Planning our city’s future: What does it mean for biking, walking, running in Charlotte?

Is anyone else obsessive about planning walkable and bikeable routes around Charlotte? I’ve spent way too much time on Google Maps over the years, tracking what it would look like to get from home, to work, to the gym and back without taking my car.

I loaded up my 7-speed with panniers and a rack (and two cup holders: water and coffee). I once ran from NoDa to Arrichion Hot Yoga in South End with a yoga mat towel and a change of clothes in my Camelbak pack — in the middle of the day in July. Spoiler alert: Those additions are heavier than you think, and I definitely accepted a ride home from a friend.

I’ve had plenty of trouble over the years of trying to get to-and-fro without driving. Accessibility to the Light Rail helps, but it’s still linear travel. Sidewalks end at the most inconvenient of places. Bike paths run out or have cars parked in them (and aren’t always recommended as the safest way for cyclists to get around).

As Charlotte looks ahead with an upcoming City Council vote on its 2022 budget, I was thrilled when Sustain Charlotte reached out to share some details on the plan, including record money for bicycle, pedestrian and street safety infrastructure.

“We are elated to see this proposed record level of investment in making our city safer for walking, biking, and accessing transit stops. If approved, all Charlotteans will benefit and our neighborhoods will be more connected via healthy, non-polluting and affordable modes of transportation,” Sustain Charlotte’s Executive Director Shannon Binns said in a statement.

Here are the details, per Sustain Charlotte:

• $50 million over the next two years for sidewalks, with 20% set aside for suburban areas.
  
  ($15 million was allocated for years 2020 and 2021).

• $8 million over the next two years for the Bicycle Program.
  
  ($4 million was allocated for years 2020 and 2021).

• $4 million over the next two years for Vision Zero, a push to elimination of traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
  
  ($2M was allocated for years 2020 and 2021).

• $20.5 million over the next five years to complete the remaining two segments of the Cross Charlotte Trail.

• $14 million to invest in the six Corridors of Opportunity.
  
  (This includes jobs and economic development, housing and neighborhood stabilization and infrastructure and mobility improvements in the corridors).

The city will hold a public hearing on the budget on May 10. A vote to adopt a final plan will be June 14.

2040 Plan

Planning for 2022 is exciting enough, but what about planning for the next two decades? You’ve probably heard about the city’s 2040 vision for our future. You may have heard about its opposition, and you most definitely heard what one council member said recently when he didn’t realize a reporter was in the room.

If you haven’t visited the interactive website (including a virtual open house), it’s worth your time. You can read comments on the plan, and you can leave your own. Part of the plan includes the creation of 10-minute neighborhoods: Access to grocery stores, parks, transit lines and more would be within a 10-minute walk, bike ride or transit trip.

In my dream world, by 2040, I would feel safe and confident walking, running or bicycling all over the city without fear of getting hit by a car. I could hop on a light rail or bus if I was across town when the street lights came on.

What does your dream 2040 Charlotte look like? Email us at charlottefive@charlottefive.com and let us know.

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