Submit your photo for the 2022 BikeSAV Map Cover Contest!

2022 is fast approaching… which means it’s nearly time to print next year’s BikeSAV Map & Guide! Our guide provides a street suitability map of downtown, recommended longer-distance routes around the county, and tips for safe biking. It’s distributed free of charge to residents and visitors of Savannah in bike shops, tour spots, visitors centers and more.

Each year we look forward to working with Bike Walk Savannah members and supporters to find the perfect cover photo, showcasing our favorite spots in Savannah and some pretty cool bikes.

That’s where you come in! Submit up to 3 vertically oriented photos (or photos that can be vertically cropped, like seen in our maps above) to our 2022 BikeSAV Map & Guide Cover Contest, showcasing your bike and your favorite spot to ride within Savannah or Chatham County. If your photo includes people, please ensure that you have their permission to submit.

The top submissions (as identified by the BWS board and staff) will be posted on Facebook for voting in early October. The top submissions will receive a free BWS family membership, and the winner will receive a BWS family membership and BWS Swag Pack.

2022 BikeSAV Guide Cover Contest Submission Form

My initials above certify that I have granted Bike Walk Savannah permission to include my entry(entries), if selected, on the 2022 Bike SAV Map & Guide and on accompanying promotional materials. I retain all other copyrights for this entry. I have received and read a copy of the official rules and understand that failure to follow these rules may result in disqualification of my entry.

2022 BIKESAV GUIDE COVER CONTEST RULES

  1. Work published previously in any copyrighted newspaper, magazine, book or other medium is ineligible. Entries must be original and be the intellectual property of the submitter.
  2. Contestants may enter up to three (3) images.
  3. Submissions should follow these guidelines:
    1. Photo dimensions: at least 300 dpi, with image size of at least 4″ x 9″. If your image cannot print clearly, it may not be selected.
    2. Photo file should be named: FirstNameLastName-1. If submitting multiple entries, please label them -2 and -3.
  4. Submissions will also be accepted via email at info@bikewalksavannah.org. All form fields must be included in the email.
  5. Entries should be submitted via this form or by email no later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021. We will only accept entries in digital format.
  6. Bike Walk Savannah board members and staff will judge the top submissions, and Facebook audience/BWS members will decide the final winner. BWS reserves the rights to alter the final selection based on print quality and needs.
  7. All contestants agree to allow Bike Walk Savannah to use their entry in social media posts and in the final print and digital distribution of the BikeSAV Guide, if selected. Winners may be asked to provide a photo to appear with their entry on the Bike Walk Savannah website.
  8. The top submissions will receive a free BWS family membership, and the winning entry will receive a BWS family membership and BWS Swag Pack.

ADVOCACY ALERT: Ask Congress to create a safe sustainable transportation system

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (formerly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework) is moving fast — and so far it looks pretty good for people who bike and walk.

Is it perfect? No. While it is a great step forward that will build safer, more accessible communities — and while we celebrate the wins for bicycling and walking — we can take action today to make the bill better.

Join us and the League in contacting your Senators in support of amendments to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that will mitigate some of the bill’s shortcomings.

We’re asking the Senate to support amendments that would:

  • Bring back key parts of the Bicycle Commuter Benefit (Brown 2236)
  • Require states to set road safety goals that actually reflect better safety outcomes (Klobuchar 2301)
  • Increase funding for the Reconnecting Communities Program to reverse harm caused to Black and brown communities by highway construction (Warnock/Cardin 2167)
  • Require states to fix and maintain roads before building new ones (Kaine 2143)
  • Collect data on greenhouse gas emissions from transportation (Cardin 2465)

Read more about these amendments on their blog »

Take action now to show that bike advocates want this bipartisan bill to be as transformative as possible not only for people who bike, walk, and roll, but for everyone.

Click here to sign on.

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.

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

ACTION ALERT: Do you support dedicating more funding for trails? Contact your state legislators today

At their Feb. 25, 2021 meeting the Savannah City Council adopted a resolution to increase the City’s hotel/motel tax from 6 to 8%. As part of this increase, they have allocated $17 million in funding for trails, sidewalks and other connections between westside neighborhoods, the Historic District and the new arena, and $10 million in funding for to expand the Tide To Town urban trail system.

We support this legislation for quite a few reasons:

  • The completion of the roughly 30-mile core loop of Tide To Town would result in almost 60% of Savannah neighborhoods being within a 1/4 mile or 5 minute walk of the loop, and serve over 100,000 Chatham County residents who live within a 3/4 mile biking distance.
  • This is a project for all Savannahians: nearly 75% of neighborhoods within the Core Loop walking distance are majority-minority.
  • 10 neighborhoods that include Savannah Chatham County Public School System’s Title I schools are within the Core Loop walking distance.
  • According to 2016 U.S. Census Bureau data, 13.7% of Savannah residents lack access to a motor vehicle. These residents rely on walking, using public transportation and biking to get to their jobs, doctors appointments, grocery stores, etc., and providing direct access to dedicated facilities like the Tide To Town Urban Trail System will only further help them.

While the funding is for tourism related projects, we know that Savannah and Chatham County residents of all ages and abilities will be able to enjoy every single project on the list. If you also support this proposed hotel/motel tax increase, we encourage you to contact your state representative or senator today. Click here to find out your representative in the Coastal Delegation.

Today is Giving Tuesday! Help us reach our $2,500 goal

Hi Friend,
Today 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!
Click here to make a tax-deductible donation
If you unable to make a financial contribution this holiday season, you can still help! Donate your gently used bikes for kids of all ages, we’ll give them a new home with the help of Blessings In A Bookbag, Inc. Volunteers can work with a little dust (and change some tires, tubes or grips) but please — no rust.

Bikes can be delivered to the following locations on these dates:

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

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

If you have any questions about the suitability of your bike for our program, or your business would like to collect bikes to deliver to BWS, please email info@bikewalksavannah.org.
Thank you, as always, for your support.

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!

Mobility Justice is Racial Justice

Bike Walk Savannah
We know that a Black person riding a bike or walking through a neighborhood is at greater risk of harm, harassment and violence — whether or not there are sidewalks and bike lanes. And we hope it has become as clear to you as it is to us that we cannot advocate for safer streets without also advocating for racial and social justice.
 
From traffic fatalities to police brutality to a broken justice system, Black people like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and a disturbingly long list are being killed with alarming frequency. This needs to end now.
 
Bike Walk Savannah stands with those fighting against racism in the United States and around the globe. We remain committed to our mission of an equitable environment for biking and walking in Savannah — and beyond — and commit to supporting the racial justice work that needs to be done to get there.
 
Over the coming weeks we’ll be sharing more content from those fighting for racial justice and mobility justice, and will share actionable steps that we all can take. Thank you for joining us in the fight to create truly safe streets in Savannah.
 
Caila Brown, Executive Director
Michael Edwards, Board Co-Chair
Mike Nadeau, Board Co-Chair
The Board and Staff of Bike Walk Savannah

Decorate your neighborhood with sidewalk chalk!

The weather is beautiful and it’s a great time to decorate the neighborhood with some sidewalk chalk!

Your sidewalk chalk can serve multiple purposes — not only can it be a beautiful drawing, but it’s a great way to create fun games for your neighbors.

We’ve seen so many different ways that people are having fun with their community from a distance. We’ve collected some of our favorites, from historical information to sidewalk games, so check them out below!

Need some chalk? Contact our friends at Starlandia Supply and see about a curbside pickup.

Image © Your Modern Family

Stained Glass Sidewalk Chalk Mural

Tape out a design on your sidewalk, fence or wall, and get ready for some beautiful art! The next day, you can wash it off with the hose and start again. Click here for a tutorial.

Bike Rodeo Activities

One of our favorite things in Kids Bike Rodeos is creating a tiny town! Try chalking out a street, stop signs and a crosswalk for a creative way to teach kids about crossing the street and bike safety. You can also try out the Stop on a Dime, Figure 8 and Slow Race games. 

Sidewalk Games

Find a safe spot in a driveway, a schoolyard, or on a sidewalk and you’re good to go! Check out some ideas on Active For Life, including hopscotch, foursquare and twister, and here are some more fun games from Make and Takes.

Image © Wade and Melissa Livingston

Fun Info About Your Neighborhood

Our friends John, Robin and Nick have been busy at work identifying historical features of homes in our neighborhoods. You can read more about it at Garden & Gun. But you can also chalk information about plants, trees, and history about your neighborhood — the sky’s the limit!

Image © Playtivities

Obstacle Course/Activity Markers

Taking the same route through your neighborhood can be a little monotonous. Why not shake things up with an obstacle course or activity? You can chalk an obstacle course on your stretch of sidewalk, including instructions to hop, spin or jump, or create a “Macarena Zone” or a “Cha Cha Slide” area!

Pretend Play

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman! Draw in some buildings and props, grab a costume, and you’re set.

Do you have some sidewalk chalk art or games to share? Tag us on social media @BikeWalkSav and tag #BikeWalkSAV and #WednesdayWalks!

How to Stay Active during COVID-19

Friends,

Like everyone recently, we’ve been focused on the ever-evolving coronavirus pandemic. It’s been a weird week… two weeks… month? What day is it?

We’ve collected a few resources below to help our members and community. Read on for ways to stay physically active, tips for staying spatially distant and where to find more information.

A few reminders from Bike Walk Savannah HQ:

  • Our office remains closed to the public and all volunteer sessions are canceled. We have planned for this closure through April 13, but this may change based on local emergency orders. We will update when we have more information!
  • Staff is working behind the scenes to ensure that bikes are available through our New Standard Cycles program for clients, but we will not be accepting donations of bikes, parts or accessories at this time.
  • This pandemic has thrown a wrench in our plans (pun not completely intended) for spring events and programming. We’ll be making announcements soon regarding our usual event schedule, so stay tuned for exciting new plans for Bike Month events, education classes, and Matt’s Moon River Cruise.

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your support. In the coming weeks and months, your memberships and donations will be all the more important to ensure that we can continue our work to make Savannah’s streets safe for all people — no matter their mode of transportation.

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay well, and please continue to take care of your community.

Much love from the Board and Staff of Bike Walk Savannah

What’s Happening Locally

According to the latest emergency declaration from Mayor Johnson and the City of Savannah, biking and walking are not only allowed but encouraged to maintain both physical and mental health. Just make sure to practice safe spacial distancing and keep at least 6 feet between you and individuals not in your household.

Bike shops are allowed to remain open to provide repair services, provided they adhere to social distancing guidelines wherever necessary. Many shops are on an appointment-only basis — please call ahead before you go. Visit savannahga.gov for more information on what businesses are allowed to remain open and the COVID-19 reponse.

Chatham Area Transit has modified their schedules and services in response to COVID-19. Fees have been waived and all individuals are asked to board at the back of the bus for the safety of the drivers. Capacity on each bus is reduced by 50%. For the latest information, visit catchacat.org.

There are many resources that provide updates on the Coronavirus, in the US and worldwide, and resources that provide tips on how to spend time outside in a safe manner. Listed below are credible articles and websites that you can use to stay updated and aware.

Ways to be physically active during COVID-19

Daily Walks — with or without a pet!

Building a routine is important when you’re self-isolating. And while dog owners may have a built-in walk scheduled, we’re taking a page out of their book! Going for a daily walk helps to reduce your anxiety, get some sun, increases your physical activity and helps build a schedule for your day. Just make sure you have enough room to leave 6 feet of space! RSVP to our Wednesday Walks on Facebook! And if you want a furry friend to play around with, now is a great time to foster or adopt an animal. Check out the Humane Society, Chatham County Animal Services, and One Love Animal Rescue.

“Social” Bike Rides

We miss going out on bike rides with y’all! Our last ride was the Mountainfilm on Tour Bike Ride, so we’re going through withdrawals. Our solution? Every Friday we will be releasing a new virtual bike ride route for you to check out, ranging from 3-20 miles. If you go on that week’s ride, share your pictures on social media and tag Bike Walk Savannah and #BikeWalkSAV, and it’ll be like we were there together!

Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt

One of the things we’re missing is that connection to our neighbors. We’ve noticed that quite a few neighborhoods are creating their own scavenger hunts or safari’s — our friend Kate in Baldwin Park even created a ribbon tree! Neighbors are organizing to display things like rainbows, stuffed zoo animals or teddy bears, drawings of four-leaf clovers, or neighborhood landmarks and encouraging families to get out and explore. Are you planning a spatially distant activity for your neighborhood? Send us a message at info@bikewalksavannah.org.

Bike to a new destination

We always encourage biking as a mode of transportation, but a constant concern is how long it will take people to get to the grocery store, or how much they can carry, or the best route to get to school. We may not be physically entering these destinations, but what better time than now to figure out the best route? Get some physical activity while preparing for the future. View our map for route suggestions.

Take a Virtual Cycling Education Class

We’ll be releasing more details about our own virtual classes soon, but for right now our friends at the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition are offering a 6-week free virtual city cycling course! For more information visit atlantabike.org/virtualcitycycling.

GA Parks Solo Adventures

The CDC is encouraging everyone to practice social distancing to combat the spread of COVID-19, and exploring the outdoors is a great way to spend time alone. Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites encourages everyone to come spend some time outside. Whether you are a hiker, biker, photographer or fisher, there is something at the parks for everyone to enjoy. Click here for inspiration on how you can get outdoors and enjoy yourself!

Tips for outdoor physical activity during COVID-19

  • On a sidewalk, trail or bike lane, do not gather in groups.
  • Avoid playgrounds or other areas where groups may form.
  • Keep 6 feet between you and others at all times.
  • Leave any areas where you cannot maintain a 6-foot distance — you are responsible for your own personal safety.
  • Carry water, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes to further protect yourself.
  • Do not touch your face.
  • Wash or sanitize your hands frequently.
  • Wearing fabric face masks is encouraged — these masks help keep you from touching your face, help to avoid the spread of airborne illnesses, and also limit the amount of pollen you are breathing in (we know, it’s bad out there this week!)
  • When you arrive home, immediately change your shoes and leave your outdoor shoes in a separate space. Showering is encouraged, and you should wash or change your clothes immediately.
  • Stay home if you exhibit any symptoms of illness.

Coronavirus Websites and Articles  

More Tips and Articles on Biking and Walking