By: Katie Zimmerman
Think of the Ravenel Bridge, which connects municipalities on either side of the Cooper River. An impressive span, users may cross it by choosing one of a plethora of mobility options: automobile, bus, bicycle or foot. Wonders’ Way, the bicycle and pedestrian component of the bridge, is so popular and crowded that it is astounding to think it very nearly was not included in the final construction. Had it not been for a group of dedicated activists, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, City of Charleston and Town of Mount Pleasant would not have included bicycle and pedestrian access. But our group of activists developed a grassroots campaign (“We Can’t Wait to Bike the Bridge!”) and did not give up until Wonders’ Way was constructed. Now, the South Carolina Department of Transportation happily takes credit for the idea.
After the success of Wonders’ Way, that same group of dedicated activists looked around Charleston and realized the city needed more transportation choices for its citizens. We formed a coalition, eventually morphing into Charleston Moves and officially incorporating as a nonprofit in 2005. Charleston Moves was a volunteer-run organization for nearly a decade, finally hiring its first paid staff member in 2014. Now, the Charleston Moves paid staff consists of two dynamic women: Executive Director Katie Zimmerman and Director of Programming Savannah Brennan.
We are often relegated as “the bike group,” yet Charleston Moves is about connectivity and mobility choices for all. We are an advocacy organization working to transform our streets and corridors into safe and equitable public spaces for transportation, recreation and quality of life. The rule of induced demand means widening roadways only brings more traffic. As the well-known architect and urbanist Lewis Mumford said, “Trying to cure traffic congestion with more road capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt.” Therefore, we must diversify our modes of transit, meaning mass transit, bike-and walkability have to be priorities throughout Charleston County. Choosing other mode options for different trips can also protect the environment, improve the public’s health, save money and generally make us happier.
Charleston Moves organizes citizens to participate at public meetings and support projects that include access for people on bike or foot, as well as mass-transit projects. We hold events throughout the year for people to learn from each other as well as to celebrate and enjoy different transit modes. We have a new Neighborhood Ambassador program, which is citizen training in advocacy and civics so constituents can effectively work for safe streets in their own neighborhoods.
In 2017, Charleston Moves staff and members made major progress in building advocacy and achieving on-street installations across the county. Our Connected Charleston campaign (yard signs, bumper stickers and candidate questionnaire) has ignited conversation, and our demonstration and pilot projects are underway. Also, we are at the table for multiple regional plans and committees, providing guidance and comments.
Combing through years of public data, we mapped constituent support for a multi-use path on the Legare Bridge across the Ashley River, including endorsements from 80 businesses and organizations. We proudly supported the City of Charleston’s federal grant application for a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge and garnered local financial allocations for this vital crossing. We continue the fight for a safe Ashley River crossing.
We revitalized our Battery2Beach (B2B) Working Group. B2B is Charleston Moves’ signature route design of approximately 32 miles of biking and walking paths, connecting Isle of Palms all the way to Folly Beach. Participating municipalities filled major gaps along the “spine” of B2B, including new bike lanes on four major roadway segments. Additionally, the City of Charleston placed shared-lane (sharrow) markings on Vendue Range, which fills an important segment of several area plans.
This year, we are building on 2017’s successes. We are identifying and installing demonstration and pilot projects. We are reinvigorating our signature B2B route by completing more of the “spine,” as well as identifying “spur routes” in North Charleston. We are partnering with The Gotcha Group’s Holy Spokes and other community groups on the next phase of Charleston bike share, which includes an affordable bike-share initiative, as well as station-siting in underserved communities. In May, along with National Bike Month, we are partnering with the organization Enough Pie to present a month-long series of artistic bike lanes, crosswalks and other creative place-making infrastructure.
Charleston Moves has been working for years with the City of Charleston to develop the downtown Charleston bike plan, called People Pedal CHS. The plan kicked off throughout January, with more than 100 sharrows installed on select city-owned streets.
What Charleston Moves needs most is more activists. We can never have enough interested and engaged citizens who want to be able to safely cross the street to get to the grocery store, bike/bus to work or take a shuttle to the beach! We would love to have your readers move forward with us.
Katie Zimmerman became Executive Director of Charleston Moves in 2017 after eight years at the Coastal Conservation League, where she was the Air, Water and Public Health Program Director. Katie earned her M.S. in Environmental Studies and her B.A. in English with minors in Political Science and Environmental Studies, all from the College of Charleston. Her sixteen years of professional experience includes strategic planning, ocean policy tracking, and outreach on environmental justice and community empowerment projects.
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