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Blue Ridge Bicycling Club (BRBC) Advocacy Grants Program

The mission of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club is to promote healthy and fun lifestyles
through cycling in Western North Carolina.
To guide our efforts as we undertake this mission, the Blue Ridge Bicycling Clubs
Strategic Plan has been developed. A key component of this plan to is to increase
advocacy efforts consistent with the mission. Accordingly, four advocacy strategies have
been developed.
1) Advocate for the health benefits of cycling
2) Advocate for cycling relating infrastructure (ex. bike lanes, racks, signage, etc.)
3) Increase education (cyclists and motorists)
4) Support legislation to improve cycling conditions (local, state and national)
To encourage progress in the advocacy effort, the BRBC has established a grants
program intended to provide financial support for individuals and organizations in their
efforts to achieve results consistent with these strategies.
Grant applications will be reviewed by a committee of BRBC members and awarded
based upon merit towards achieving our goals and adherence to the guidelines outlined
here.
Grant recipients will be notified of their award, and organizations not eligible will also be
notified. We intend to reply with our decision within ninety days of receipt of the grant
request.
Presently, we intend to limit the grant size to a maximum of $1000.
Grants will be available for projects in the Western North Carolina region with priority
given to activities in the counties of Buncombe, McDowell, Henderson, Haywood,
Madison and Yancy counties.
The grants are intended for non-profits, certain public organizations and volunteer efforts.
We cannot fund for-profit companies through this program.
Funds allocated should be used during a specific time period and have demonstrable
achievement metrics which can be publicly reported.

APPLICATION FORM
Organization Name:
City of Asheville, Transportation Department
Primary Contact (name):
Barb Mee
Email:
BMee@ashevilleNC.gov
Phone:
(828) 232-4540
Mailing address:
PO Box 7148, Asheville, NC 28802
Is it non-profit? Yes No 5013 Tax ID:
Please describe nature and primary focus of your organization:
The City of Ashevilles Transportation Department is dedicated to providing for
the safety, health, mobility, and quality of life for Asheville citizens and guests through
the administration of engineering, infrastructure and transportation related projects.
Proposed Grant Amount: $1,050
Program Description: Please explain how the grant will be used. Indicate prior experience
with this or similar project. Include information about the total estimated cost and
additional funding for this program, if any, and how this project fits into your
organizations overall budget:
The Transportation Department will use the grant to install a network of bicycle
wayfinding signs throughout the city. The primary destinations for Phase I will be
Downtown, West Asheville, and UNC-Asheville with a total of 21 signs. An estimate of
$50 per sign included labor brings the total to $1,050. The signed wayfinding routes will
encourage the use of roads with existing bicycle infrastructure and roads that are
frequently used by cyclists. It will discourage the use of roads that present hazards to
cyclists. The grant money will be used to purchase and install the signs.
In terms of the Transportation Departments overall budget, this project is small,
but the wayfinding network is a long-lasting, low-cost method to improve the citys
sustainable transportation infrastructure and its residents safety and health.
The citys sign shop, which installs and maintains signs and street markings on all
city-maintained streets, will do the work. The staff and management are experienced and
do this type of work on a daily basis.

Please describe the benefit of the project and how it will advance the advocacy strategies
of the BRBC:
The wayfinding network will directly advance two of BRBCs advocacy
strategies: advocating for cycling-related infrastructure and advocating for the health
benefits of cycling. Once installed, the wayfinding network will encourage novice and
experienced cyclists to take advantage of Ashevilles growing bicycle infrastructure.
Strategically placed signs will extend the reach of existing bicycle facilities, for example
connecting the Reed Creek Greenway to the bike lanes on Riverside Dr. Increased use of
wayfinding network routes will justify further improvements to bicycle facilities along
those routes.
Increased bicycling will improve community health and decrease automobile
congestion and pollution. The network will reinforce connections between the citys
three central hubs: Downtown, West Asheville, and UNC-Asheville. These destinations
offer valuable outlets in the arts and culture, recreation, tourism, and higher education
sectors. By facilitating easier access and passage between these hubs, the network will
stimulate economic development. It will encourage the exchange of ideas and services
between disparate parts of the city, all while promoting sustainable growth and
transportation. Compared to the minimal cost of implementing the network, the health
and economic benefits for the city and its residents will be exponentially greater.
Measuring success: Describe how you will measure and report on your programs
success. In addition, please provide an estimate of the number of people directly
impacted by your program:
The Transportation Department will measure the success of the new wayfinding
network in two ways. First, we propose conducting a survey of cyclists (including BRBC
members) who frequently use the wayfinding routes. The survey would ask questions
about safety, health, frequency and ease of use, and also gather data on economic and
environmental impacts.
In conjunction with the NC Center for Health and Wellness at UNC-Asheville and
the Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force, the City conducts annual bicycle counts at
designated intersections as part of the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation
Project. As part of next years count, the city would focus on intersections with
wayfinding signs and compare the bicycle numbers with previous years before the signs
were installed. For example, during this years count in September a total of 40 cyclists
was counted within a two-hour period at Lexington Avenue and College Street. Two
wayfinding signs will be placed at that intersection, directing cyclists towards UNCAsheville and West Asheville. Next year we will measure those signs impact on cyclist
use and we expect to see an increase from this years numbers.

The wayfinding network has the potential to serve the more than 85,000 residents of
Asheville and 3.3 million overnight visitors to the area, a growing minority of whom
commute by bike or use bikes recreationally. There are several specific populations that
the wayfinding network will directly impact. UNC-Ashevilles combined student, staff,
and faculty population exceeds 4,000 people, many of whom regularly bike to and from
campus. The expanding population of young adults in West Asheville is likely to take
advantage of the wayfinding network, as are the countless employees, tourists, residents,
and others who travel to and through Downtown Asheville everyday.

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