Learn to Ride Biking Initiative

About the Program

Category: Parks and Recreation (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

The LTR (Learn to Ride) Biking Initiative is a biking program designed to teach participants of all ages how to effectively ride a bike, exposing those involved to varying techniques and strategies to help engage and direct them to riding safely in different environments. LTR was created to address the request of Mecklenburg County residents to make greenways and parks more accessible to them, and to inform and educate the many families on bike accessibility spreading into the county as well. This initiative is a partnership between Mecklenburg County’s Park and Recreation Department and Trips for Kids, where some of the initial skills and assessments were taught to staff to be shared through the programs. The LTR Biking Initiative has become more widespread, seeing events being hosted at 5 recreation centers 3 times a year on a large basis, and complemented with private lessons and other biking outlets at 10+ other locations throughout Mecklenburg County. This effort has engaged and taught over 2000 people how to ride bikes safely in Charlotte, and has mobilized their families to engage the outdoors and amenities within Mecklenburg County, successfully educating the growing population on how to navigate their neighborhoods and beyond.