Image by Flickr user M.V. Jantzen
Charleston will play host to Chris Kluth of San Diego's Active Transportation Program as he talks about how huge and diverse regions can incorporate biking for fun, recreation, and sport.
The free event is Thursday, April 8, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the South End Brewery at 161 East Bay Street in downtown Charleston. It is a production of the Clemson Architecture Center in Charleston and Charleston Civic Design Center, and is sponsored by MyBikeLaw.com and CharlestonMoves.
Here's more details about it from an e-mailed note:
Chris Kluth, Program Manager, San Diego Association of Governments Active Transportation Program
From 50,000- to 5-feet: Bring a Vision to Reality
As the Program Manager of the Active Transportation Program for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), Mr. Kluth oversees planning and implementation of the regional bicycle network and provides policy and technical assistance on bicycle projects to the SANDAG area. The Active Transportation Program has a $15-18 million bi-annual grant program that funds bicycle and pedestrian master plans, bicycle and pedestrian capital projects, traffic calming projects, bicycle parking, and education and awareness programs. SANDAG recently released its first ever Regional Bicycle Plan, a far reaching policy on land use and transportation that makes bicycling a viable transportation option.
Mr. Kluth will talk about the challenges of transforming a huge and diverse region into a bicycle friendly community and how advocates and government officials work together meet these challenges.
Chris has been riding since he got his first two-wheeler at six - a purple Stingray wannabe from Sears. He says, "I loved that bike. We rode everywhere, jumping curbs, riding no-hands, and popping wheelies riding on one wheel for blocks at a time. I still remember it, like it was yesterday." Chris grew up in Los Angeles and went to school at UCLA, moved to Seattle for awhile and then to Austin where he got his Masters in Community Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. He was the Program Planner for the City of Austin Bicycle Program before moving back to California. He has commuted by bike in every city he's lived and it's been over seven year since he has commuted to work by car.
