COVID-19 and Bike Walk Savannah

Friends,

Things are hectic right now. The news (and response) is changing daily, and we’re all striving to do what we can to limit the spread of COVID-19.

As such, we have a few new rules and procedures that will be in place through April 30, 2020. At that time we will re-evaluate and extend the date if necessary.

  • The Bike Walk Savannah offices are closed to the public through April 30, 2020.
  • We will not be accepting donations of bikes, parts or accessories through April 30, 2020. If you find some items to donate while cleaning (I get it!) please hold onto them until that date, or email info@bikewalksavannah.org to figure out a solution. Please do not leave any bikes at our office.
  • We will be working behind the scenes to continue refurbishing bikes from our existing stock for clients. If you are a current New Standard Cycles volunteer, we will be in touch, or please email Henry at bikes@bikewalksavannah.org with any questions.
  • Fix Your Own Bike Night for March and April have been canceled.
  • We will not be completing any walk up services or assistance at this time. If you have an immediate need, please contact your case manager to schedule an appointment or contact Henry at bikes@bikewalksavannah.org.

A majority of our events on the calendar for the remainder of March and April have been canceled. Like many businesses and organizations in Savannah, this means we are going to take a hit this year. If you have the means to give, please help us out at bikewalksavannah.org/donate.

We are working on fun new virtual events and programming, so make sure to stay tuned! And we always recommend checking out bikewalksavannah.org/routes for a fun new bike ride. Have suggestions you’d like us to add? Send me an email at caila@bikewalksavannah.org.

And as our streets clear of moving vehicles, please remember that they are not clear of everything — people are biking, walking, and connecting in their neighborhoods as best they can. Please slow down and be aware of your surroundings. We do not want to be adding to the number of people who need assistance at our hospitals.

If you have any questions or need immediate assistance, please email me at caila@bikewalksavannah.org or give me a call at 912-228-3096. I’ll do my best to get back to you as soon as possible.

Thanks,
Caila Brown

 

We need your support to make Savannah better for people biking and walking

“I wish I could ride my bike to work, but I just don’t feel safe.” 

“I want to walk my children to school, but people won’t stop to let us cross.” 

“I don’t feel safe crossing my street because there is no visibility.”

Does this sound familiar to you? I hear variations of these three statements every single day from people all around our city.

It frustrates me because these are fixable problems. Making biking and walking (and transit riding) more convenient and welcoming through Complete Streets infrastructure like bike lanes, sidewalks and multi-use paths produces the obviously desirable results. But unlike automobile centric infrastructure, everyone benefits from active transportation improvements — even people who drive.

We’ve made great strides on these Complete Streets projects in 2019. We cut the ribbon on improvements on Lincoln Street and Price Street, secured $1 million in SPLOST funding for Tide To Town, begun construction on the Truman Linear Park Trail and provided bikes to more than 110 people in need. But we have a lot we want to tackle in 2020, including needed policy updates, implementing more high-quality bike lanes and multi-use paths, and installing sidewalks and crosswalks across the city. And in order to do that work, I’m asking you to make a tax-deductible contribution today to help us reach our $10,000 goal.

Your contribution will:

  • Help us to provide bicycles to those in need through our New Standard Cycles program.
  • Allow us to continue serving as your voice for connected, equitable and welcoming places to bike and walk.
  • Provide education classes for children and adults.
  • Support our public policy work to ensure that places to bike and walk are always on the list.
  • Help us continue our great events like the Moonlight Garden Ride, Matt’s Moon River Cruise, Tweed Ride, Seersucker Ride, and so much more.

And anyone who donates more than $100 this month will receive a commemorative, limited-edition Bike Walk Savannah mug.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE >

Thank you, as always, for your support of the people-powered movement.

Caila Brown

Bike Walk Savannah Executive Director

This #Giving Tuesday, help us create safe streets for all users — no matter their mode of transportation.

#GivingTuesday

When asked what I was thankful for this year on Thanksgiving, it took me some time to find my answer. I’m thankful for so many things this year — like living in our beautiful city, celebrating the holidays with friends and family, and being able to serve our community in a meaningful way (and did I forget to say I’m thankful for construction beginning on the Truman Linear Park Trail?)

But most of all I’m thankful for you. Our supporters who help us stay the course and will help us reach our vision of a connected community with welcoming places to bike and walk.

We have a lot of work to do to move that vision forward in 2020, including needed policy updates, implementing high-quality bike lanes, and installing sidewalks and crosswalks across the city. And in order to do that work, I’m asking you to make a tax-deductible contribution today to help us reach our $10,000 goal.

Your contribution will:

  • Help us to provide bicycles to those in need through our New Standard Cycles program.
  • Allow us to continue serving as your voice for connected, equitable and welcoming places to bike and walk.
  • Provide education classes for children and adults.
  • Support our public policy work to ensure that places to bike and walk are always on the list.
  • Help us continue our great events like the Moonlight Garden Ride, Matt’s Moon River Cruise, Tweed Ride, Seersucker Ride, and so much more.

Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution to Bike Walk Savannah.

Thank you, as always, for your support of the people-powered movement.

Caila Brown
Executive Director

Bike Walk Savannah Receives $31,869.28 Grant from Governor’s Office of Highway Safety

Bike Walk Savannah has received a $31,869.28 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).

The grant will help finance BWS’s education programs, safety campaigns, work with local governments to improve infrastructure, printing of the popular Bike SAV bike map and guide, pedestrian safety materials, and other programs aimed at making Savannah and Chatham County safer for people who ride bikes and walk for transportation and recreation.

“The loss of one life on our roads is one too many, and the fact that almost all fatal traffic crashes can be prevented is one reason why we are awarding this grant,” said GOHS Director Allen Poole. “The target of zero traffic deaths in our nation is achievable, and we will continue to help develop and implement educational messages, enforcement campaigns, and other safety initiatives aimed at bringing us one step closer to our goal.”

“Many people in Savannah and Chatham County depend on biking and walking for daily transportation,” said Caila Brown, executive director of Bike Walk Savannah. “And many more make the choice to add biking and walking to their mobility options, whether for transportation or recreation. We are grateful for the support of GOHS as it allows us to continue and expand the programs we’ve been offering, with the goal of improving safety for all people on the streets of Chatham County, no matter their mode of transportation.”

The grant year for this award is Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020.

Truman Linear Park Trail Design Open House to be held Aug. 1

On Thursday, August 1, 2019 at Calvary Baptist Temple – Oasis Building (4625 Waters Avenue, Savannah, GA 31404) the City of Savannah will hold a Public Information Open House concerning the Truman Linear Park Trail Phase IIB (Bee Road to Derenne Ave.)

Truman Linear Park Trail will provide a separate, recreational pedestrian and bicycle facility that expands and enhances the non–motorized transportation network; improves non–motorized connections and access to key destinations, such as schools, parks, neighborhoods, etc.; and improves safety for all non–motorized users. Truman Linear Park Trail Phase IIB is approximately 1.9 miles long and begins at Jenkins High School, tying to Phase IIA, and ends at the intersection of 52nd Street and Bee Road, tying to Phase I (Police Memorial Trail). The proposed typical section would consist of a 10–foot wide, ADA accessible, shared–use, concrete trail, with 10–foot wide timber bridge crossings at ditches, and a 10–foot wide pre–fabricated bridge crossing the Old Casey Canal. When fully constructed the trail will provide almost 9 miles of contiguous recreation trail, including the loop trails at Lake Mayer and Daffin Park, and will link 827 acres of existing City and County parks.

The Open House will be held from 4-7 p.m., and provide the public with an opportunity to view the project, ask questions, and comment on the project. 

The meeting site is accessible to persons with disabilities. Accommodations for people with disabilities can be arranged with advance notice by calling Nick Deffley, City of Savannah Directory of Sustainability at (912) 651–6909. The meeting site is also accessible via CAT routes 27 & 28, and by taking the Habersham St. bike lane to 63rd St. 

Advocacy Opportunity: NewZO to be voted on July 18

On Thursday, July 18, the proposed New Zoning Ordinance (NewZO) will go before City Council for adoption. Our current ordinance was adopted in 1960. The NewZO is more efficient, more transparent, and is more consistent both with today’s development patterns and our vision for future growth as expressed in the Comprehensive and Strategic Plans.

NewZo supports a more bikeable and walkable Savannah by promoting a healthy built environment. Please join us in supporting this critical update by contacting City Council. Email or call your representatives today and ask them to adopt NewZO on July 18.

To promote thriving neighborhoods, NewZO must promote mixed-use, promote diverse housing types and appropriate housing density, create a connected street network for all users by making Complete Streets our standard, and promote small scale development to support neighborhood stability and character. READ MORE HERE

News Cycle: The road to Tybee just got a bit more friendly to cyclists

The road to Tybee just got a bit more friendly to cyclists by John Bennett was originally published in Connect Savannah on July 10.

The Georgia Department of Transportation’s $1.85 million resurfacing project on US Highway 80 is intended to raise the roadway between Savannah and Tybee Island and make it less susceptible to flooding, which is more frequent on the causeway these days due to rising sea levels.

Local people who ride bikes may have noticed another outcome. The road to Tybee Island now has bikeable shoulders.

Previously, the shoulders were covered with rumble strips, encroached upon by vegetation, and strewn with debris. This trio of problems ensured that only the bravest souls — or people with no other options — pedaled between Savannah and Tybee Island.

In place of the previous rumble strips, GDOT has installed edge line rumble strips, placed directly at the edge of the travel lane. These are sometimes referred to as edge line rumble stripes and they still provide the same function as the previous shoulder-spanning rumble strips: alerting inattentive drivers, through vibration and sound, that their vehicles are leaving the travel lane. Yet they keep the surface of the shoulder itself smooth and suitable for cycling.

Read the full article in Connect Savannah.

News Cycle: The street-level impact of passing NewZO

The street-level impact of passing NewZO by John Bennett was originally published in Connect Savannah on June 25, 2019.

LAST WEEK a group of citizens stood before Savannah City Council and urged elected officials to adopt an ordinance that would allow Savannah to be Savannah again. Whitney Shephard was among them.

“This is the big deal. We live in a city that is an international model for walking and biking. It is why tourists flock here. But, residents deserve to enjoy that same comfort and mobility. The current ordinance actually prohibits the development patterns that make our city a destination across the world. NewZO is far more consistent with Savannah’s character,” said Shephard, principal engineer/planner for Transport Studio, a transportation planning and engineering services firm.

Short for “new zoning ordinance,” NewZO would replace the current ordinance, a relic from 1960.

As I have written in the past, some of Savannah’s most cherished public spaces — including Forsyth Park — could not exist if we wanted to create them today because there’s not enough parking to meet parking minimums.

The current zoning ordinance superimposes suburban style parking requirements on older areas of the city, which is bad for business. And bad for people.

“Today, parking requirements are largely identical across the city. That means that a new store in town has to provide the same parking as the Oglethorpe Mall or a suburban strip center. Our current excessive parking requirements — written in the 1960s — deter walking and biking for a lot of reasons,” Shephard said.

“Who wants to walk across a sea of parking to get to a cafe or shop? Or bike through a parking lot where drivers aren’t expecting to see them? By making parking requirements more reasonable, we shorten the distance someone has to walk from the street to the front door. We make that walk safer and more comfortable. We also don’t waste space on pavement but instead make it available for uses like schools, parks, or more commercial space.”

Read the full article in Connect Savannah.

NewZO Public Hearing this Thursday, June 20

Our current zoning ordinance is outdated and inefficient — after all, it hasn’t been updated since the 1960’s. And a lot has changed since then!

While it has been amended numerous times, it has never been overhauled to reflect the many changes that have occurred. It can be inefficient, redundant, confusing and contradictory among other concerns.

While NewZO isn’t perfect, it puts our community on a much better footing to increase affordable housing options, to reduce the prevalence of food desserts, to grow our local businesses, and (most importantly, we think) to create a bikeable and walkable Savannah.

Want to learn more about NewZO? Check out this video from the City of Savannah or read this article in the Savannah Morning News.

Whether or not you can attend this Thursday’s meeting, I urge you to write to your alderman.

Sample Language:

I live in District x (or neighborhood x). As a parent/resident/business owner/concerned citizen, I support the NewZO. It is far more efficient and clear than our current ordinance. With enCode, NewZO increases transparency. NewZO supports neighborhood goals like stability/reinvestment/livability.
 
NewZO is the result of broad community effort over more than a decade. Please support NewZO now. We cannot afford to wait.

If you are able to attend, please wear blue in support. City Hall is located at 2 E. Bay Street, and the meeting will begin promptly at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 20.

I’ll save you a seat!

Caila Brown
Executive Director