Carrboro gets peek into local biker economy

Some Carrboro businesses got a brief glimpse at how the town’s economy works by circulating $200 worth of marked $2 bills over the weekend.

The bills were part of an experiment by the North Carolina Bicycle Summit to track where and how bicyclists spent their money locally.

The summit, held Friday, Saturday and Sunday in downtown Carrboro, aimed to promote bicycling across the state and the economic advantages it brings to local markets, said Heidi Perry, the event’s organizer and the treasurer of the Carrboro Bicycle Coalition.

The $2 bills were stamped with an image of a red bicycle in order to track their circulation throughout businesses in town.

Perry said the circulation gave people a better idea of how cycling boosts the economy.

“The idea was that $2 bills stand out, which is why we chose them,” she said. “We wanted to encourage those attending to spend their dollars locally.”

Biker and UNC senior Danny Allen said he attended the summit on behalf of the Tar Heel Bikes student organization.

“I wanted to learn about bicycle advocacy throughout the state. I was interested from that perspective,” he said.

He said while he did not receive a $2 bill, he noticed most of the attendees used theirs at local restaurants.

“It symbolized easily how biking can affect local businesses. Bicyclists don’t travel as fast as isolated people who drive cars,” Allen said.

“They aren’t separated from the environment, but are immersed into it. That’s what the bills demonstrated.”

Allen said he thinks bicyclists offer practicality to local economies.

“Bicyclists spend less on fuel for one,” he said.

“Their money can be used instead on food, the local bar or service or other local places.”

Chyenna Jessee, the owner and operator of Jessee’s Coffee & Bar, said the $2 bills had an enormous presence at her business Friday, though at first she didn’t know where the bills were coming from.

“We don’t see that many bikers come in besides the locals usually,” she said. “It was good to see so many of them.”

Wendy Smith, operator of Cameron’s gift shop, also said several bills were spent at the shop, which moved from its former location in University Mall to Carrboro’s 300 East Main development last week.

Michael Richards, the manager of Carrburritos restaurant on Rosemary Street, said many of the bills have passed through the store’s cash registers since the event.

“It was a good indicator of how money is spent locally,” he said.

“And it wasn’t spent at Wall Street. The local economy can sustain itself.”

city@dailytarheel.com