The 4th Annual Active Mobility Summit was a huge success!
Check out the recap, with photos, videos and extensive notes.
The Piedmont Environmental Council is pulling together an alliance of organizations that share a vision of a better-connected community for walking, biking and other forms of active transportation in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
We believe that everyone in our community should have multimodal access to education, employment, and recreational opportunities. Access to these opportunities must be safe, comfortable, convenient, and free from physical and systemic barriers for individuals of all ages, abilities, and racial and ethnic backgrounds. Meeting this essential standard makes our community healthier, more sustainable, and more just. This new alliance will be dedicated to improving mobility and promoting active lifestyles and everyday access to the outdoors.
We strive for...
- Connected neighborhoods and places in Charlottesville and Albemarle–with focus on urban areas
- Increased non-motorized access to resources, jobs, education, and opportunities and everyday access to nature and the outdoors
- Transportation options that support the use of transit, ride-sharing and other alternatives to reduce car-dependence
- Safe, comfortable, and truly available settings for all users and, when feasible, variety of experiences
- A culture of cooperation and shared investment among the City, County and University as well as with businesses, non-profit and community groups.
- Improved health, wellness and economic prospects and outcomes for all area residents.
The community reached an important milestone in 2019 with the completion of the Jefferson Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, but that vision can only become a reality with organized advocacy and persistent engagement.
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Who Can Join the Alliance?
- Any organization, group, club, or business dedicated to promoting walking, biking, running, skating, scooting, riding, paddling, transit or other forms of active transportation, recreation or healthful pursuit of a more active community may become a member.
- Because organizations don’t do work (their people do) individuals are welcome too.
- We do not prioritize organizations based on size or specific legal status.
- Member organizations appoint one representative to act as a contact / liaison.
- The groups will be called upon, on occasion, to take coordinated action.
- Government agencies can take part as partners or guests but cannot vote.
- Any group may join at any time during the first year of the Alliance (2021).
- As the group evolves, some kind of charter will be created.
- Membership is free
Current Members & Partners*
Albemarle County *
Basic Cycles
Botanical Garden of the Piedmont
Center for Design & Health, University of Virginia
Charlottesville Area Alliance
Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC)
Charlottesville Area Trail Runners (CATs)
Charlottesville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Charlottesville Community Bikes
Charlottesville Racing Club
CHS Green BACON
City of Charlottesville *
Come as You Are Cville
Community Climate Collaborative (C3)
Crozet Trail Crew
EcoVillage Education Institute
High Tor Gear Exchange
Ivy Creek Foundation
Livable Cville
The Piedmont Environmental Council
Public Lands
Rivanna River Company
Rivanna Trails Foundation
Run Charlottesville
Safe Routes to School *
Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital
Stony Point Development Group
Thomas Jefferson Foundation
Thomas Jefferson Health District *
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission *
University of Virginia Foundation
University of Virginia Office of the Architect *
University of Virginia Office of Sustainability *
Virginia Conservation Network
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation *
The Uhuru Foundation
Wegmans Food Market INC
Wildrock
and numerous individuals
Meeting Structure
- Meetings are bi-monthly, usually on Zoom, with an annual full-day Summit in February.
- The purpose of the meetings is to share information and find ways to collaborate.
- Meetings are open to the public but only member organizations may vote. (*) Government partners share information but do not vote or take advocacy positions.
- Because the goal is to make decisions by consensus, voting is rare.
- Smaller working groups will be formed to address specific issues/opportunities.
- PEC will convene the group and provide some staff support (through its Community Organizer).
This is not a non-profit organization but rather a framework for existing groups to share resources and to collaborate toward common goals. The coalition will identify specific work areas where there is significant overlap of interest. Teams will form to plot and execute concrete action steps.
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Here are some areas that have been identified as opportunities for collaboration:
- Advocacy for state and local infrastructure spending (*)
- Business engagement
- Affiliation or Donation programs
- Walk+Bike-friendly biz
- Corridor Analysis, Mapping and Feasibility
- Counting, Data Collection and Evaluation
- Education
- Benefits of physical activity
- Etiquette, Safety, and Health practices
- Environmental and Social justice
- Events
- Annual Summit
- Bike Rides (*)
- Community Walks/hikes
- Monthly social (*)
- Open Streets (*)
- Push-ins and tabling (*)
- Fundraising
- Maintenance / Volunteerism Clearinghouse
- Inter-organization coordination
- Public interface
- Marketing
- One-Map project (*)
- Policy, education, and engagement
- Research, learning, professional development (*)
- Signage
- Directional / wayfinding
- Educational / interpretive
- Safety / Etiquette
- Social and Environmental Justice
- Social Media
- Story-telling
- Tactical Urbanism
- Youth Programs and engagement
(*) The current, informal, coalition is already working on these things.
We look forward to working together!
Questions? Please contact PEC community organizer, Peter Krebs, at pkrebs@pecva.org.