Wilmington? Not so far from Charleston..

observers tell us these sharrows are everywhere in our (almost) immediate neighbor to the north!

Chapel Street "Bike Guides" flood in..

Avoiding "Dooring."  Why modifications to the Chapel Street Bike lanes will be needed...

ASHLEY RIVER CROSSING PETITION - from Charleston Moves

Organizations are welcome to download this document for the purposes of voting support for re-dedicating a single traffic lane over the Ashley River for use by people on foot and on bicycles.
When such a vote is carried out, please send an e-mail to Charleston Moves notifying us that your decision is a matter of record giving us instructions on how to obtain a signed copy of your vote.
In Support of Ashley Bike/Ped-Ped Lane

StreetFilms Latest:

THE GROWING RECOGNITION OF THE PLACE OF THE BICYCLE 
(Who's leading....who's playing catchup....who's hardly in the game??)

Another half-mile rented!

A BIG thank you to our newest renter, David Brodsky, for becoming the owners of a half-mile along the Battery2Beach Route! Now only 26 spots remain in our hopes of renting the entire path.

 Here's how you can join in and become a renter on the Battery2Beach route:

What's your type of bike?

Beach Cruiser $100.00 Ten Speed $400.00 Fat Tire $800.00

Renters Name for Listing

 

City Paper: On the Case!

Just posted today (2/21) online....

Cycling commuters react  

to new bike lanes 

The view from the bike seat

by Greg Hambrick

Dan Kelley, who rides through the Mazyck-Wraggborough neighborhood on the way to his Mt. Pleasant office, isn't just excited about the new bike lanes on Chapel Street — he's looking forward to what it could mean for nearby routes like Alexander and America streets. "The good thing about setting a precedent is that a lot can happen quickly afterward," he says.

If the city of Charleston's most recent plans to make the Holy City a more bike-friendly burg succeed, Kelley, an organizer for the Holy City Bike Co-Op, won't be the only cyclist in town feeling like he just got lucky. City leaders have made it clear that the new bike lane on Chapel Street is only the first in a series of bike routes that could soon snake their way across the peninsula and, they hope, over the Ashley River.

City Paper reached out to several Charleston two-wheeled commuters, most of whom use the Chapel Street route, to get their take on the city's new bike-friendly push.

In the past, Richard Moss says he has put the mirror on his helmet to good use in order to avoid cars on his ride down Chapel Street. "Now, I'll be able to just settle into the bike lane," he says. But Moss and other cyclists note that the lanes are still narrow and they'll be weary of parked cars and the stray doors that swing open in front of cyclists. Moss says other worthy improvements would include leveling out the sidewalk/bike path on East Bay Street and installing bike-sensitive traffic sensors at intersections.

While Chapel Street has new "share the road" signs, cyclist Cory Furse says the city could use more "shared lane" signs on other streets without bike lanes, reminding motorists that the road is for both cars and bikes. "In the opinion of some motorists, the creation of bicycle lanes is confirmation of their belief that bicycles do not belong on other avenues," Furse says. "Shared lanes, with symbols in the middle of the traffic lane, help to educate people."

Shawn Leberknight says he doesn't commute on his bike much now, but a city proposal to resurface Morrison Drive and add some bike lanes will improve the trip when he does. "The biggest reason why many people see commuting by bicycle as 'crazy' is because they fear being on the road next to vehicles with drivers who honk and intimidate them," Leberknight says. "I have my fair share of horror stories." He says bike lanes can help protect cyclists, but more education is needed so drivers understand what it means to share the road.

One theme we heard from a few cyclists was that bike path issues don't end at the city boundaries. Ned Hettinger cycles from Sullivan's Island to the peninsula a couple times a week. "The scary parts are the Shem Creek bridge and the quarter mile before the Cooper River bridge," he says. In both instances, Hettinger has to ride out into traffic. "I'd really like painted signs in the road indicating that it is permissible for me to be there," he says, noting he has a mirror and two safety signs on the bike of his ride. "I seriously don't want to get hit."

Tags: Bikes, Transportation, Environment, City Hall

Guiding City Bikers Safely

(editorial in Charleston's Post & Courier, Friday, Feb. 18, 2011)

With just some white paint and some manpower, the city made Charleston bicyclists a little safer. And in doing so, it might inspire more people to try biking and motorists to feel less anxiety about sharing the road with them.

The $5,000 project adds bike guides (three-foot-wide lanes) on Chapel and John streets in the Garden District of the peninsula.

It also serves as a reminder of how important it is for the city and other local governments to move forward on larger projects that would allow bikers to commute to the peninsula from West Ashley and to pedal from the Isle of Palms to Folly Beach safely. Making it possible to bike from Charleston to North Charleston is also key.

Chapel and John streets were chosen because they are wide enough to accommodate the guides, and also because the immensely popular East Bay Street bike and pedestrian path to the Ravenel bridge begins at Chapel.

And while the bike guides are only a tiny part of what the area needs in order to become truly bike friendly, they indicate a welcome willingness on the part of the city and its citizens to move in that direction.

And they could bring more happy consequences like calming vehicular traffic.

City Council member Mike Seekings, who is an advocate for better bikeways, also credits the city police with making a difference by enforcing traffic and biking laws.

Mr. Seekings fears for the safety of visitors from more bike-friendly cities who try to ride in Charleston as they would at home. The more both drivers and bikers learn how to share the roads, the better for residents and for tourists.

And the more people choose bikes over cars, the more healthy the population, the cleaner the air and the less congested our city streets.

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Charleston Moves appreciates this editorial stance!  

We're working for more and better bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.  See also (FACEBOOK) Ashley-Crossing-Coalition

28 spots left along the Battery2Beach Route!

A huge thank you to Peter and Cappie Wilborn for their generous donation to Charleston Moves. They are the newest renters of a mile along the route.

Thanks to everyone who has made this initivate so successful. We're lucky to be surrounded by folks in Charleston who care about cycling.

You still have the opportunity to rent your portion of the route today.

Here's how:

What's your type of bike?

Beach Cruiser $100.00 Ten Speed $400.00 Fat Tire $800.00

Renters Name for Listing

Bike "Guide Markings" for Charleston's Chapel Street

The City of Charleston, SC, named a "Bicycle-Friendly City" by the League of American Bicyclists last year (at the bronze level) got its first downtown bike lanes today. But the City's Traffic and Transportation Department chose to call the lanes Bicycle "Guide Markings" because they don't meet some width guidelines. The lanes are three feet wide and will stretch all the way from East Bay Street, transitioning to John Street to make the connection with King Street, where bicycle traffic is quite heavy.

Nevertheless, it was a cause for some jubilation among forward-thinking folks in the city, and certainly welcome news for the burgeoning number of people opting to travel, at least some of the time, by bicycle.

Mayor Riley himself made the announcement at Chapel Street Fountain Park, even though workmen not far from him were actually painting the stripes. He hailed it as a major advance for the city and hinted at more to come. He specifically mentioned his plan to rededicate one of four northbound lanes on the Legare Bridge over the Ashley River to pedestrians and bicyclists. (That lane even now is used principally as one of two turn lanes leading to southbound Lockwood Boulevard.)

Charleston Moves congratulates the City of Charleston for taking this step. Director Tom Bradford, speaking at the occasion, said he hoped this was the first in many steps toward creating a true grid suitable for use by people on bicycles. He has in the past said the city must work quickly to expand this network of lanes, not as an "amenity" for bicyclists, but as a educational and safety tool necessary for keeping everyone using city streets safe.

Bike lane for Chapel Street in Charleston: Announcement Today!

OK!  We're getting a bike lane in Charleston!  Show your support!

City of Charleston South Carolina

Press Conference: Bike Guide Markings on Chapel and John Streets 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 15, 2011 Chapel Street Fountain

Please join Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. at a press conference announcing new bicycle guide markings on Chapel and John Streets. The markings will be adjacent to the parking lanes. The announcement will be made at 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at the Chapel Street fountain (the triangle) .

In an effort to continue to promote bicycle activities in the City of Charleston, the City’s Department of Traffic and Transportation will implement new bicycle guide markings along Chapel Street and John Street in downtown Charleston on or about February 15th and be completed by March of this year. The Garden District will be the first neighborhood in downtown Charleston to receive the bicycle guide markings.

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CHARLESTON MOVES is really psyched about this..  We'll call it a first step and hope that the City is able to move quickly to extend the network of streets with bike lanes and/or sharrows!

Says It All...

forwarded by Lenny Greene

One New Beach Cruiser!

A BIG thank you to our newest renters, Sherry and Sonny Ray for becoming the owners of a quarter-mile along the Battery2Beach Route! Now only 32 spots remain in our hopes of renting the entire path.

Here's how you can join in and become a renter on the Battery2Beach route:

What's your type of bike?

Beach Cruiser $100.00 Ten Speed $400.00 Fat Tire $800.00

Renters Name for Listing

Ashley Crossing Coalition!!

Here's the latest on the now-urgent matter of how we can achieve connectivity over the Ashley River in Charleston for people on foot or on bicycles.

The Post and Courier today (Sunday) published a great editorial supporting the idea of taking one of the four lanes on the Legare Bridge over the Ashley.

You can read it by clicking here.

Not only that, but the folks in favor of this plan outnumbered those opposed in a brief poll conducted by the Post and Courier. You can see the results by clicking here.

In the meantime, we're swinging into action to form a coalition to support taking a lane over the Ashley for Bike/ped. It's crucial to everything we're doing: the Battery2Beach Route, the West Ashley Greenway, The East Coast Greenway. You name a bike/ped concern (including the Sabbath-keeping of our Orthodox Jewish community) in Charleston and it's directly affected by this.

We have to win. And we've already started contacting multiple organizations to discuss cooperating with them. We need your input on who should be on the list.

Watch this space. We'll soon launch a Facebook page. It can be the central repository of information about who's committed, what we're doing, a place to sign up, a place to sign a petition, join a team, list your employer.

Don't hesitate to drop me a line at info@charlestonmoves.org with suggestions on the Facebook page or any aspect of this campaign.

Support Cyclist in Accident on King Street

Charleston Moves onpasses this note sent out to the Charleston cycling community. We have no further information on this event at the time we posted this entry but will post anything else we get when we get it.
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The cousin of a friend of mine was struck by a car last night on King St. where it intersects with Spring. The incident was pretty bad but he is okay with a broken leg and a damaged knee. In a true measure of class the apparently inebriated driver tried to drag him out of the way so he could flee. Fortunately there was a Charleston City police officer there who saw the whole thing and stopped the guy.
I write this because the cyclist, Sam Danner, is from Greer, where he and his family are avid cyclists, but he is relatively new in town. I would like to give the Charleston Cycling community a chance to show their support for any cyclist hit on our streets. I'm sure he would love to hear from all of us wishing him a speedy recovery, and I'm sure his family would love to know that the community in Charleston is looking out for there son.

Here is his email:
samdanner@gmail.com

HERE'S THE NOTE WE GOT FROM SAM:

Thanks for the kind words and positive thoughts! It's been incredibly inspiring to receive all the supportive comments coming in from Charleston's cycling community and to know there is such a caring group of people here.

Got banged up pretty good in the accident and unfortunately will require surgery to help recover some broken leg bones and knee damage. Police, medical staff and the cycling community have all been supportive throughout the incident and I can't stress enough how much that means to me. I've been in a few crashes in my time, but it was a terrifying experience to be blindsided by a car and good to know there is strong community here willing to offer any help they can in the recovery process. Being fairly new to Charleston I haven't been able to get involved yet in the cycling community as much as I'd like, but I'm glad to know more about Chalreston Moves after spending some time on the site and excited to get recovered and get involved.

Thanks again for reaching out Tom,
Sam

Thanks All,

Be Safe

David Dawson

Make bikes a transportation option

..the following is an editorial in today's Post and Courier...

The latest setback in our hope to find a safe way for people on foot or on two wheels to cross the Ashley River should not break anyone's resolve to find a solution.

There is an increasing number of cyclists in the Lowcountry just as there is throughout the world. But there is another number, a huge, hidden one: The number of people who would use their bikes or walk for short trips but who are afraid to do so.

There are other important numbers:

--The number of people who don't have cars.

--The number who own cars but want to reduce the amount of gasoline they use.

--The number who would prefer to pedal or walk to work instead of driving.

--The kids who might ride or walk to school.

--The families who would ride or walk around their neighborhoods for the sheer enjoyment and togetherness.

--People who can't use cars on the Sabbath as a matter of their religious belief.

In fact, there are very few among us who have never ridden a bike. Many of us would ride a bike for transportation or pleasure. Many of us understand that the ability to walk or ride a bicycle improves our neighborhoods and our way of life.

Mayor Joe Riley is obliged to keep the pressure on to find a way for people on foot and people on bicycles to cross the Ashley River. He understands what it means to our communities. He also understands that it's critical to the region's competitiveness and economic standing.

He's aware that our neighbor to the north, Greenville, has made great strides in this area, rapidly becoming world-class in opening its streets to more than just cars, in constructing the Swamp Rabbit Trail that links the city with the town of Travelers Rest.

He's aware that many businesses looking for new venues take these things into account, as do people considering jobs with employers like MUSC, Roper-St. Francis, Boeing and its many subcontractors.

It's not just about recreation. It's about transportation choices that can make the greater area Charleston a healthier, happier, more competitive place to live and do business.

Tom Bradford
Director
Charleston Moves
State Street
Charleston

(to read it on the Post and Courier web site click here)