Residents invited to Tide to Town community engagement activities

The City of Savannah invites residents to help shape the future of the Tide to Town urban trail project by attending one of several upcoming community engagement activities and adding their voice to an online survey. 

The goal of the new public outreach initiative is to ensure the trail’s development results in economic, social, and recreational opportunities for the communities along the urban trail. Among the many activities planned will be several community meetings, a free bus tour, and a small group roundtable with businesses, civic organizations, and others.  

A public survey can be found at savannahga.gov/tidetotown.

“We are excited to further involve the public in planning the future of the Tide to Town urban trail system,” Director of Planning and Urban Design Bridget Lidy said. “We want to make sure all voices are heard by giving residents multiple opportunities to share their views on the ongoing development of this important project.” 

Four community meetings will be held from Sept. 16 to Oct. 8 in various neighborhoods and virtually. Local high school students will be invited to participate in a “Student Visions” program to share their own visions for the urban trail and related equitable growth trail development in the form of slide presentations, posters, essays, and videos.

A free bus tour is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to take participants on a visit to the completed section of the trail along Truman Parkway and stop by a handful of proposed trail routes around the city. 

Anyone interested in the bus tour or attending an in-person meeting can RSVP by emailing planning@savannahga.gov. Snacks and childcare will be provided for the in-person meetings.  

  • Tide To Town | Southside Community Meeting
    • Monday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
    • White Bluff Elementary School
  • Tide To Town |Westside Community Meeting
    • Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.  
    • Beach High School, 3001 Hopkins St. 
  • Tide To Town | Eastside Community Meeting
    • Thursday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.  
    • Jenkins High School, 1800 E. Derenne Ave.  
  • Tide To Town | Virtual Community Meeting
    • Tuesday, Oct. 8, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. 
    • Link to be provided

SPD conducts road closures and detours in support of the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run

The Savannah Police Department will conduct road closures and detours along the route of the Enmarket Savannah Bridge Run on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 7:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

Traffic along the Talmadge Memorial Bridge will remain open with a lane closed in both directions.  Streets along the run route will reopen on a rolling basis after the last participant passes and course materials are removed.

Residents and business owners along the route are asked to plan ahead and be aware of the road closure schedule.  Pedestrians and bicyclists will be allowed to cross the route as gaps present themselves and officers allow. 

For a route map please visit: https://www.savannahsportscouncil.com/our–events/savannah–bridgerun/race–weekend/road–closures/

For additional information on the event please visit: https://www.savannahsportscouncil.com/ourevents/savannah–bridge–run/  

Vision Zero Plan Drop-In Sessions and Interactive Workshops

In August, the City of Savannah is hosting Vision Zero drop-in sessions and interactive workshops for the public. 

Drop-in sessions: participants can stop in anytime during the session and stay for the amount of time they have available to review information, ask questions, and provide input. 

Interactive workshops: participants will be involved for the full length of the meeting, which will include presentations, Q&A, group discussion, and exercises to gather input on traffic safety needs and ideas.

Tuesday, August 8

Armstrong Center, Ballroom BC 
13040 Abercorn Street (Corner of Apache and Abercorn streets) 

  • Drop-in Session: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Interactive Workshop: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, August 9

Savannah Civic Center Ballroom
301 West Oglethorpe Avenue

  • Drop-in Session:  11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Interactive Workshop:  6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

To learn more about Vision Zero and review the current plan document, visit www.savannahga.gov/visionzero.

Georgia Hi-Lo Trail Public Meeting and Survey

Join the Georgia Hi-Lo Trail and the Path Foundation for a public meeting to discuss the trail’s path through Chatham County!

When complete the Hi-Lo Trail will extend over 200 miles on paved surfaces from Athens to Savannah, linking communities, driving economic development, and empowering rural Georgia.

Can’t make the meeting? Check out the proposed route here: https://bit.ly/3rxh9rr and click the link at the top right to take their survey.

2023 Bike There Challenge

Celebrate National Bike Month by participating in the Bike Walk Savannah “Bike There Challenge”!

Biking every day has many health benefits — including increasing muscle strength, mobility, and decreasing stress — but also helps our environment. Many of our motor vehicle trips are under 2 miles, and can easily be replaced by a short bike ride. Sign our pledge at to commit to making at least one trip each day by bike. Whether you’re biking to work, to school, to the grocery store, or around your neighborhood, you’re making a difference!

Need some inspiration? Check out our Bike There Challenge BINGO card. Complete a row, column or diagonal and receive a free BWS membership — complete the full card to be entered to win a prize pack!

And if you need some route planning assistance, check out our Custom Bike Route tool.

Sign up for our Fall bike and pedestrian counts!

We can’t believe it, but summer is already almost over. Kids have headed back to school, our beach days are dwindling, and the temps are right for just about everyone to walk or ride a bike — which means it’s time for our Fall bike and pedestrian counts!

These counts take place at a variety of locations around Savannah, and the data collected helps us, the City of Savannah, Chatham County and the Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization track the usage of existing facilities, as well as plan for safer places to bike, walk and roll in the future.

So grab a friend or load up some podcasts, bring a lawn chair and a clip board, and get counting! Click here to sign up for a shift.

Want to count a certain location but the date doesn’t work with your schedule? Send an email to info@bikewalksavannah.org and we can talk. Below are the rules:

  • Weekday counts must take place on Tuesdays or Thursdays, from 7-9 a.m. or 5-7 p.m.
  • Weekend counts must take place Saturdays from 12-2 p.m.
  • Counts are rain or shine, although if there is a severe weather alert the shift will be rescheduled to the next available count day.

Participate in the SR-21 Access Management Study!

The CORE MPO, in collaboration with the City of Garden City, is undertaking a State Route 21 Access Management Study from I-516 to Grange Road. The study will provide a vision for SR 21 and a set of recommendations to address the corridor’s operations and safety, and provide mobility improvements, streetscape elements, and increase economic development.
There are a few ways to join in the process!
ONLINE SURVEY
You can participate in an online survey by visiting www.surveymonkey.com/r/SR21Phase1 or texting “sr21phase1” to 833-382-1387.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETING
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 from 6-7 p.m.
https://bit.ly/2Q7foP8
Meeting ID: 954-4050-2374
Passcode: 983669
COMMENT ON THE INTERACTIVE MAP
Have an idea on how they can improve State Route 21 in Garden City? Use the online tools to add feedback or specific comments. https://wikimapping.com/SR-21-Access-Management-Study.html

April Newsletter: Get ready for Spring!

It’s officially spring in Savannah, which means we’re getting ready for our Bike and Pedestrian Counts!

These counts help us keep track of how people are moving around the City — and help us plan for safer places for people to bike, walk and roll. We have shifts available from April 19 through May 15 all around the City, and you can sign up for a shift on our website.

We also have two action alerts for you this month, one of which is in our own backyard. Friends of Forsyth is soliciting feedback on their proposed designs for the Forsyth Park Master Plan, and you can take their survey at their website.

The other opportunity is a little more technical, and all your help is appreciated! If you’ve ever submitted a traffic calming request, asked the City for a crosswalk, or wondered how engineers decide what type of bike lane to install, you may be interested to learn that it’s not necessarily up to neighborhood residents — or even up to traffic engineer’s wishes.

Instead, these decisions are up to a technical document called the Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). This manual is meant to create “uniformity” in the look of our road signs and symbols, including traffic lights, crosswalks and all kinds of street markings. Unfortunately, it is full of assumptions and value judgements that privilege driver’s convenience over the safety of people biking and walking.

But we have good news! The MUTCD is currently being revised by the U.S. Department of Transportation, and we have a chance to make it better. Our friends at The League of American Bicyclists have drafted a great overview on the MUTCD and areas of concern, and America Walks has prepared a comment template that you can use. We encourage you to visit their websites and submit comments on the MUTCD by May 14.

Stay tuned for our Bike Month events. See you out biking, walking and rolling!

Caila Brown
Executive Director, Bike Walk Savannah

Thank you for your support!

Friends,

I’m especially thankful for our Savannah community this year. Whether you’re down the street or across the country, your support has helped us through 2020 and continued our work to create a community for all street users — no matter their mode of transportation.

December 1 is GivingTuesday — a global generosity movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. Your contributions on #GivingTuesday will directly support our work to:

  • Continue the next phase of the Truman Linear Park Trail, and continue work on Tide To Town, Savannah’s urban trail system.
  • Provide bicycles, lights, helmets and safety classes for children and adults in need of transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Update policies and guidelines with the City of Savannah, Chatham County and surrounding cities to create a safe, reliable and connected network for people walking and biking.
  • Host events in our community like virtual group bike rides, scavenger hunts, the Moonlight Garden Ride, Matt’s Moon River Cruise and more.
  • Expand our education programs to create a full roster of classes for children and adults, including our new Bicycle Friendly Driver program.

Help us reach our #GivingTuesday goal of $2,500 by making a contribution today!

Bike Walk Savannah to Host 7th Annual Holiday Bike Drive

Many of us remember the feeling of fun and freedom that came with getting a bicycle of our very own. In an effort to spread some holiday cheer and ensure that children across our community can have that experience, volunteers from Bike Walk Savannah’s New Standard Cycles Program take in donated kids bikes, fix them up, and work with Blessings in a Book Bag to identify kids who would not otherwise receive a bike for the holidays. 

Bike Walk Savannah has organized Bike Drop Off Days on Sundays to make spreading holiday cheer a little easier. New locations to be added.

Volunteers will be on hand to collect the bikes at the following locations:

Bike Walk Savannah HQ – 1301 A Lincoln St. Nov. 22, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 from 2-4 p.m.

Green Truck Pub – 2430 Habersham St. Nov. 22, Nov. 29, Dec. 6 from 12-4 p.m. (Drop off at Drive Thru on Maupas Ave. side)

Community members are encouraged to donate bikes for kids of all ages that have been outgrown or are no longer needed. Volunteers can work with a little dust (and change some tires, tubes or grips) but please — no rust. 

If your organization would like to serve as a drop off point or collect bikes to deliver to Bike Walk Savannah, please email info@bikewalksavannah.org. 

Financial contributions can be made at bikewalksavannah.org/donate. These donations help sustain the important work done by Bike Walk Savannah to redefine our city as a place for people, no matter their mode of transportation.