In 1996 Don Sparks and Katherine Saenger were finishing their cross-country bicycle trek from California to South Carolina when upon crossing their home state line they were nearly run off the road by a truck who cursed at them and squirted water at them out the window. Up till this point they had had a pretty pleasant ride and this incident was a rude welcome home that nevertheless sparked something else. Don couldn't believe how hostile the environment was to bicyclists in South Carolina and how at the time nothing was being done to promote a more bicycle friendly Lowcountry. When Don had returned and settled in he decided to do something about this, so he formed the Charleston Bicycle Advocacy Group (CBAG).

Although it was a small group consisting of a few concerned citizen bicyclists, CBAG provided a much-needed voice for bicyclists in the Charleston region. Don and Lenny Greene began attending meetings of the Charleston Area Transportation Study (CHATS) and were soon being invited to serve on various committees making decisions that affected bicyclists and pedestrians in the community. The group epitomized the power of grassroots advocacy with just a few dedicated members making connections in the community to achieve great accomplishments for bicycling. Among the successes of CBAG include helping to ensure bike racks on CARTA buses, bike lanes on Folly Road , Coleman Blvd , and Breach Inlet, and spearheading the Campaign to Make the Cooper River Bridge Bikeable and Walkable. Today, the bike and pedestrian lane on that bridge is widely considered a huge success, used by countless people.

CBAG's vision had grown over the years to comprise all aspects of transportation choices and active living by design. As its mission (and membership ranks) grew, the decision to change its name to Charleston Moves was made. The new name properly reflected the larger scope of the challenge: to focus public attention not only on bicycling, but the needs of pedestrians and users of public transportation.

Even today as the cost of our "epidemic of inactivity" is sinking in, Charleston Moves works to broaden transportation focus beyond automobiles, to convey our core message that "streets are for people - not just people in cars."