BWNC is seeking a new executive director (click here for job posting) as I am leaving to join AARP. Those of you who attended the 2017 Summit in Wilmington know what a great partner AARP is for BWNC with their livability/age-friendly community work, so I hope to continue to support BWNC in my new role. The past three years with BWNC have flown by. I’ve enjoyed getting to know many of you and appreciate the great work you do and the support you’ve given me. NC is poised to make great strides – the BikeWalk “movement” has momentum. It helps that companies like Amazon specify they are looking to locate in a place that has transportation options since 20% of their employees don’t drive to work. New leadership at NCDOT like Hannah Cockburn (see article below) will be instrumental in the next few years. Hannah, along with now Deputy Secretary Julie White, understand the importance of our state’s Complete Streets policy and the need to put more teeth in it, along with the need for more funding for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. NCDOT’s rescission of $4 million back to the federal government of unspent Transportation Alternative (TAP) funds this past year shines a spotlight on the issue. NC couldn’t spend the funds most likely because small towns either don’t have the technical capacity to drive the bicycle and pedestrian projects and/or can’t provide the 20% required matching funds. BWNC is working to support NCDOT’s initiatives to improve their policies and promote enhanced funding. The conflict level on our roads is too high – many of us have been hit or had near misses and too many have been seriously injured or killed. We need roads that encourage walking and biking. That’s why BWNC’s work to improve safety on our roads is critical. For the past year or so BWNC (staff and expert board members and volunteers) have been meeting regularly with NCDOT as a follow-up to House Bill 959’s Bike Safety Law Study Report to gain consensus on best practices (taken in part from our website). Our next step is education and outreach in the coming year. Please support BWNC’s role in all this upcoming great work by joining BWNC and donating to the movement!
