TITLE: Title
An Update on Carrboro’s Bicycle Friendly ‘Path to Gold’ Efforts, and Bike Month 2016 Activities
PURPOSE: The purpose of this agenda item is for the Board of Aldermen to receive an update on the Town’s efforts to achieve a Bicycle Friendly Community Gold-Level status, and a list of local Bike Month 2016 activities.
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DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT INFORMATION: Bergen Watterson, 919-918-7329
INFORMATION:
‘Path to Gold’ Efforts:
The Town of Carrboro received a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) for the second time in November 2014. In March 2015 the Board of Aldermen accepted the designation and resolved <https://carrboro.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=M&ID=386353&GUID=86213CC7-7A2B-4AD3-B81E-1DAD84E73E74> to pursue Gold-level status by 2018.
A report card received from the LAB (Attachment A) in response to the Town’s 2014 Bicycle Friendly Community application noted some specific areas where Carrboro will need to improve in order to achieve Gold-level status:
• Public education outreach
• Percent of schools offering bicycling education
• Bike Month and Bike to Work events
• Bicycle-friendly laws & ordinances
• Expand the on- and off-road bike network and increase network connectivity to parts of town that are cut off by barriers
• Develop a system of bicycle boulevards
• Make intersections safer and more comfortable for cyclists
• Increase amount of high quality bicycle parking throughout the community
• Expand Safe Routes to School program
• Offer a greater variety of bicycling skills training for adults
• Offer more family-oriented community or social rides
• Establish formal communication channel between Carrboro Police Dept. and cycling community. Ask officers to step up enforcement of motorist and cyclist infractions.
• Update bike plan and establish dedicated funding source for implementation.
A representative from the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition made a presentation to the Board of Aldermen in September 2015 that consisted of suggestions for achieving Gold-level status. These suggestions were based on the LAB report card as well as the CBC’s own ideas for how to improve bicycle-friendliness in Town. Staff has been working internally and with the CBC and the Transportation Advisory Board on various efforts and programs that address most of these items. More information will be shared at the meeting.
Bike Month 2016:
May is Bike Month. As always, there are dozens of events throughout the Triangle region to celebrate and promote bicycling as a commute option, for exercise, for fun, and for infinite other reasons. Carrboro and Chapel Hill host a handful of local events, which are listed below:
1. May 4-UNC Gearing up for Bike Month, 11am-1pm, Berryhill Hall Courtyard
2. May 4-Walk and Bike to School Day
3. May 6-Chapel Hill/Carrboro Family Friendly Bike Parade: 7pm depart 140 West on Franklin St. and ride towards Carrboro Town Hall, return on Weaver/Rosemary.
4. May 7-Bikeability event, 9am-noon, Chapel Hill Fire Station #4
5. May 17-Carrboro Bike Breakfast, 7am-10am, Roberson St. entrance to the Libba Cotten Bikeway
6. May 18-Chapel Hill/Carrboro Ride of Silence, 7pm, leaves from Old Post Office on Franklin/Henderson St., 7 miles
For the full calendar of regional Bike Month events, please see (events may not be visible until mid-April): <http://www.gosmartnc.org/gobike>
FISCAL & STAFF IMPACT: There is no fiscal impact associated with receiving this report. Significant staff time will be needed to implement the LAB’s recommendations for achieving gold-status. The fiscal impact associated with project implementation related to gold-status is dependent on the specific actions taken.
RECOMMENDATION:r Town staff recommends that the Board of Aldermen receive the presentation and approve the resolution.