Crest Street Community Day Featuring Bull City Open Streets!

Come on down to the Crest Street neighborhood tomorrow between 10am and 2pm, for a fun-filled day of activities for the whole family!

There will be all sorts of entertainment—Walltown cheerleaders, Gospel rappers, unique dancers, and more.  Crest Street will be closed to cars, allowing people to walk and bike in the streets.  You’ll get a chance to blend your own smoothies by pedaling on our bike blenders with fruit provide by Whole Foods Durham.  Free basic bike maintenance will also be offered.

So come on down!  We look forward to seeing you at the New Bethel Baptist Church parking Lot.

Ninna

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Trinity Park Neighborhood Bike Tune-Up

Trinity Park neighbors can have their bikes tuned-up this Sunday, September 4^th from 11am to 1pm at Trinity Park, at the corner of Trinity Ave. & Watts St.  Your neighbor and Bicycle Transportation Trainer, Matthew Carter, will be there to assist you and get your bike back on the road.

But wait there’s more…you’ll also have the chance to pedal up your very own bike blended smoothie while Matthew works on your bike!

Hope to see you at Trinity Park this Sunday!

Ninna

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South Durham Green Neighbors’ Bus Trip

On a sunny June day, six neighbors from South Durham took a bus trip around our fabulous Bull City. Their trip started with hopping on the #7 DATA bus at the corner of Fayetteville Road & Woodcroft Parkway, and taking it to Durham Station.  There they caught the Bull City Connector and checked out the bus line to the end, each way.  They got off at Golden Belt and toured the artist studios.  When lunch time approached they took the bus back to Ninth Street Bakery for some tasty food.  Not far from there lies the Durham Arts Council as well as the Carolina Theatre.  Several of the bus riders walked to the theatre for a tour.  On the way back everyone talked about what a great day they had in Durham taking the bus.  The bus drivers were friendly and helpful, and their fellow passengers gave good tips along the way!

To plan your next bus trip, go to www.gotriangle.org. To get in contact with the South Durham Green Neighbors (SDGN) group, please send an email to naima@cleanenergydurham.org.

Ninna

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Back to School Bike Tune-Up Saturday

Welcome neighbors of Watts Hospital-Hillandale and Old West Durham to yet another bike event at Oval Park on August 20^th!

If your family’s bikes need a tune-up before school starts, this is the time.  Bicycle Transportation Trainer, Teddy Salazar, will be at your service to help make your rides smooth and safe.  Speaking of ‘smooth,’ there will be free smoothies to anyone who hops on and blend it themselves with our fabulous bike blenders!

Hope to see you at Oval Park, August 20^th 10am-12pm!

Ninna

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Hop, Sip & Ride Burch Avenue

Last month folks from the Burch Avenue neighborhood took a fun Hop, Sip & Ride venture on the DATA bus system.  A dozen Burch Avenue neighbors gathered at the bus stop at Chapel Hill & Gattis Streets to hop on the #6 DATA bus to Durham Station.  After a quick bus transfer to the # 4, they landed at the Geer Street bus stop.  Clean Energy Durham staff member Ninna Gagnon illustrated how smart and efficient it is to travel with a bike on a bus.  Lesson learned: Do not forget your bike on the rack when changing buses!  The destination for the evening was Geer Street Garden, where the group enjoyed each other’s company as well as tasty appetizers and their drink of choice.

To plan your next trip by bus, go to www.gotriangle.org.  Please contact  naima@cleanenergydurham.org if you are interested in this kind of event in your neighborhood.

Ninna

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Hop Sip & Ride – Old West Durham

The Hop Sip & Ride made a fashionable comeback in Old West Durham at the end of June.  A crew of a dozen neighbors met at the bus stop at Hillsborough Road and Rutherford Street to catch the #11 DATA bus to Durham Station.  The neighborhood bus stop is but a stone’s throw from the Locopops located on Hillsborough Road, a nice stop on the way on a hot summer’s day.  The Old West Durhamites went to the West End Wine Bar on Main Street to relax and enjoy a glass of wine and nice company.  On the way back, some of the neighbors stopped at a bus stop close to their friendly neighborhood bar, Dain’s Place on Ninth Street.

To plan your next trip by bus, go to www.gotriangle.org. Please contact ninna@cleanenergydurham.org if you are interested in this kind of event in your neighborhood.

Ninna

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Another Satisfied Resident of Fisher Heights

This is what one satisfied resident of Fisher Heights told us after getting her home energy retrofit as part of the City’s Neighborhood Energy Retrofit Program:

“We had the retrofit completed and are so very satisfied. Our home is so much cooler and uses less energy. Air flow is even. It’s hard to believe it’s the same house. Last year at this time, we had to turn our thermostat to 65° in order to be cool. Since the retrofit, we turn it to 75° and it’s perfectly cool. I can hardly wait to see our next light bill.

“The programmable thermostat is wonderful to have! Clean Energy Durham is to be complimented. You did a great job in getting word out about the project and stayed connected with residents ‘every step of the way.’  Additionally, the contractors were very professional.”

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Trinity Park Bike Clinic

Ninna Gagnon

Sun, bikes, neighbors, oil, tools and smoothies–there you have the ingredients for a successful bike clinic. The neighbors of Trinity Park gathered together on a recent Saturday to get their bikes fixed and tuned up. There you found Matthew Carter, one of Clean Energy Durham’s Bicycle Transportation Trainers, willing and able to assist his neighbors. And even those who didn’t bring a bike to get fixed simply went to make a smoothie–a bike powered one at that. I believe we all agreed that the taste is so much better once you’ve had to put in a little effort.

The sun was smiling upon us, which was welcomed considering some recent bike clinics highlighted North Carolina’s weather diversity with rain, hail and tornado watch. Besides the fixed bikes now fit for the streets of Durham, my favorite part of the day was the smiling and curious children with their smoothie stained mouths playing with the bicycle tools. The day was a great scene to get them excited about cycling at an early age.

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Matvey Farber: He’s Been Commuting on the Railroad

Old Five Points

Matvey Farber is not your average public transit commuter or even your average commuter—he works in Burlington.

The first time Matvey took the train was a couple of months after he started the job. He did a little research online and found that he could bicycle to Durham’s Amtrak station, have his bicycle hung in the baggage car for free, get off in Burlington and cycle to work. He finds that the reliability and timing in the morning work perfectly.

The way back to Durham takes a bit more thought. Currently there are only three trains a day that run between Burlington and Durham: morning, afternoon, and evening. His employers would probably not be thrilled if he made it a habit of leaving mid-afternoon, and usually Matvey does not want to wait to head home to his family until the evening train leaves Burlington at 7:30pm. Although he sometimes settles for taking the late train, Matvey has also discovered that during good weather he can bicycle home in two hours, thereby taking control over what time he gets home and enjoying the many perks of getting in a nice long distance ride.

The commute back to Durham without a car is a bit of a commitment, so Matvey generally drives his car to Burlington four out of five days a week. However, when your commute is 70 miles round-trip, the energy savings for taking the train one day a week are high. According to Matvey, the bottom line about commuting by train is that it only costs five bucks and he gets to relax and set aside any worries about speeding tickets or getting cut off.

If you would like to learn more about taking the train contact robin@cleanenergydurham.org to be connected with Matvey.

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Teddy Salazar: Family Bicycle Tips

Watts Hospital-Hillandale

Teddy is one of the new Bicycle Transportation Trainers for Watts Hospital-Hillandale. Like many Durham residents, Teddy enjoys leisurely solo rides down our region’s scenic roads, but when he is riding in the neighborhood, you are just as likely to spot Teddy riding with his family as by himself. He and his wife transport their kids to and from E.K. Powe Elementary School by bicycle daily. As a result, their young children are already accomplished bicycle riders.

Teddy was one of the parents at an E.K. Powe Bike/Walk to School day, where parents where noting that the school’s bike racks were all full to the brim. The bicycle is a great option for many of Durham’s families who live a bit out of comfortable walking range from their district school.

When gearing up your family for bicycling around town, Teddy has a few simple tips:

1. Use the neighborhood listserv. Teddy jests that the Watts Hospital-Hillandale listserv is similar to the room of requirement from Harry Potter, and thus a great place to find and pass along children’s bicycles.
2. If you buy a bike, neutral colors are best. It will be easier to pass along.
3. Kids bikes don’t need fancy suspension shocks or 21 speeds. A good quality basic bike will do the trick.

If your kids are students at E.K. Powe, keep an eye out for Teddy, as he is planning on starting a bike club at the school. So if you want your kids to know how to signal turns and fix their own flat tires, sign them up.

To be connected with Teddy, contact robin@cleanenergydurham.org.

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