Who We Are
Hi there! We’re Palmetto Walk Bike.
For 30 years, we’ve championed a simple idea.
Walking and biking should be safe, easy, and accessible across South Carolina.
Formerly the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, we’ve rebranded as Palmetto Walk Bike to better reflect the full scope of our mission. We advocate for connected, people-first infrastructure like sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, greenways, and safe streets that benefit all South Carolinians, from small towns to city centers.
We work at the state level and support local partners with tools, data, and policy solutions that make communities more livable, equitable, and vibrant.
Whether you’re a parent walking your kids to school, a teenager biking to work, or an older adult crossing the street, you deserve a safe way to get where you’re going.
Board of Directors
Rip Sanders, Acting Chair
Brian Curran, Treasurer
Lanneau Lide
Mary McGowan
Eshana Young-Pierre
Linda Davis
Lewis McWhite
Brittany Jones
Brad Cantrell
Carlsen Huey
Advisory Board Members
Kelly Mezzapelle
Myrtle Beach, SC
Leigh Deforth
Columbia, SC
Kyle Kelly
Sumter, SC
Our History
1995-Present
Palmetto Walk Bike began in 1995 as the Palmetto Cycling Coalition, founded by a group of volunteers working to make South Carolina safer for people on bikes. Over the past three decades, we’ve grown into the state’s leading voice for active transportation, building coalitions, advocating for better policies, and supporting equitable communities that want safer, more accessible streets.
In the early 2000s, we helped update bicycle safety laws in the SC Drivers Manual, distributed tens of thousands of bike law cards, and trained local instructors through national programs. We also supported cities across the state in earning Bicycle Friendly Community status and co-published the SC Complete Streets Toolkit.
During the 2010s, we launched Safe Streets Save Lives, the state’s first strategic bike safety education campaign. We advocated for a safer rumble strip policy and helped defeat multiple harmful transportation bills at the State House. We helped secure a new $5 million annual investment from SCDOT for pedestrian and bike safety. We also began serving in Road Safety Audits, putting everyday citizens at the table to shape safer road designs.
By 2020, we had grown the SC Livable Communities Alliance into a powerful statewide network of 25 mayors and dozens of local and state organizations. That coalition led to one of our biggest policy wins to date: the adoption of a strong, funded SCDOT Departmental Directive on Complete Streets.
In 2023, we launched the Livable Streets Academy to train and equip local advocates across the state. In 2024, we released a statewide low-stress bike map to help identify safer routes for people of all ages and abilities.
In 2025, the Hands-Free Bill passed into law, after more than ten years of advocacy work.
In Summer of 2025, we changed our name to Palmetto Walk Bike to better reflect our mission. We’re proud of our history and excited for what comes next.
Palmetto Walk Bike 