We are thrilled to announce that we are able to hire staff for the first time in our short history to help carry out our previously volunteer-only mission:

Savannah Bicycle Campaign will create a safer and more convenient bicycling environment by uniting cycling groups and individual cyclists, engaging local governments to advocate for better facilities and enforcement, while encouraging, educating and empowering residents and visitors to make bicycling a healthy part of their daily lives.

The Executive Director position will be part time to start, but we expect growth to a full time position in the future when funds are available. Chief among the duties will be development and donor relations, strategic planning and board development, and government and media relations. A full job description is available at this link. Please submit a resume and three current references by 3/27/2010 to info [at] bicyclecampaign [dot] org if you are interested. A working knowledge of current bicycle and pedestrian issues is a must, and League Cycling Instructor certification and nonprofit management experience or training are preferred.

As some of you Campaign insiders are aware, I made a trip to DC this past week as part of the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit, in its 10th year. There were almost 700 registrants from across the country, there to learn about federal policy as it affects their local efforts, and to advocate with our elected officials in Congress for better policy.

Luminaries of the bicycle industry were there, including the ever fashionable Gary Fisher, pictured above  with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. Inspiring words came from elected and appointed officials including Jim Oberstar, Earl Blumenauer (both above right), LaHood and many others. I was particularly pleased that Representative Jack Kingston, himself a regular bicycle commuter while in DC, joined us for the Congressional Bike Ride on Friday even in the face of rain and cool temps (as also chronicled on the League of American Bicyclists’ blog).

A suite of bicycling-related bills is under consideration, but since the vast majority of legislation that is introduced never becomes law, we need your involvement to ensure that our government takes action on these bike-partisan issues:

• HR 1443/S 584: The Complete Streets Act of 2009 requires state and local transportation agencies to adopt complete streets policies to ensure all road users (bikes, pedestrians, transit and cars) are included in the design of transportation facilities funded with federal dollars.
• S1156/HR 4021: Safe Routes to School reauthorization (first was in 2005, expires with current transportation bill) to include high schools and an increase in the amount of funding available to states for the programs.
• HR 4722: The Active Community Transportation Act (ACT Act) establishes a competitive funding program in the surface transportation bill for concentrated investment in communities to complete active transportation networks.
• HR 3734: The Urban Revitalization and Livable Communities Act authorizes funding for development and revitalization of urban parks and community recreation infrastructure.
• S 2747, The Land and Water Reauthorization Act rededicates funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund through which park and trails programs can compete for funding.

Go to congress.org and find your representatives. Let them know you support these bicycle friendly federal policies — Georgia’s advocates at the bike summit briefed staffers of all Georgia’s members of congress on Thursday, so they should already know about them.

The geography may differ, but many of the issues we face are common to everyone.  Help make your government work for you by calling for better policy.

Let this be a reminder to all of you happy Campaigners that spring is on the way, and with it more and more bike events. This weekend in particular is a busy one starting tonight, Thursday March 4 at River Club at 3 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, where bicycle culture film Veer will be screened at 9pm as part of the Spoked bike arts festival.

Don’t stay up too late, though, because Friday morning, March 5, 2Wheels 2Work rides again from Habersham Village at 8am. Join us anywhere along the way or at our Davant Park finish for Jittery Joe’s coffee and be entered in a free drawing for a cruiser courtesy Quality Bike Shop and McKee Court Reporting.

Last but not least, Savannah Wheelie rolls Saturday at 2pm from the Spoked expo, which will also include bike contests and demonstrations from 12-6pm. Join us at the Starland parking lot at Whitaker and 40th to check it out!

Most of us get our hair cut, styled, or otherwise tended to on a regular basis. We are very pleased to announce a new way to put part of the money you spend doing that here toward better public policy for bikes in Savannah.

Expanding their efforts to promote environmental sustainability, B Street Salon has begun a partnership with Savannah Bicycle Campaign. Patty McIntosh (below arriving at her appointment with salon owner and master stylist Monica McMasters), already a B Street client and regular bicyclist kicked the program off yesterday. Going forward, B Street will donate 10% of proceeds from services and products purchased at the salon by Savannah Bicycle Campaign members.

B Street sources environmentally responsible products and has long recycled materials from the business, even beginning a program to reuse bottles at their “Filling Station,” so their efforts are of course a good match for our own focus on sustainable transportation, and we hope this will be a model for similar partnerships with other local businesses.

Members of Savannah Bicycle Campaign and their immediate family members simply indicate their membership prior to checking out and the donation will be applied. This is a great way to make your dollars count in supporting local businesses who support sustainability, and support our efforts specifically to improve bicycling conditions here in Chatham County. If you or someone in your family is already a client, make sure to let B Street know you are an SBC member when you are at your appointment; and if you’re not already a client, consider giving B Street a try!

• RT @JRBisMe: RT @scaddistrict: Now in District: When a car hits a cyclist #SCAD http://ow.ly/18Oxq #
• Sadly, no TIGER projects awarded in Georgia: http://ow.ly/18nhj #
• RT @atlantabike: DOT typical annual allocations go 3:1 for highways. Not so today. TIGER Funds awarded: http://bit.ly/cBVtXt #
• MLK corridor sans I-16 flyover: Charrette begins today: http://ow.ly/17wDR #
• Looking for volunteers with bikes to help with the HSF Run for Preservation next Sat Feb 27. Free shirt. Undying gratitude of your SBC. #
• SBC business meeting tonight 6pm in the bunker @MoonRiverBrew #
• RT @SustainableSAV: Series of workshops to imagine MLK without the I-16 overpass http://bit.ly/bd1cdp #

Sessions are today, tomorrow, and Friday.  All are welcome as public opinion will be used to shape the new design for Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard, and specifically the removal of the I-16 flyover.  Join us in calling for a Complete Streets design at those meetings.  Today’s opening session at 5:30-8pm will include an opening presentation by consultants and a facilitated discussion.