Town of Chapel Hill awarded grant for its new Wheels of Wellness program

On Jan. 18, the Town of Chapel Hill was awarded a $125,000 grant from the United States Conference of Mayors and the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America to fund its new Wheels of Wellness program.

According to the Town’s press release, the program intends to promote youth bike riding by increasing access to bicycles and hosting fun and educational events, including Wheels of Wellness block parties.

In her mayoral letter of support, Chapel Hill Town Mayor Jess Anderson said the grant would fund a fleet of 68 youth bicycles and equipment to implement bicycle education programs, staff to oversee the program and a trailer to transport bicycles to host block parties for the Town’s disadvantaged neighborhoods. 

Town Mobility and Greenways Manager Bergen Watterson said the idea for Wheels of Wellness first began in early 2024 when the Town hired Alyson West as the coordinator for Safe Routes to School; her main role was to encourage kids to walk or bike to school. West sought funding to incorporate bicycle education into schools, and she plans to work with nonprofits in the area to purchase bicycles and connect people to purchase their own bicycles, Watterson said.

West said she drew inspiration from hearing about ideas shared during conversations with townspeople, which included weekend party events. She said she wanted to draw people and families in different neighborhoods together.

The program will provide an opportunity for children to learn bicycle-riding skills in workshops and garner experience in using bicycles, Watterson said.

“Having the opportunity to connect with each other around bike-riding — that’s the start of something that can spark that interest in someone, in any young person,” West said. “Just seeing where you can have fun outside, and where you can be with your friends and kind of enjoy moving around — I think having that foundation is pretty important.”

Watterson said at one of the block parties, the program may hold a practice bicycle ride beginning from a neighborhood to the nearby school to show children and parents an option for organizing groups to ride to school in the mornings together. It shows parents that their children have the confidence and desire to bicycle, West said.

Additionally, West said the program may host group bicycle rides on greenways to expose the children to local trails that they may not have had the opportunity to explore.

John Rees, Bicycle Alliance of Chapel Hill president, said it is important for children to learn how to safely ride a bicycle because it gives them a sense of autonomy as they grow up and become more independent. Being able to educate children about how to utilize safety equipment, including helmets and bicycle lights, is useful for the community, he said.

"If you happen to see [a child] not following the rules properly when they're on the bicycle, you really can't fault them because, unless they have a parent who is an active cyclist and takes them out with them, they're not going to know those things," he said.

Although the Town is still working out the details for the official launch of the program, West said they would love to have it ready by May, which is National Bike Month, to be able to celebrate the various reasons for biking: health, sustainability, community and fun. She said there are also many events happening around town during the month, including Bike & Roll to School Day.

“That is our number one — not to force people to ride bikes, but to provide opportunities for people who want to ride bikes to do it safely, and have a connected network of facilities around town,” Watterson said.

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