CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte is becoming a true biking city. It has about 190 miles of bikeways and continues to find safe ways for bicyclists to make their way through the city. And on Saturday, the City of Charlotte officially cut the ribbon on a new part of its growing bicycling track network.
Bright green paint marks a new two-way cycle track. The section is called the 5th/6th Street cycle track or Uptown cycle track. It runs from Irwin Creek through Uptown to the Little Sugar Creek Greenway.
It's part of a bigger plan for the city to connect over 40 miles of bikeways in and around the city center. The price tag is $7.15 million. It features new marking, signage, and a metal rail to protect cyclists from cars.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at Fourth Ward Park on Saturday morning to celebrate the new protected bike lane. But the celebration had already begun for bicyclists in the Queen City who say it's all the more reason to pedal around.
“I would not have gotten the bike if it weren't for the many protected bike lanes they put in because riding on the road people go right by you and almost hit you,” Ry Elkins, who traded in his car for a set of two wheels, said. “I just wanted to be able to cut down on car trips kind of help the environment, you know, get a lot more exercise.”
The new track is connecting neighborhoods together.
“We can connect from our home to Uptown and then beyond to Sugar Creek, which then connects to NoDa," said Seversville resident Joseph McColley, "which then connects also going south down to all the way down to Pineville which we do."
Riders said it cuts down on the stress of having to find parking in Uptown and it saves them money, both major bonuses for biking.
“I spend no money on gasoline," McColley said. "So it's great on the wallet."
But there are still some pain points; McColley said some drivers still park on the track despite the no parking signs.
“It's not safe when that happens, because cyclists are either going on the sidewalk, which we shouldn't be doing, or on the street, and that's the purpose of having this so we're not with traffic,” he said.
Ann Groninger is an attorney who represents victims of bicycle crashes. She said this infrastructure is going to help grow the biking culture in Charlotte but adds education is key to creating a safe cycling environment.
“Until people get used to the cycle track being there, bicyclists need to be aware that it's not a 100% safe place to be,” she said. “It is safer than a lot of places, but you still have to look out for traffic coming in and out of places.”
Still, some riders feel the city is going in the right direction in creating a bicycle-friendly city.
“I would just like to see more of these and more greenways for us to be able to ride away from cars,” Elkins said.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.