idea of the protected intersection.

Design for a protected intersection that's better for bicylists & pedestrians.

 Not yet found anywhere in the country, the inspiration for the facility came from similar installments from across the pond. Here is a video for a similarly designed intersection in The Netherlands. This idea blows my mind...and has me really excited to ride on one some day in the (hopefully not too distant) future. Can you imagine riding with your family on a bikeway like this? I can. *SMILE*

Let's break down the benefits of how the design works. There are improvements for bicyclists crossing the intersections. Pedestrians also keep their designated, separated place. Though the right turn for cars is not as convenient as it is in some states, like South Carolina, there is still room to react to potential conflicts. (That means that there should still be enough space and time for a car not to hit a bike or pedestrian.) It's a win for all, and huge improvement for the folks on two legs and two wheels.

Since this hasn't been installed anywhere in the country, it would be really cool if a city in South Carolina (*ahem, Greenville, cough*) stepped up to the plate. Share an intersection where you think this might work in your community in the comments below!

And don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 4, especially if you live in Greenville County. There's an important opportunity to fund bikeway improvements around the county. Get out and make your opinion heard.

The 2014 SC Bike Summit Rolls Across the State in November

Last month, the Palmetto Cycling Coalition announced the 2014 Rolling Bicycle Summit, as I shared in a previous post. From Monday, November 17 through Saturday, November 22, the PCC is bringing the statewide conference to a community close to you. There are two opportunities to get together in the Upstate. On Monday, the Summit hits Greenville from 6:30 - 9:30p, and then rolls into Spartanburg during the same time period on Tuesday. Details for each of the locations can be found here.

The summit will be a bit lighter, as its the first bike summit in South Carolina history, but a lot will be packed into the 3 hours. A few speakers will share what's going on in their community and newly trained Safe Streets Ambassadors will be introduced. If you are interested in becoming a Safe Streets Ambassador or learning more about the program, please checkout this website or contact Amy. There will also be time for networking and socializing. Attendance is free and open to the public.

I've been invited to speak at the Spartanburg Rolling Bike Summit. It'll be good to share what's been going on at Clemson University (more bikeways implemented, improvements in bike parking, several bike repair stations installed, etc.), as it'll be a brief update from the presentation I gave at the 2012 Georgia-lina Bike Summit. The early successes in building momentum are applicable to other communities, and not just those involved with higher education. It will also be great to hear what's going on in a different part of the Upstate.

Folks at the PCC are also encouraging folks to consider attending the summit at a location in a nearby, but different part of the state. This creates opportunities for some cross pollenization of ideas and the ability to meet some new people. I really look forward to meeting some new people and to learn from their challenges and successes. Being able to listen to and have conversations with others in bicycle-related professionals is a valuable way to build better bicycling communities.

Consider attending, and if you do, say hi if you're in Spartanburg. Remember it's free, open to the public and is for anyone with any level of experience or interest related to biking. Taking time to attend the summit is critical to the bicycle-friendly future of South Carolina. I look forward to seeing you in November!

Vote Yes on November 4 to Support Biking & Walking in Greenville County

If you feel like the roads in your local community have been deteriorating over the last several years, you’re not alone. Roads, bridges, sidewalks and trails across the state are in desperate need of repair and improvement.  On November 4^th, folks in Greenville County will have an opportunity to vote for improving the conditions of these kind of facilities.

A referendum to increase the Greenville County sales tax by a penny for about 8 years will be up for a vote on November 4. Local voters have an amazing opportunity to directly support the addition of 69 miles of sidewalks and trails. Through this proposal, bike lane total mileage would increase from 18.5 miles to 23 miles. The referendum would also support bringing the Swamp Rabbit Trail out to Simpsonville and Clemson University’s ICAR campus. The total investment in bicycle and pedestrian facilities would be $48M. The referendum in full text can be found here.

Momentum has been building across the county since this spring. The Greenville County Council voted in favor of the idea back in May, allowing the citizens of Greenville County to voice their opinion on the matter. Local media has come out in support of the measure. The need for such a measure comes from the lack of a long-term, dedicated, stable funding source from the state government. South Carolina roads are in terrible condition.  Mind-blowing statistics reveal how much we are hurting. And highlighting this need is has been the story for several years. 

Bike Walk Greenville has led a campaign to raise awareness about the way the referendum will positively affect bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Through their twitter account, the organization has shared the fifty four future Safe Routes to School projects that are included in the county’s sales tax referendum. Safe Route to School is a national program that creates better, safer ways that children can walk or bike to school. The program has helped improve facilities in Greenville County and in other places across the state.  Each tweet contains a short list of important information and a picture about proposed improvement to the school route. If you're interested in learning more about their efforts or want to help spread the word, consider attending their next meeting on Wednesday, October 8.

Support the increase in sales tax by a penny in the November 4 election if you are in Greenville County. Better yet, get out and vote to mark that support.