Many of you have been following the developments as we have regarding the SCAD student who was struck by a bus while riding her bike on Montgomery Street on Saturday. Below is the full text of a letter to the editor from our own Education Chair, Garrison Marr, which we hope will be printed very soon.

Early this week a college student was involved in a bicycling crash on Montgomery Street that resulted in serious injuries. The incident and its reporting has led to increased dialogue in the community on safe bicycling. To be sure, the most important outcome after this accident is that the student regains her health, and our thoughts are with her.

Because the dialogue on safer cycling has surfaced again, I would like to offer two quick thoughts:

Bicycle education is available to interested community members and it is concentrated where the available resources are likely to have the biggest impact. SCAD now offers bicycle education as part of its First Year Experience program, reaching new college students who may not have biked before coming to SCAD. The Savannah Bicycle Campaign offers quarterly in depth Traffic Skills workshops for the general public; the next is May 21 at the Bicycle Link bike shop. The SBC also organizes Bicycle Rodeos for children and their parents once every two months, teaching kids and their parents bike skills, and their parents bike-friendly motorist behaviors.

The chief principle of bicycling education is that bicyclists fare best when they act and are treated as operators of vehicles. The recent incident is an unfortunate example of the outcome of wrong-way bicycling which puts a bicyclist in a place in the roadway where they are unexpected.

Education is also only one tool in a toolkit for bicycle safety that also contains other “Es”. Bicycle-specific engineering (e.g. bike lanes, multi use paths), enforcement targeted at dangerous motorist and cyclist encouragement that invites Savannahians to make bicycling a healthy part of their daily lives.

It is in our community’s best interests for all groups to become safer, healthier, and more generous roadway users.

Garrison Marr
Education Chair
Savannah Bicycle Campaign

Today an inattentive driver started to pull out across the street I was riding, clearly oblivious to my presence in the travel lane. Had she hit me I expect her comment to the police would have been, “He just came out of nowhere.”

Cool as it would be to apparate Harry-Potter-style, I generally rely on my bike for the full trip to work. In so doing, to be safe, I always make sure to be visible, predictable, alert and assertive as sensibly laid out by our League of American Bicyclists adult cycling education curriculum.

In this case, my bright shirt and lane position did not command the driver’s attention. Maybe she was hunting for a pen, maybe she was fiddling with the radio, eating a sausage biscuit, or updating her Facebook status. I couldn’t tell.

But I could yell. Being alert, I was watching as she pulled into the street. Your bike may not have a super-loud horn, and a bell is too quiet for most drivers to hear, but just about anyone can make themselves heard (and then more likely seen) with one or two assertive Heys.

And so I did, she stopped her course and a collision was avoided. Unbelievably to me, she was furious at me for her mistake. I wonder what her Facebook post said after that…

The episode once again reminded me of how valuable a good Hey is — keep one with you at all times and use it. It could save your life.

In conjunction with the fine people at the Forsyth Farmer’s Market, we will hold the first Ride Savannah course for a limited number of lucky people this Saturday, May 15 from noon-3pm.

Many thanks to our fine LCI’s including Jane Love pictured above, for putting this past Saturday’s Savannah Bicycle College together, and especially Garrison Marr for his time and skill in coordinating the effort.

This Saturday’s Ride Savannah course includes on-bike crash avoidance training as well as a ride through downtown with critiques from Savannah’s League Cycling Instructors. A bike and helmet are required for the course, which is normally $20 (or $10 for SBC members), but for this time only will be FREE.  A bike and helmet are required, as is your RSVP to info@bicyclecampaign.org, since only a limited number of spaces are available.  Students who complete both Savannah Bicycle College and Ride Savannah are eligible for a TS 101 certificate, the prerequisite for LCI certification.

May is National Bike Month. Many things to celebrate, including the new Smart Cycling Savannah program!
May 8: Savannah Bicycle College. 12-3pm. More bikes than books, this three hour class teaches the in’s and out’s of bicycle maintenance, bicycle safety, and “vehicular bicycling.” No bicycle required. Taught by Certified League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructors at the Bicycle Link on MLK Blvd. $10 for SBC members/$20 for non-SBC members. Preregister by email to info@bicyclecampaign.org
(May edition of 2Wheels 2Work will be held on Friday May 21 instead of the usual first Friday date, to correspond with National Bike to Work Day)
May 15: Ride Savannah. 12-3pm, class will meet at the Savannah Bicycle Campaign tent at the Forsyth Park Farmer’s Market to begin class which also includes on-bike travel through Historic Downtown Savannah. This course is provided at no charge. Students who complete both Savannah Bicycle College and Ride Savannah will be eligible to receive the Traffic Skills 101 certificate, the prerequisite for LCI certification.

May 21: 2Wheels 2Work, National Bike to Work Day edition. Join SBC and partner for the May edition, the Chatham Environmental Forum for a ride and breakfast starting at 7:30 at Habersham Village and proceeding to Ellis Square.
May 22: Washington Avenue bike lane opening and Kids’ Ciclovia! 12-3pm. More to come on this outstanding event, celebrating the opening of the Washington Avenue bike lanes between Bull and Waters. The roads around Tiedemann Park across from Savannah Arts Academy will be closed to car traffic for the event.
May 30: Bike to Worship. So far only committed at Wesley Monumental United Methodist on Calhoun Square, this final Sunday in May will be a day for churchgoers to pedal to service.
Questions? Events we have forgotten? Contact us at info@bicyclecampaign.org or drop us a line on our facebook page at facebook.com/savbikecampaign.

A fine Monday morning it is, finer still now that twelve (that’s a lot) League Cycling Instructors are now certified by the League of American Bicyclists to teach Smart Cycling for Chatham County. Thanks to the City of Savannah, the City of Tybee Island and SCAD, these new instructors will serve our county with courses for adults and kids on how to drive your bike, delivering the mantra “Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles,” and strategies for carrying that out. Look for an announcement very soon on when and where the first classes will be held.

Chatham’s new LCI’s along with instructors and other LCI’s in training from Tennessee, Florida, and California at the February seminar.