It all started in 1974 when the North Carolina General Assembly enacted the Bicycle and Bikeway Act that established what was then known as the North Carolina Bicycle and Bikeway Program. The name was eventually shortened to North Carolina Bicycle Program. In 1977, additional legislation was enacted that established the North Carolina Bicycle Committee.
The Bicycle Program's early years were devoted to forming a program structure, developing policy, mapping cross-state bicycle routes, and organizing many of the safety promotions that continue today. In 1980 the Bicycle Program was given its own operating budget, staff was increased, and the mode became more autonomous. Starting in the 1980s, the NCDOT began building bicycle facilities, both as incidental parts of highway construction projects and as independent projects. In April, 1992 in response to Congress' passage of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), the Secretary of the NCDOT expanded the Bicycle Program to become the Office of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation. During the 1990s, the Office has continued its growth, both in staff and in the range of services it provides. In 1997, the office was made a full-fledged division within NCDOT and named the Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation.
