Charlotte pedals forward: Bike advocates push for safer streets (WCNC)
Charlotte residents traded car keys for bike helmets Friday as the city celebrated National Bike to Work Day, an initiative promoting cycling as an environmentally friendly alternative to driving.
The benefits extend far beyond personal exercise, according to Shannon Binns, the executive director of local advocacy organization Sustain Charlotte.
Sustain Charlotte is using the day to encourage more residents to consider cycling as a regular transportation option. The organization emphasizes that individual choices can have broader community impacts.
“You’re helping reduce traffic congestion, which may not benefit you while you’re on your bike, but it certainly reduces the number one source of air pollution and climate pollution in Charlotte and North Carolina, which is transportation,” Binns explained.