Bicycling In Greensboro (BIG) began in September, 2005. Kurt Cavanagh (who later became BIG's first Chairman) and Jesse Day had posted flyers around downtown Greensboro, asking anyone who thought Greensboro should have more bike lanes, to gather for an informal meeting at the Green Bean coffeehouse. As fate would have it, the Green Bean's power was out that day, so the group of 30 or so relocated to the outdoor patio at Cheesecakes by Alex, just a short walk to the north. The details of that meeting are a dim memory now, but two important decisions were made: the group would keep meeting; and its name would be "Bicycling In Greensboro" or simply "BIG."
At the time BIG was formed, the Greensboro Department of Transportation was in the midst of developing the Greensboro Urban Area Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Greenways Master Plan (aka BiPed Plan). One of BIG's first efforts was developing extensive comments on the final draft of the BiPed Plan. Many of the recommendations in these comments were incorporated into the adopted BiPed Plan.
Since that time, BIG has taken on many other projects, such as the Greensboro Ride of Silence, and forged ahead with new initiatives, such as the Changing Gears Program. BIG continues to find new ways of promoting the transformation embodied in its mission.
Bicycling In Greensboro, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, incorporated in the State of North Carolina. BIG currently has a Board of Directors, led by four officers: Chairman, Chairman-elect, Treasurer, and Secretary. Our Board is comprised of volunteers who represent a wide array of professions and involvement in the cycling community.