Geography Student Earns Sustainability Award for Focus On Cycling Options

UNC Charlotte’s Ray Atkinson was one of 12 community leaders to win a Community Sustainability Award in April, presented by Sustain Charlotte for his work as president of the cyclists club at UNC Charlotte. Atkinson earned his bachelor’s degree in geography in May.

Atkinson was the only student recognized by Sustain Charlotte, receiving its Transportation award. This organization annually awards leaders of local nonprofits, government agencies, businesses and schools for their efforts to help realize “Charlotte 2030: A Sustainable Vision for Our Region.”

“The mission of the Cyclists Club is to bring together cyclists and non-cyclists to create a more livable campus and community for all,” Atkinson said. Atkinson did research and found out that the 2007 Campus Circulation Master Plan concluded that only 1 percent of the student body and faculty population at UNC Charlotte use bicycles on campus.

He has worked to get the word out on campus by hosting events such as one on Valentine’s Day called “ I Wheelie Like You,” as well as having more bicycle racks around the main part of campus. He recently co-coordinated an effort called “Cycle to Science” to encourage people to ride their bikes to campus as they participated in the UNC Charlotte Science and Technology Expo.

“The purpose is aligned with the Five E’s,” Atkinson said. “These are Engineering, Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, and Evaluation and Planning.”

Commitment to the “Five E’s,” has helped Atkinson win impressive awards. Some of these awards include: Most Reliable Senator by the Student Government Association, Herman J. Hoose Memorial Scholarship for the NC Institute of Transportation and being part of the winning team at the North Carolina World Geography Bowl.

Being president of the cyclists club is just one of many leadership roles on a long list that he can proudly claim. He has been an Eco-Rep for the Office of Sustainability, a member of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences CLAS ACT Student Advisory Group, Co-Chair of Charlotte Green Initiative, and founding officer of the Geography Club.

In June and July of 2012 Atkinson traveled abroad for three weeks in the Netherlands and Denmark through the Sustainable Bicycle Transportation Field Seminar at the University of Oregon. This seminar involved studying bicycle planning, design, policy and culture as a sustainable and economically viable form of transportation.

“I enjoyed the opportunity to ride my bicycle on safe and convenient routes,” Atkinson said. “Through my work with the cyclists club, I’ve been working to bring this type of infrastructure to UNC Charlotte’s campus.”

Atkinson is exploring his options, and he is confident he will continue working with bicycle and pedestrian planning. “Wherever I end up, I plan to continue living a car-free life,” he said. “Yes, I have lived a car-free life in Charlotte for the past four years.”

He has been applying across the country for full-time jobs that relate to bicycle and pedestrian planning. He also wants to attend graduate school, starting in fall of 2014. He plans to apply to graduate schools in the Pacific Northwest or another bicycle and pedestrian friendly region of the United States and possibly in Europe, so he can study bicycle and pedestrian planning.

No matter where Atkinson ends up, he is certain to follow an environmentally friendly path to get there.

Words: Tom Quinn.  Image: Provided by Ray Atkinson.