Two wheels in Asheville: Is Asheville a bikeable city? 🚴‍

Bike Love, Asheville’s annual bike-centric festival is Saturday at the Salvage Station. Last year, the event raised more than $25,000 to support Asheville On Bike’s mission of advocating for better biking + walking infrastructure in WNC. With a whole event devoted to cycling, we wondered: How does Asheville stack up in terms of its bike-friendliness? 🚴

1️⃣ The Good

Show me the money:

• $32 million is set aside for active transportation in Asheville transportation bond funds, a package approved in 2016, which will go towards building bike lanes. 👏
• Biking has a big impact on our economy: A study of the economic impact of bicycle tourism in WNC revealed that over 250,000 people come here annually to bike, and they spend a little under $200 a day each. 💰

Saftey first:

• 10.5: The miles of bike lanes in Asheville according to the 2016 Asheville in Motion (AIM) plan. The breakdown: 2.26 miles of climbing lanes (going up a hill), 1.09 miles of shared lanes, and 7.19 miles of designated bike lanes.
• Complete Street Policy: In 2009, City Council cast its vote to make streets biker- and walker-friendly, which means that every transportation project involves street safety and route efficiency. 🚘 Each “complete street” is different – But it can look like roundabouts, curb exensions, public transportation stops, + more. Here’s what College St. looked like before + after this policy.
• Watch For Me NC, a state-wide program for pedestrian + bicycle safety, uses public education, community engagement, and law enforcement to keep people in the know about rules and regulations whether you’re on a car, on two wheels, or on your feet.

City love:

• We’ve got several non-profits dedicated to #bikelife, including Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, the Recyclery, and Asheville on Bikes, which was founded in 2006 by Mike Sule and is all about helping Asheville “build better multi-modal infrastructure.
• The City is on board, too. They rent out Bike lockers for $10 a month at locations throughout downtown. Application here.
• AoB runs an after-school program for kids through Asheville City Schools, teaching them biking + safety skills. They provide all of the gear.👌
• The DOT’s proposed Merrimon Ave. widening plan, which many bikers opposed, was rejected by City Council last week, citing the lack of adequate safety measures for pedestrians + cyclists. Alternatives to the plan include several “road diet” options, like reducing the number of lanes + adding a turn lane, bike lanes, and sidewalks to the stretch under consideration, at the intersections of W.T. Weaver Boulevard and Edgewood Road .

2️⃣ The bad:

• That Complete Streets policy on is slow moving. As of now, Highway Division 13, the Asheville sector of the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT), has not fully completed any Complete Streets projects, according to Mike of AoB. Read the full policy here.

3️⃣ The ugly:

• In 2014, the state ranked 10th most dangerous in the country for cyclers according to data from the US DoT. Bikers should be extra aware in high-traffic areas like Merrimon and Hendersonville Ave., and on the Blue Ridge Parkway (especially in leaf season, because tourists). Crash data can be found here + here (search Asheville, NC to zoom in on our area).
• Road rage still gets the best of people sometimes. Last September, a cyclist reported being attacked by a motorist. Can’t we all just get along? 🚗 ☮️ 🚴

Get Involved (and leave your car at home)

• Bike Love is happening on February 24th this year at the Salvage Station, and will feature a reception, raffle, silent auction, live music from Siamese Sound Club + DJ Marley, and more. Tickets start at $22, and all proceeds go to AoB.
• Asheville on Bikes also hosts Bike of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the route.
• In May, AoB will act as the local organizer of Strive Not To Drive Week, happening in May.
• The Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Asheville City Works Building (161 S. Charlotte St.). Meetings run 5:30 – 7 p.m. and are open to the public. And keep up with Asheville On Bikes for news about their upcoming “Fix it in 15” workshops, where they’ll teach you a bike repair skill in around 15 minutes. There are none currently scheduled, but check in with their events calendar for updates.
• Stay informed: The DOT’s proposed Merrimon Ave. widening plan, which many bikers opposed, was rejected by City Council last week, citing the lack of adequate safety measures for pedestrians + cyclists. Alternatives to the plan include several “road diet” options, like reducing the number of lanes + adding a turn lane, bike lanes, and sidewalks to the stretch under consideration, at the intersections of W.T. Weaver Boulevard and Edgewood Road.