Make Your Silence Heard: 2012 Ride of Silence

By Blanche Dean, Guest Blogger from Team MSFITS.

On May 16, 2012 at 7:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will begin in North America and roll across the globe. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists (and the obligation to follow the same rules of the road as motorists), the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights, and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.

Please join Team MSFITS as they host the 7^th Annual RTP Ride of Silence starting and finishing at RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive, RTP.  The Research Triangle Foundation has once again granted us permission to stage the ride at their facility and they are endorsing this ride.  The Durham Police Reserves will once again lead our procession, adding dignity and safety to our journey.

The Ride of Silence is a free ride, approximately 5 miles in length, that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. The ride, which is held during National Bike Month, aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for and honor the lives of those who have been killed or injured.

I know you’ve been out there riding and had things thrown at you, been “buzzed” by a motor vehicle trying to see how close they could get, been screamed at to get off the road, and worse.  You may have been injured and probably know someone or of someone who has died as a result of a motor vehicle/bicycle crash.  THIS is the ride to show your solidarity as a cycling community – to raise awareness and say “shame on you” to those who carelessly travel our roads without regard to life or limb.

We will supply black armbands to all cyclists to wear in memory of those who have been killed and red armbands to those cyclists who join us and are survivors of motor vehicle/bicycle accidents.  Please arrive early enough to prepare yourself and your bike to ride, to sign waivers, and participate in a tribute to cyclists before we head out at 7:00 sharp.  Read more »

May Food Truck Rodeo

Join us for the RTP Food Truck Rodeo
on
Thursday, May 17^th

Calling all Food Truck fans! Bring your friends, bring your colleagues, and come on out for RTP’s May Food Truck Rodeo.

Date: Thursday, May 17
Time: 11:30 AM -1:30 PM
Location: RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (Directions)

In honor of National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week, SmartCommute@rtp will be providing free gifts to anyone that rides their bike to the event and providing useful information on bicycle commuting.

Participating Food Trucks:

Pie Pushers
@piepushers

Only Burger
@onlyburger

The Parlour
@parlourdurham

Chirba Chirba Dumpling
@chirbachirba

Will and Pops
@willandpops

Olde North State BBQ
@ONSBBQ

As always, parking is limited so we strongly encourage carpooling, and of course, riding your bike to the event!

We look forward to seeing everyone!

AND save the date for next Food Truck Rodeo on Thursday, June 14^th!

Gear up for Bike Month: May 2012

Let’s face it: we live in an automobile-centric nation, and I don’t think I’d be surprising anyone in saying that the Triangle isn’t necessarily the ideal place to commute to and from work by bike.  However, that certainly doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to ride your bike to work; nor does it mean that the Triangle isn’t a bicycle friendly community. In fact, the town of Carrboro has received a silver designation for being a bicycle friendly community from the League of American Bicyclists; and Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh have all received bronze designations. Clearly, bicycle commuting in the Triangle is growing in popularity and amenities to support it are also growing.

For the month of May, the Triangle is celebrating Bike To Work Month, an entire month dedicated to encouraging and supporting one of the most economical and healthy ways of commuting. This month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons people ride. Whether you bike to work or school; to save money or time; to preserve your health or the environment; to explore your community or get to your destination, biking can be one of the most rewarding modes of transportation. And if you’ve been thinking about starting to ride to work, but haven’t put your foot to the pedal yet, I hope you’ll use this month to give it a go.

There are lots of events going on in the Triangle to celebrate Bike to Work Month, including several events in RTP, sponsored by SmartCommute@rtp:

• Bicycle Community Basics – Lunch and Learn
  Thursday, May 10, 11:30AM-1PM
  RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Dr.
  This seminar will cover the basics of commuting by bicycle, safe cycling, riding in traffic, crash avoidance, and cyclists’ rights and responsibilities. The course is open to anyone and both novice and experienced riders are welcome and encouraged to attend. Registration Required.

• Bike to Work Month After-Hours Social
  Tuesday, May 15, 5-7PM
  Serena, 5311 South Miami Blvd. Suite A
  Cyclists enjoy free appetizers, drinks, and giveaways.

• Ride of Silence
  Wednesday, May 16, 7PM
  RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Dr.
  A silent procession to honor cyclists who’ve been killed or injured on public roadways. Organized by MS Fits and hosted by SmartCommute@rtp, this free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph, wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and remain silent during the ride. Visit www.msfits.org/ride-of-silence.html for more information.

• Bike to Work Month Breakfast Social
  Friday, May 18, 7-9AM
  RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Dr.
  Cyclists enjoy a free continental breakfast and giveaways.

For a complete list of the Bike to Work Month events occuring Triangle-wide, visit GoTriangle. And for more information and resources on biking in the RTP area, visit SmartCommute.org.

Give a Book. Change a Life.

Community Outreach@rtp will be running a book drive from April 19 to May 15, and we need your new and gently used children’s books!

Books in the home are the single biggest predictor of academic success – yet more than half of our country’s low-income children do not own a single book, setting them up to struggle in school and to perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

The books we collect will be donated to Books on Break, a program to enable Durham’s low-income children to select up to ten books to take home and keep at the end of the school year.  These books will help arrest the summer slide that plagues low-income children and that contributes to the achievement gap.

There are a few easy ways to participate:

• Between now and May 15^th, simply drop your book donations in the specially marked bins located at RTP Headquarters, 12 Davis Drive (and at the Food Truck Rodeo on the 19^th).  Your company may be hosting drop off bins as well.

• If you don’t have gently used books at home to donate, please consider purchasing new books.  To make it even easier, buy books from Books on Break’s Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to the RTP Headquarters:  http://amzn.com/w/1HQGXBNUBPF0X
  OR
  Stop by the Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street in Durham and purchase a new book to donate to Books on Break; you’ll receive a 20% discount.

We need books for elementary school children (1^st through 6^th grade), from picture books to chapter books.  And we are grateful for both new books and gently used books that your kids may have outgrown.

Books on Break is a joint project of Community Outreach@rtp (a committee of the RTP Owners and Tenants Assocation), Book Harvest and Durham Public Schools.

To learn more, please visit www.bookharvestnc.org and www.rtp.org/community. And if you’d like to host a drop off location at your office, we have sign templates and flyers available at www.rtp.org/community.

Thank you for helping Triangle kids experience the joy of book ownership this summer!

The Earth Day Celebration Roundup

April has easily become a month dedicated to increased awareness and activity in the arena of sustainability, and Earth Day is right around the corner (April 22^nd).  Over the next few weeks, many companies are putting together events for their employees to help engage and educate them on ways they can improve the planet.  Companies like IBM, Cisco, and BASF are inviting organizations to share some of the great information they have on ways employees can help the planet.  For example, SmartCommute@rtp will be providing information on ways employees can green up their commutes.

Of course, even if your company isn’t offering an event, there are still lots of ways to celebrate Earth Day, right here in RTP.

RTP Earth Day GetConnected Event
If you haven’t already heard, RTP will be hosting its very own Earth Day Celebration in conjunction with the Triangle Green Business Challenge Kickoff on April 23, from 4pm to 6:30pm at the RTP Headquarters.  This event will include food, beverages, raffles, and guest speakers.  (You can register here.)  You’ll likely be hearing more about this event in the coming days.

RTP Electronics Recycling Day
Environment@rtp will be hosting its annual Spring Electronics Recycling Drive on Wednesday, April 25th for RTP for employees to drop off unneeded household electronics for donation and/or recycling. Visit www.environmentrtp.org/news-events/electronics-recycling-events for more information on this free event.

Books on Break Book Drive
Community Outreach@rtp will be hosting its inaugural “Books on Break” book drive for elementary students.  Instead of disposing of those gently used books you have lying around, donate and allow them to be reused, the best form of recycling.  Visit www.rtp.org/community for more information.

And if that’s not enough, here’s my roundup of upcoming celebratory Earth Day Events around the Triangle for the whole family: Read more »

Research Triangle Park is Alive with Wildlife

Research Triangle Park is home to over 38,000 full-time employees in over 170 diverse companies.  Most people are aware of its regional importance for research and development and its importance to North Carolina.  One thing people may not be as aware of is the flourishing wildlife within the Park.  In addition to the 38,000 employees, hundreds of plants and animals call the 7,000 acre campus home and coexist within RTP.

Male Bluebird in RTP

The Research Triangle Park is home to over 40 bluebird boxes, 8 duck boxes, 4 bat boxes, 2 purple martin houses, and this does not include the various boxes other companies have on their private campuses.  The boxes can be found all over the park off pedestrian trails we they are easily accessible. These houses provide homes for the unique and important species within the Park.  The wildlife box program has been active within the Park since 2005 and has helped shelter hundreds of birds and mammals since then.  Other than the wildlife box program there is also a butterfly garden within the Park at the RTP headquarters, a tree ID trail off of Davis drive, and an ongoing Park wildlife inventory.

Male and Female Bluebird

The main emphasis throughout the wildlife programs at this time of year is on wildlife boxes, notably the bluebird boxes.  Currently there are 40 bluebird boxes throughout the Park which are all available for adoption by RTP employees.  Employees adopt a Bluebird box (es) and monitor the boxes over the breeding season, from late March to August.  All of the data collected on nesting and reproductive habits is then collected and sent to NestWatch through Cornell University.  Cornell uses this data to look at reproductive success and species movement and work to develop better wildlife management for the birds.

Eastern bluebirds experienced a sharp decline in populations from the 1920s to 1970s due to pesticides and other manmade disturbances.  Since then bluebird box programs across the nation have worked amazingly well to bring back populations.  The story of the bluebird’s re-establishment is such an interesting success story, not only for the bird’s recovery, but also for the fact that it was primarily citizens who have worked to bring the birds back and not a specific agency or organization. Read more »

Join the Great Backyard Bird Count

Did you know that there are over 115 different bird species that have been observed in RTP? Starting tomorrow, you’ll have a great reason to get outside and see some yourself!

Bluebirds will begin nesting in March.

The 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up, February 17-20.  This project is one of the largest, most enjoyable citizen-science projects on the planet and this year should be especially interesting because of the warmer temperatures and lack of snowfall that we’ve experienced this winter.

To participate, just count birds anywhere you wish (even outside your RTP office) for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the GBBC. Then, report the highest number of each species seen together at one time on the GBBC website: www.birdcount.org. Everything you need to know is on the website along with an instructional video and downloadable instructions.

You can upload a photo for consideration in the GBBC photo contest. Explore data on the website using maps and charts that show what everyone is reporting. Anyone who participates also has a chance to win great prizes! Tweet about the birds you’re seeing and include the #gbbc tag to have your message show up in the Twitter widget on the GBBC home page. The GBBC is hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society along with Canadian partner, Bird Studies Canada.

Just one of RTP's 40 Blue Bird Boxes.

And if you’re interested in getting more involved with birds on a local scale, consider adopting one of RTP’s 40 bluebird boxes for the Spring and Summer. Environment@rtp will be hosting a Bluebird Box Adoption Lunch and Learn event on March 9, 2012 from 11:30am to 1:00pm for anyone interested in the program!  For more information about the Bluebird Box Adoption program or the Lunch and Learn event, visit www.environmentrtp.org. To register for the Lunch and Learn, use our registration form.

Biogen Idec Plugs In

The buzz around plug-in electric vehicles has been livelier than ever in North Carolina, and RTP is certainly becoming a hub of activity for the technology.  RTI unveiled two new electric vehicle charging stations back in November, and just this past Tuesday,  Biogen Idec held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for ten new electric vehicle charging stations at its RTP campus.

Back in November, I had the opportunity to participate in Biogen Idec’s multi-day Sustainability Fair for employees, and got a chance to hear about the exciting work they were doing to bring these charging stations to fruition and procure funding incentives to encourage employees to purchase or lease electric vehicles.  On Tuesday, Biogen Idec’s work paid off, and they cut the ribbon for their new stations, the first for any of their worldwide locations.

Biogen Idec purchased the charging stations with support from the Carolina Blue Skies Initiative, a project led by Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), with $12 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding from the U.S. Department of Energy.  Biogen Idec has the distinction of being the first organization in the Triangle to successfully deploy electric charging stations under this initiative.

Biogen Idec installed ten Level 2 charging stations at their RTP Campus.

Pat Hoy was one of the four employees that took advantage of the incentive provided to Biogen Idec employees through Advanced Energy to purchase a Nissan Leaf.  He received a $7500 stipend to offset the purchase price and will also receive a $7500 tax credit.  Speaking briefly at the ceremony, Pat mentioned that one of the greatest benefits of owning a plug-in electric vehicle is that it allows him to bypass the gas station.  “I haven’t been to a gas station in three and half weeks since I’ve owned the car… There aren’t too many other people that can say that.”  He also highlighted some of the technological benefits, such as being able to remotely pre-cool the car’s interior using his smartphone (as long as the car is plugged in).   Read more »

CED on The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina

1,800 companies started.

40,560 jobs created.

$7.7 billion in capital invested.

This is the impact that entrepreneurs have had on the state of North Carolina in the past 20 years.

The “Starting Something: The State of the Entrepreneurial Economy of North Carolina, 1992-2011” report was presented last week at CED‘s Annual Meeting held at RTP Headquarters.  The data for the report was collected by, Maryann Feldman and Nichola Lowe, who are both professors at UNC-Chapel Hill, First Flight Venture Center, an RTP-based incubator, and CED.

Another important finding of the study is that the jobs created by these start-ups have stayed in North Carolina, which is key to the economic growth of the state.  Furthermore, while a majority of the VC funds that have invested in these start-ups are based in the Southeast, there have been investments made from international funds, as well as those based in Boston, NYC and California.

CED took on this initiative both to show the importance of entrepreneurs in our overall economy, but more importantly as a reminder of the various players and ingredients our region’s economy depends on to remain competitive.

At RTP, a central theme of our mission is to serve as an economic driver for the State of North Carolina and the Triangle Region.  It’s interesting to see the role the larger, more established companies in our region play — both as the sources of innovation and new companies and also as end-users or acquirers of some of the new ideas. We are proud to see these great innovators in the Triangle creating a thriving entrepreneurial community that is catching the attention of the nation.  This is what RTP is all about, folks.

For the presentation from CED’s annual meeting, click here.

For the press release, click here.

RTP FAQ

One of the most interesting parts of my job is giving presentations to visiting groups about the Research Triangle Park.  From senior government officials based in Kazakhstan to student groups from local universities, the Research Triangle Foundation hosts a large number of visitors each year that are interested in learning more about RTP, and what we at the Research Triangle Foundation do in managing the Park.  Additionally, our front desk receptionist happily greets visitors on a daily basis that come through our doors because they are looking for directions, job opportunities, or interested in learning more about the Park.

The purpose of this blog post is to answer some of the questions that we have received over the years and also give you an opportunity to ask any additional questions, so here we go…

What is the Research Triangle Park Headquarters?

Research Triangle Park Headquarters

The Research Triangle Park Headquarters is the building that houses the executive and administrative offices of the Research Triangle Foundation, the organization that owns & manages the Research Triangle Park.  Additionally, the Research Triangle Park Headquarters houses the Archie K. Davis Conference Center, a 6,800-square-foot state-of-the-art conference facility.

For those visiting the Park, the Research Triangle Park Headquarters has a large kiosk with a map of all companies in RTP.

What is the Research Triangle Foundation?

The Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina is the organization that manages the Research Triangle Park.  The Research Triangle Foundation works to attract quality jobs, foster collaboration with universities and sustain RTP as a continued engine for the region and state’s economic growth.

For a list of Research Triangle Foundation staff, click here.

Map of Research Triangle Park

Do you have a map of RTP?

We have maps of RTP as well as company listings available in hard copy form at RTP Headquarters or online here:

RTP Company Map
RTP Company Map, by industry

How can I learn more about Research Triangle Park?

Our website, www.rtp.org is the most valuable source of information for those interested in learning more about the Park.  Additionally, we have hard copies of brochures on the Research Triangle Park available at our front desk.  Additionally, we have digital copies available here: http://www.rtp.org/rtp_flipbook/.

Can you help me to get a job at one of the companies in the Research Triangle Park?

RTP Headquarters does not have a job board. We recommend you contact the individual companies that you are interested in working for directly.

Click here for a listing of all companies in RTP that has links to the company websites.

Additionally, check out one of the job sites hosted by one some of our partners:
North Carolina Biotechnology Center
North Carolina Technology Association

Where can I find information on available office/lab space in RTP?

Information on available space in RTP is found on our website and below:

Available Buildings
Incubator & Accelerator Space
Available Sites

Are the pedestrian and mountain biking trails in RTP open to the public?

While the jogging trails and mountain biking trails were built primarily for use by RTP employees, they are open for enjoyment by the public.

Pedestrian and bike trails map
Mountain biking trail map

Do you have to be a life science company to locate in RTP?

RTP’s companies represent a wide variety of industries.  While the Park’s life science industry cluster is very strong, we are home to many companies, both large and small, in the IT sector, material sciences and engineering, agricultural biotechnology and financial services.  For more detailed information on the various industries in RTP, check out the industry section on our website.

Is there a fee for companies in RTP (like an owner’s association fee)?

There is no “owners association” fee for companies that locate in RTP.  All owners and tenants of RTP are invited to join the Owner’s and Tenant’s Association, but there is not a fee associated with membership.

Now that we’ve answered what we consider to be the RTP FAQ, do you have any additional questions that you would like us to answer?