Palmetto Cycling Coalition E-newsletter June 2009
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SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT:
Tandem, Touring and Recumbent Bikes
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 Tandem, Touring and Recumbent Bikes, located in Greenville, not only caters to the unique type of cyclist that its name suggests, but also strives to support all bicyclists through their dedication to bicycle advocacy. TTR Bikes, run by long-time cyclist Scott McCrary and his son Nathaniel, is a steadfast supporter of the
Coalition through their commitment to bicycling and advocacy in South
Carolina. |
On a quarterly basis, Sponsor Spotlight
will feature a different supporter of the PCC that has donated an
exceptional amount in terms of time, money or in other meaningful ways.
To find out how to support the Coalition, visit the Sponsorship page on our website.
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UPCOMING EVENT: TRAFFIC SKILLS 101
On June 20, LCI instructors Paul LeFrancois and Will Haltiwanger are offering a basics to traffic skills course in Columbia. This course is the required pre-requisite to becoming a League Certified Instructor.
Course is $45 for PCC members, $55 for non-members.
View the course description at the League's website. And sign-up today, by contacting Rachael at (803) 771-0870 or rachael@pccsc.net.
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Greetings!
May is behind us, and Bike Month has come and gone. The heat of South Carolina summers loom on the horizon. But! This is no time to put away your bike or to let the advocate in you take a back seat. According to several studies recently released, which are described in the articles below, South Carolina continues to be behind the eight ball when it comes to bicycling. It is up to us, as unified partners, to continue cleaning up the status of bicycling in our state, and to bring SC up to speed with the nation. This issue of the Palmetto Spokesman also features the several  charity rides happening in upcoming summer months across South Carolina. What better way to support a worthy cause? Best wishes for safe and pleasant riding, Rachael Kefalos Executive Director Palmetto Cycling Coalition |
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SC falls in rank as Bicycle Friendly State |
The Bicycle Friendly State (BFS) program, organized by the League of American Bicyclists, is a ranking and award designation program that recognizes states that
actively support bicycling. This program is modeled after the successful Bicycle
Friendly Community program. It's mission is to create a Bicycle Fr iendly
America by encouraging states to provide safe accommodations for
cycling and that allows residents to bike for transportation and
recreation.
In early May, the League released 2009 state rankings, the details of which you can view here. South Carolina, which was formerly ranked 15th, has now moved to 26th in the nation as a BFS. The ranking is based upon 74 questions spread across 6 categories. The ranking in each category are as follows:
Legislation: tied at 19th
Policies & Programs: tied at 17th
Infrastructure: tied at 23rd
Education: 14th
Evaluation: tied at 35th
Enforcement: tied at 29th
View our 2007-2008 annual report to see how these categories compared with last year.
Beyond giving us impetus to improve what South Carolina is doing for bicycling, this ranking provides us with an idea of where we are doing best, and what area needs improvement. Lets keep up the hard work!
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SC now third in the nation for fatalities
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Given the most recent data released by
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, South Carolina is now ranked 3rd
in the nation for cycling fatalities, which is nearly three-times the national
average.
In the last decade, South Carolina has been ranked in the top ten for fatalities
nationwide. And, as illustrated in the chart above, in most years the fatality rate in the state has more than
doubled the national average.
It
is clear that much work lay ahead in creating a safer environment for
bicyclists riding on South Carolina's roads. A more bicycle friendly state is not a change that is going to happen over night, or even in a few years. This is a change that is going to take a tremendous amount of continued advocacy, education for all road users, and promoting of safety.
If nothing else, ride responsibly, safely and lawfully, to show all South Carolinians that biking is something for everyone to enjoy.
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| Charity Rides this Summer
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This summer, there are many charity bike rides on the horizon. And what better way to help out a great cause than on bike? Here's some happening this summer in South Carolina:
 Having a hard time deciding which ride to do? There are several factors to take into consideration, which, according to Bicycling Magazine, include the size of the postride burrito. To determine how the charity is spending your money, visit Charity Navigator, which evaluates more than 5,300 organizations. |
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Bike Month Re-cap
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With so many events having happened from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, and everywhere in between, Bike Month 2009 was a huge success in South Carolina. And on a policy level, a few very important issues were addressed, resolved and passed:
May 7: Hilton Head Island/Bluffton Greater Island Council passed a Bicycle Friendly Community statement of support resolution, which will be sent to the Mayor, Town Council and Manager  May 12: Charleston Mayor Joseph Riley adopted a League of American Bicyclists endorsed action plan to become a Bicycle Friendly Community May 18: The Anderson city council adopted a Complete Streets resolution May 28: North Myrtle Beach is the first city in SC to pass a Complete Streets ORDINANCE. Although this was not passed in May, the Coalition just found out about it. Way to go NMB! (What is the difference between an ordinance and a resolution, you may be wondering? An ordinance is a local law, whereas a resolution is a non-binding, unenforceable, statement made by a municipalities legislative body)
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Lauren Sutton, PCC Secretary, on
'Why I Ride'
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| In 1994, my mother invited me to join her and 2 friends
on a cycling trip in the Chesapeake Bay area. Since I considered myself
moderately athletic, I figured that this would be a cinch as my mother was 65
and I was 37. I quickly marched over to Outspokin' bicycles in
Columbia for my first bike, a hybrid.
Cycling had started a whole new life for my mother that
year and it was contagious for me as well. My knees were most happy about the transition from jogging but the bones in my rear section were not
quite as gleeful. Nonetheless, the trip was the first of several
and the excitement spread to my sister (in Texas) as well. Cycling
excursions together made for wonderful memories and quality time for the
three girls in our family!
As time went on, I moved from my hybrid to a road bike
as I started training for my first M.S. 150 with
Break-Away-to-the-Beach. I was officially hooked on cycling and since
then,
have numerous M.S. rides under my belt. However, the more I
trained on city streets, the more concerned I became about safe cycling on
the roads of South Carolina. When asked to be on the board of the PCC,
I gladly accepted. The PCC works hard to create a safer environments for
all cyclists, and to help our state embrace cycling as a way of life and
transportation.
My dear, sweet mother is now 80 and has remained very
active. Unfortunately, two months ago she had a small stroke.
The residual effects left her with a visual impairment and balance issues,
among other deficiencies. To boost her spirits, I recently rented a
tandem for us to use while she recuperate here in the Charleston area with
me. Since she brought cycling to me, it has been very special to be
able to bring cycling back to her. Call it "rehab, exercise, or just plain
fun," cycling has once again brought our family together in a very
special way! That is just one of the many reasons why I love to ride!
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"In effect, an incomplete street causes a self-perpetuating cycle
because the travel barriers created tend to continuously 'recruit' new
motorists who were formerly non-motorists -- non-motorists who now find
that on the incomplete street, travel by walking, bicycling, or transit
is unacceptably unsafe, inconvenient, or otherwise unattractive..."
-- Dom Nozzi, AICP
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