Health advocates join forces to get
Charleston moving
by
Katharine HendrixSpecial to The Catalyst
Kristen Steele divorced her car three years ago and unwittingly took the first step on her career path. Today Steele is the executive director of Charleston Moves, a non-profit organization that promotes walking, running, cycling, and using mass transit to build healthy lifestyles and communities.
“When I got rid of my car and started biking everywhere, I couldn’t believe how aggressive drivers were. People yelled and honked and tried to intimidate me by passing really close,” Steele said. “There was a real lack of good etiquette and education among both drivers and bikers about how to share the road. Just reading the paper I was amazed at how many cyclists and pedestrians get hit here.”
Sandra Fowler, M.D., commutes by bicycle to MUSC daily from the Wagener Terrace neighborhood and echoes Steele’s observations. “A car is a deadly weapon. People who drive rule the road because they have the power to kill but they don’t own the roadway. People riding bikes have an equal right to use the road,” Fowler said.
Biking in and around Charleston inspired both women to get involved with the Charleston Bicycle Advocacy Group (CBAG). This group of cycling enthusiasts rallied individuals and organizations such as MUSC and the Sierra Club to pressure city planners to include cycling and pedestrian lanes on the Arthur Ravenel bridge.
Members of
Charleston Moves ride the new Arthur Ravenel Bridge. Charleston Moves will host the annual Cycle Fest through Nov. 6 to promote cycling, teach bicycle safety, and encourage a more bike-friendly community.
The lanes are now Steele’s favorite example of the old saying “if you build it they will come.”
“I think everyone is surprised at how many people are walking and biking over the bridge,” she said with a broad smile.
One of those bridge riders is Starr Hazard, director of MUSC’s Biomolecular Computing Resource Center. Hazard commutes to MUSC from Mount Pleasant by bicycle three to five days a week. “The ride is exhilarating and the views are spectacular. The sights, sounds, and smells…are simply not available to the motorists. At a time when fuel prices are rocketing up, my fuel consumption has dropped…I’ve lost weight and had lots of great experiences,” Hazard said.
Christine von Kolnitz, director of Solid Waste Management at MUSC and chairperson of the Charleston Sierra Club chapter, was also involved in CBAG’s bike lane campaign. “It’s stunning how many people are using those lanes everyday. It’s just great that so many people embrace the idea that cycling is a viable form of transportation. Everybody wins. You get healthier and it’s good for the environment,” von Kolnitz said.
After the successful bridge campaign, CBAG changed its name to Charleston Moves and expanded its mission to promote all healthy transportation and lifestyle choices.
“Charleston Moves is really filling a big need,” von Kolnitz said. “They are a great voice for healthier transit choices. Plus they do a great job educating the public. So many people don’t know how to ride their bikes safely or that they should be following certain rules of the road.”
As a pediatrician, Fowler continues supporting the organization’s efforts to promote physical activity as a way to fight the rising tide of childhood obesity. “My biggest concern is having safe cycling and walking routes. We can’t encourage children to be active and ride their bikes or walk because the roads are so dangerous. Look at Savannah Highway for example. You have to drive your car just to go across the street from one store to another. That’s just ridiculous,” Fowler said.
Charleston Moves is now working to shape municipal plans for spending the half-cent sales tax. “We want to see it used for building ‘complete streets’ that serve all users- pedestrians, bikers, mass transit, and individual cars,” Steele said. “The half-cent sales tax issue raises discussion about how we want our city to grow. Do we want to build a city that discourages healthy ways of getting around? Or do we want multi-use boulevards that let people run, walk, bike, and use mass transit safely and comfortably?” asks Steele.
Charleston Moves will host the second annual Cycle Fest from Oct. 30 through Nov. 6 to promote cycling, teach bicycle safety and encourage a more bike-friendly community.
There’s something for everyone at the festival with seminars and events ranging from a bicycle film festival to a bike rodeo.
Schedules and details are available at http://www.charlestoncyclefest.org.
Future plans include promoting national ‘Bike to Work Week’ in May and launching a ‘Recycle-a-Bicycle’ program to distribute refurbished bicycles in low-income areas.
For more information on Charleston Moves, call 568-6313.
Friday, Nov. 4, 2005
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