Oaks & Spokes

As we were preparing for the Ride of Silence event last month, we partnered with NC Families for Safer Streets and researched the following statistics: 1. North Carolina Bicycle Crash Facts - In 2023, 43 people were killed and 749 people were injured while riding a bike on North Carolina roads. - Over the last 5 years (2019 – 2023), 135 people were killed and another 3,307 people were injured while bicycling on North Carolina roads 2. North Carolina Pedestrian Crash Facts - In 2023, 249 people were killed and 2,238 people injured as result of pedestrian crashes on North Carolina roads. - Over the last 5 years (2019-2023), 1,285 people were killed and a staggering 10,881 pedestrians injured on the North Carolina Roads. Road violence is No Accident, it's policy failure, it's years of subsidizing Public Health for "One more car lane, and we can solve traffic problem." #VisionZero #NCVisionZero #BikeWalkNC #OaksAndSpokes #BicycleAdvocacy #BicycleSafety #BikeSafety #ThankYouForRidingYourBike https://lnkd.in/eE8UsVQ2

In honor of 🚲 Bike Month 🚲 , one of our amazing members has offered to match all donations to Oaks and Spokes up to $2,000 🙌 So far, we’ve raised $625, and with the match, that makes $1,250! Donating to Oaks and Spokes supports our mission of building a vibrant biking community in Raleigh. Your contribution helps us organize fun and unique bike events for all experience levels, advocate for safer streets and sustainable transportation options, offer bike education programs for kids and adults, and provide bicycles and essential tools to people with lower incomes and higher barriers of mobility, empowering them to be active and mobile without a car. Donate 💵 : https://lnkd.in/eDfbN3Wp We appreciate your support 🙏 - Jared #oaksandspokes #activeTransportation #bicycle #pedestrian #bikeLane #sidewalk #BikeWalk #thankyouforridingyourbike

Additionally there have been studies that show cyclists and other lane users preferred separated or protected bike lane for the user-perceived safety and comfort while traveling. McNeil, N., Monsere, C. M., & Dill, J. (2015). Influence of Bike Lane Buffer Types on Perceived Comfort and Safety of Bicyclists and Potential Bicyclists. Transportation Research Record, 2520(1), 132-142. https://lnkd.in/ebM-E3bA #nationalbikemonth #bikemonth #bikelane #activetransportation #bikeraleigh #thankyouforridingyourbike

On Wednesday, May 15 starting at 6 pm, advocates will gather at the State Capitol to honor the people killed while cycling on NC roads, and to call on Raleigh City Councils and NC State Legislature to open up the state transportation improvement project funding and to increase funding for dedicated bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. This event is one of hundreds happening across the countries and states. Over the last 5 years (2019 – 2023), 134 people were killed and another 3,306 people were injured while bicycling on North Carolina roads. In the same 5 years span, 2 people were killed and 233 people were injured in bicycle crashes right here in Raleigh. WHAT: Raleigh Ride of Silence. A memorial display will feature pairs of shoes to represent the 134 people killed while riding a bicycle on North Carolina roads over the past five years. 42 candles will represent the people killed while riding a bicycle in 2023. The memorial will be followed by a 4.2 miles bicycle ride on the streets of downtown Raleigh to commemorate the occasion. WHEN: Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, starting at 6 pm (pending weather condition) WHERE: State Capitol, 1 E Edenton St., Raleigh, NC, 27601 WHY: Traffic deaths are a leading cause of preventable death, disproportionately harming people who are walking and biking, people of color and people in low-income communities. This event will be held to commemorate the losses, and to advocate for active transportation infrastructure improvements to prevent these tragic losses in the future. VISUALS: Event will include a memorial with candles and pairs of shoes to represent the 134 people killed while riding a bicycle on NC roads from 2019 – 2023. MORE INFO: https://lnkd.in/eBNE9Fki #RideOfSilenceRaleigh #bicycle #BikeLane #OaksandSpokes #BikeMonth #Advocacy #BikeRaleigh #ThankYouforRidingYourBike

The First Friday in May is always our favorite time of the year because it is how we kick off our annual Bike Month celebration. Thanks to all our partners listed for making it as fun as always. Please also take a look at our Bike Month event page https://lnkd.in/dEms-yE8 and consider come joining us at one of our events, and get your "Bike It" pin #iykyk

The title of the article may seem like a hyperbole, but it accurately described the limitation, and at times frustration, of the kind of active transportation advocacy work from BikeWalk North Carolina and Oaks and Spokes, and other advocacy groups like us across this state. There are plenty of facts and statistics in The Assembly article below, but here are more "fun facts": -The exactly language passed in the 2013 law: "Bicycle and pedestrian limitation. – The Department shall not provide financial support for independent bicycle and pedestrian improvement projects, except for federal funds administered by the Department for that purpose." ("Department" here refers to NCDOT) (source: G.S. 136-189.11(d)(3)c, https://lnkd.in/gpBfSh6P) -Federal level funding on these project requires a 20 percent project fund matching, which can be hard to fulfilled by local and rural municipalities. (source: "MATCH REQUIREMENTS", https://lnkd.in/gwbTwDDs) -Other than Texas, North Carolina has more miles of state-maintained roads than any other states, more than 80,000 miles of road surface. (source: "Yes, North Carolina has more miles of state-supported roads than every other state except for Texas", https://lnkd.in/gTN7Thte) #activeTransportation #bicycle #pedestrian #bikeLane #sidewalk #BikeWalk

For Bike Month this year, we’re excited to present Bike It! Inspired by Pizza Hut’s ‘Book It’ program from the 1980s and 90s, Bike It is a partnership with our friends at Trophy Brewing to get more folks on bikes this Bike Month. How does it work? Simple! Starting this weekend and continuing through the end of Bike Month, attend any event that we host or where we’re present, pick up a button**, and earn a gold star. You’ll receive a gold star ⭐ for every one of our Earth Day, Bike Month, and National Trails Day events (running from April 13th to June 1st) you attend. If you collect five gold stars, you’ll receive a certificate valid for one free small cheese or pepperoni #pizza at Trophy Brewing and Pizza on Morgan Street! Ride your bike with us and enjoy free pizza! What better motivation is there than PIZZA!? Thank you so much, Trophy! **You can only get buttons and stickers at Oaks and Spokes attended events. #oaksandspokes #bikeIt #earthday #bikemonth #nationaltrailday #thankyouforridingyourbike

As we learned from the previous couple of years with the New Bern Ave BRT project, these initiatives are expansive (and expensive!) involving planning and zoning, land use and right-of-ways, bike lanes and sidewalks and multi-use paths, and EVERYONE'S. OPINIONS. MATTER! If you live along, or travel/commute through, or play in, the Western Blvd corridor, or if you're one of our members that live on the Cary side (there are stops planned on Cary Towne Blvd, SE Maynard, and E Chatham), Please use this link to access the Public Comment Input: https://lnkd.in/eZ45Qi2g Similarly if you live/travel/commute/play through the Southern corridor, that is Blount St at the GoRaleigh Station, going south on S. Wilmington intersects with S. Saunders, clear a new path THROUGH the A&C Supermarket plot, go through in front of International Foods Plaza, and end up in the Walmart Supercenter plaza just beyond the Hwy 401 / Hwy 70 split, your Public Input is here: https://lnkd.in/eJKnhhAe One tip for you: When you go into the Public Input portal, take a look at the black bar near the top of the page, it's going to contain a list of different proposed stations and their designs. You can click on every single station, review the design and the impact, and comment on each station, should you choose to. #brt #busrapidtransit #GoRaleigh #oaksandspokes #BikePed #Advocacy #BikeRaleigh #thankyouforridingyourbike

November 2023 newsletter from our Executive Director, featuring some programming updates as we close out the "Fall Bike Fest", an upcoming volunteering opportunity, and a final drive toward our End-of-Year fundraising goal. #oaksandspokes #nonprofit #advocacy #bikeraleigh

We're still looking for a few volunteers to help build a pop-up traffic garden. Traffic gardens are a safe, play based world of miniature streets to learn about traffic safety. No experience necessary, just come ready to lay down duct tape and put together pop-up houses. ⚠ Saturday, October 21st from 11:00am - 12:30pm ⚠ Poe Center for Health Education, 224 Sunnybrook Road, Raleigh Sign up here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gepJv5zm