Car-free zones in Raleigh might help boost its post-pandemic economic recovery.

Car-free zones in Raleigh might help boost its post-pandemic economic recovery.
When it's frustrating or dangerous to get downtown, people avoid going downtown – period. If it's too much of a pain to drive and park, and it feels too dangerous to bike, people will go to spend time and money at places that are easier and less frustrating to access.

Recently, I met with two NC State students over coffee to discuss using The Bike Library as an event space for the university's sustainability program. I had given a presentation at one of their club meetings earlier this year, and they reached out to explore a partnership. We decided to meet at Jubala on Hillsborough.

Kirk arrived at the scheduled meeting time, but after sitting with him for ten minutes and wondering where Adrienne was, I realized I’d accidentally scheduled the meeting thirty minutes earlier than we had agreed to. She was still on her way from Chemistry lab. Silly me. Not the first time I've done that, either.

While we waited, Kirk and I chatted about biking in Raleigh. He had biked to Jubala that day, still sweating from the unusually warm October afternoon. He told me it was his first off-campus ride in a long time. I asked him what he thought about biking in the city, and then I just listened.

Cars, he said, were his biggest concern. In Ross Bassett’s Cycling Cities class—which had inspired him to bike more—many students said they were hesitant to ride because of cars. On campus, Kirk said he never wore a helmet, but biking to Jubala, he did. It made him feel safer among the fast-moving traffic and distracted drivers, who split their attention between their phones and the road.

Cameron Zamot

Cameron Zamot

Cameron likes bikes, coffee, and writing.