Ted Curtis chosen to lead Columbia bike/ped pilot project

The bumpy sidewalks of Providence Road and narrow shoulders of Stadium Boulevard might seem to be hopeless death traps for some pedestrians and bicyclists, but city officials hope Ted Curtis will see them as a couple of avenues brimming with potential.

Curtis on Tuesday was named senior planner for the city's Non-Motorized Grant Program and beginning Aug. 28 he will lead the city as it spends a

$22 million federal grant for projects that promote walking and biking. He'll also oversee the 35-member task force that the mayor appointed to coordinate the grant. . . .

Curtis has promoted bicycling and walking for almost 20 years. In 1988 he founded Trailnet, a not-for-profit organization that hosts recreational events, and created the Bicycle Fun Club in hopes of encouraging people to use alternative transportation in more practical ways.