Fall Colors at Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park

Fall colors captured by Sheila Rudesill at Mary Hayes Barber Holmes Park.  Thanks Sheila!

note cyclists in background

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Thanks for the suggestion Dee.  

Chatham County Bicycle Survey

Chatham County is currently developing a Bicycle Plan that will identify biking networks and potential infrastructure and policy improvements for the County. These survey results help the County develop a Bicycle Plan that responds to the residents' and users' needs and desires.
We welcome any Chatham County residents (rider or non-rider) as well as non-residents who ride regularly in the county. Please feel free to forward this to others who are might also be interested. The survey will be open until December 15, 2010. We thank you very much for your help!

The link for the survey is http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/chathambikesurvey

If you have any questions on the plan and the survey, please contact Pinaki Santra atpinaki.santra@chathamnc.org or at (571)334-0117.

Pittsboro Skatepark Drive

I admire the tenacity, moxy and initiative behind the drive to establish a skatepark in Pittsboro. While there is no official Town endorsement of this endeavor at this time, these intelligent, sincere professionals are taking concrete steps toward making their vision a reality.  Check out their blog here: http://pittsboroskatepark.com/  Among other things, they're selling skateboards to raise funds; with the holiday season approaching . . . 

Pittsboro Reindeer Run - December 11, 2010

The 2010 Reindeer Run will be held December 11th at the Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro.  

Schedule:

7:00 AM - Same day registration

8:00 AM - Opening Gun

9:30 AM - Kiddos' 1 Mile Fun Run

You can register online at http://www.sportoften.com, or pick up a hard copy form at the Chatham County Parks and Recreation Office at 90 East Street.  

If you are interested in providing a corporate sponsorship, volunteering or need general information about the race, contact Megan Bolejack at 919-545-8518 or at megan.bolejack@chathamnc.org 


Thanks to the sponsors who support the run and to the many volunteers affiliated with Active Chatham who organize this race every year!

Huge Returns on Bicycle Facility Investments

Bottom line:  A 6.7 million dollar one time investment continues to yield an estimated 60 million dollar annual return.  

Economic Impact of Investing in Bicycle Facilities: A Case Study

In the summer of 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (DBPT) commissioned a study to assess the value of their investment in bicycle facilities. The Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University conducted the study in the northern Outer Banks region because of its existing high levels of bicycling activity and presence of an extensive system of special bicycle facilities. Researchers surveyed bicyclists riding on the bicycle facilities — paths and wide paved shoulders — and also obtained data from self-administered surveys of tourists at three visitors’ centers in the region.

Over the ten years prior to the study, an estimated $6.7 million of public funds was spent to construct off-road paths and add wide paved shoulders to roads in the region, from Corolla south to Nags Head and west to Manteo.  

Economic Impact Study Conclusions

• Bicycling activity in the northern Outer Banks provides substantial economic benefits to the area — an estimated $60 million annually.
• The bicycle facilities in the area are an important factor for many tourists in deciding to visit the region.
• Three-fourths of study respondents indicated that more bicycle facilities should be built, and nine out of 10 surveyed believe state and federal tax dollars should be used to do it.

The full study can be found here: http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/researchreports/

The Pathways to Prosperity Brochure is a quick worthwhile read.