Here's a bulleted summary, part 2, of our outstanding 2024 BikeWalk North Carolina Transportation Summit, Monday, Sep. 23, at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill, NC.
John Bauters (Emeryville, CA Councilman) – “America’s Bike Mayor”: Advancing Bike/Ped Goals Through Effective Communication (click this link to view the full video of John's talk)
- “Story” is most important
- Story = more than just data, story impacts how people feel
- How you communicate impacts how people will feel & remember significance of your message/purpose
- Consult with interested parties & involve them in problem identification & planning before you take action
- Culture change, mindset change
-
Safety is the winning narrative
- Facts vs. Feelings
- Understand your audience and interact where they are at either a factual or emotional level
- Turn your vision into action
15-70-15% - left/right extremes (15%) vs. mainstream moderates (70%)
Anna Zivarts – Vision impaired non-driver, author of When Driving Is Not An Option, limited driving advocate (click this link to see the full video of Anna's talk)
- Reasons for non-driving (30% US population doesn’t drive)
- Disability
- Economics/affordability
- Age/seniors
- Younger people, age 16-24+, choosing not to drive
- how to get around without driving
- asking for rides
- stigma/burden/shame
- paying for rides – not economically sustainable
- asking for rides
- Transit is freedom
- need to create infrastructure for non-drivers –> building vibrant communities that are not car-dependent
- need well-maintained sidewalks & crossings to connect to public transportation
- land use & zoning to reduce car-dependency
- “more affordability means moving further out. Moving further out means more limited transportation”
- E-mobility designed for us (e-bikes, scooters...)
- weekwithoutdriving.org
- need to create infrastructure for non-drivers –> building vibrant communities that are not car-dependent
Panel Discussion – Transportation Challenges & Solutions in Rural Communities (click this link to view the full video of the panel discussion):
Megan Kimball, Southern Environmental Law Center
Omega Wilson, co-founded the West End Revitalization Association; Ayo Wilson, Director of Clean Energy & Climate Justice at WERA); Dawna Ledbetter, Director of Equity West Marion Community Forum Inc.; Karyl Fuller, Principal Planner & Director Central Pines Regional Council
- Infrastructure is key to population health & security (water, power, sewer...)
- Racial bias regarding infrastructure funding priorities
- Limited multiracial presence at this summit
- Will that change next year (in Hickory)?
- How do we keep younger people in rural communities?
- People want small town feel with larger city/community connection
- How to improve rural access & safety?
- Public participation/community outreach: Get involved in city council & zoning meetings
- Sometimes emphasis on bike/ped paths don’t make sense to a community that doesn’t have basic infrastructure already in place: paved roads, water, sewer, power
Next: Why Hickory to host BikeWalkNC Transportation Summit 2025