Sustain Charlotte awarded $200K from Knight Foundation Cycling Fund

Sustain Charlotte has been awarded a $204,000 grant from the Knight Foundation Cycling Fund as part of a two-year initiative to develop and promote bicycling events and programs in the Charlotte area.

The fund was created with $600,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The goal is to make Charlotte more bike-friendly to help engage residents in community life and create incentives for talented people to live and stay in the city.

“City leaders are increasingly recognizing that a thriving Charlotte will help to attract and keep the young talent that contributes to a healthy economy, while encouraging people to make connections and get involved in civic life,” said Susan Patterson, Knight Foundation program director for Charlotte.

The metro area is at a crucial stage where development and redevelopment are occurring rapidly due to dramatic population growth, said Shannon Binns, founder and executive director of the non-profit Sustain Charlotte.

“The decisions that we make today about how to use our available land and how we travel will profoundly impact the quality of life and livability of the community now and for generations to come,” Binns said.

This story was originally published May 12, 2015 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Sustain Charlotte awarded $200K from Knight Foundation Cycling Fund."