Riding a bicycle is a thrilling and freeing experience for many of us, from the time that we’re children into our adulthood. Bicycles encourage exercise and the use of alternative modes of transportation, and those that choose to ride them should be provided with the education and resources needed to do so safely.
From 2017 to 2021, the City of Charlotte recorded 93 bicycle crashes involving children ages 0 to 17. This number is higher than that of any other city in the state. To protect our children and their right to ride safely, the Clean Cities Energy and Environmental Justice Initiative (CCEEJI), an extension of the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition, successfully applied for an NCDOT grant that awarded Centralina Regional Council with 50 helmets to distribute to local youth in underserved communities.
CCEEJI is also partnering with the Historic West End community and local community-based organizations to help educate community members about clean transportation, starting with the completion of a transportation visioning and action planning process. In collaboration with the community, CCEEJI has identified the need for increased bicycle safety awareness among community members and local children.
To achieve increased awareness, CCEEJI will partner with an elementary school to provide bicycle safety education to children in the West End community. CCEEJI hopes to reduce the number of bicycle-related injuries by reaching children early on with tools on how to ride safely and proactively. Following the completion of the safety program, children will be awarded a new helmet.
Learn more about the Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition and CCEEJI here.
Members can revisit this Centralina Learns for more information about environmental justice.
