Biking & Walking

Join the Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee

The French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization is establishing a Pedestrian & Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) to provide input on matters related to bicycle and pedestrian transportation, safety, and multimodal planning. The PBAC shall serve as a forum for community input and stakeholder perspectives on active transportation issues and shall provide recommendations to MPO staff, the Technical Coordinating Committee (TCC), and the MPO Board.

Four members of the public will be appointed by County Commissioners to ensure geographic representation. The remaining five members of the committee will be selected from this application process.

Meetings of this committee will take place quarterly, during regular working hours on weekdays. Applicants must live within the French Broad River MPO Planning Area in order to be eligible, which includes Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, and parts of Madison County.

Applications will close at midnight on Monday, July 6. Apply here.

A cartoonized photo of a group of people standing around a map. A logo for the French Broad River MPO and a QR code for the Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee call for applications.

Why use active transportation?

Regardless of what mode of transportation you use to get from point A to B, every person is a pedestrian at some point during their day. These ways of getting around are affordable, efficient, good for personal and environmental health, and great for community building.

Affordable

  • No pumping gas or oil changes
  • Free parking
  • Reduced vehicle wear & tear
  • No insurance, taxes, or licenses

Improved Well-Being

  • Stress reduction
  • Mood enhancement
  • Increased confidence
  • Cardio health
  • Improved focus & memory
  • Legs of steel

Economic Impact

  • Studies show that people who bike and walk for transportation have greater economic impact and support more local business than those who drive.

Environmental Health

  • Zero emissions
  • Less wear and tear on infrastructure, requiring less repaving and less land needed for parking

Connection

  • People who bike and walk for transportation report greater social connection and community engagement, and less isolation

Efficient

  • Biking is faster than walking
  • Zip past traffic jams
  • No scraping windshields in winter
  • No searching the block for parking