Oops! We had the wrong date on the Wheelie poster. The Burnside Island Wheelie is next weekend, Sunday Sept 21, not this weekend.
A perfect time for a reminder on the Greenfest Pedal Cruise on Saturday at 5pm for a little leisurely downtown fun, followed by the Greenfest bike in movie and afterparty at Cha Bella at 6!
Adult Bicycling Education
Savannah Bicycle Campaign is bringing bike ed to Chatham County. Our first project is a League of American Bicyclists Road I course taught by a League Certified Instructor who lives in Hilton Head — Beverly Perfect. The class will be given Saturday and Sunday, Oct 4 and 5, 12-5pm.
Our goal in this endeavor is to provide a basic set of skills to SBC members who will be willing to share what they have learned by developing and teaching our own adult bike education class. We would expect to condense this into a shorter 1 day offering than the 10 hour League sponsored class.
Cost for this course to SBC members is $10 for the course manual, though if you want the certificate (a prerequisite to becoming a League Certified Instructor yourself), you will also need to join the League for an extra $35.
Space is extremely limited, so please contact Eve Seibert at schs92 {at} yahoo {dot} com ASAP if you are interested.
Wheelie On
The Wheelie rolls on, wider than a mile, with our September social, family friendly ride hitting the south end of Chatham County in Beaulieu and Burnside Island. We’ll start at 4 p.m. at the Ferguson Avenue Baptist Church at 10050 Ferguson Ave. Stick around afterwards and we’ll have some giveaways.
We’re after the same rainbow’s end—waiting ‘round the bend, so we may sneak a peak of Johnny Mercer’s house, my huckleberry friends. Moon River, Savannah Bicycle Campaign, and you!
Many thanks to Georgia Bike Law, Quality Bike Shop and Big H little h for their continued sponsorship!
Greenfest Pedal Cruise
We’re having back to back rides to start the school year.
Saturday, September 13, join us for the Greenfest Pedal Cruise in association with Greenfest, a festival celebrating organizations and businesses who promote sustainability, with local food, arts, and crafts. Savannah Bicycle Campaign will be taking you on a Wheelie-style cruise through downtown and take off from Trustees Garden, 88 Randolph Street at around 5pm. We will wind back to Cha Bella for the Greenfest bike in movie and afterparty at 6! Come by our booth and sign up for the ride by 4:45, and please wear your helmet.
A week later, Sunday September 21, Savannah Wheelie rolls on, this time at Burnside Island at 4pm. More to follow on the next Wheelie tomorrow.
BFC Action and the City Bicycle Fleet
Well, 2 bikes isn’t exactly a fleet, but it’s a start. We are overjoyed to see Savannah city government getting behind bicycles in a big way. Some nice coverage of this fact in the SMN today, with none other than City Manager Michael Brown taking to the streets on one of two city owned bikes to be used by employees for runs here and there in the city.
The story highlights the city’s efforts in seeking Bicycle Friendly Community designation, and we look forward to working with them on the changes needed to gain that designation. My favorite part of the story, however, was most certainly our friend and Vice Chairman John Bennett’s comment regarding bicycles in Savannah, which he made at the city council meeting approving the BFC Action Plan:
“If you can’t get behind bicycles, at least think of every person you see on a bicycle as another parking space for you,” he said. “Maybe that will help get you on board.”
Too true, as long as they save a few parking spaces for us. Secure bike parking is at an increasing premium, with bike theft a continued problem in the city as noted by one of the commenters on the SMN story. As noted in the story, new racks are going in soon, as the city has now received their order of racks, the first set to be installed outside of Panera on Bull Street at Broughton, with more to follow.
Thank you to the city, and we thank you for your continued support of positive action for bicycling.
Shock and Awe: Share the Road
In the wake of a near miss of NOLA by Gustav and the upcoming potential for lowcountry havoc from Hanna, let’s take a look at some recent horrific events that have nothing to do with the weather.
Here at the SBC, we believe that cyclists of all creeds, speeds, shapes and sizes are in this together. As such we recognize that the changes needed to make more people get on bikes will be beneficial to everyone who rides from the hard core roadies to the SCAD fixie hipsters to families and casual recreational riders. Therefore, here are some points in the news of late, highlighting the general need for education, tolerance and understanding of the rights of cyclists to the road.
First, this shocking hit from behind in Miami where a cab plowed into a club ride, striking eleven, six of which were hospitalized, one in critical condition.
Next, an LA physician who intentionally sped by two riders and slammed on the breaks, causing them to fly into his rear window. Apparently, he tried this assault technique at least one time before.
Finally, this June 2008 photo of a race held in Mexico, where an intoxicated driver plowed head on into the peloton.
The Share the Road concept is something we could and should be promoting together in conversations with friends and neighbors, in the media, really everywhere we go. We hope to continue to involve all area cycling groups in the dialogue for better education and cooperation among road users.
City council shows support for a bicycle friendly Savannah
On Aug. 28 the Savannah City Council considered a resolution that holds great promise for Savannah’s cyclists and, truly, all of Savannah. The resolution reads as follows:
“A resolution to instruct the City Manager to submit an application to the League of American Cyclists to join the Bicycle Friendly Communities Initiative. The City to hold a community workshop with Bicycle Friendly Communities Initiative staff would rate the environment for bicycle usage in Savannah and make recommendations for improvements. This would be part of the “Thrive” program for City-wide sustainability. (See attached memo.) Recommend approval.”
And approve it they did! Congratulations to the mayor and aldermen for taking this important first step toward earning Savannah a Bicycle Friendly Community designation. Click here to download a .pdf version of the memo described above.
Bike to Beer Night at Moon River Brewing Company
The third Tuesday of each month is Bike to Beer Night at Moon River Brewing Company. Customers who arrive by bicycle qualify for the following deals from 4-7 p.m. at the brew pub on Bay Street:
$3 draft beers- $1 off sandwiches
- $3 off entrees
What’s more, Moon River is offering its cycling patrons the rarest (at least locally) of accommodations: indoor bike parking! That’s right, you can bring your bicycle inside and park it in back, near the cigarette machine.
Moon River Brewing Company is located at 21 W. Bay St. in downtown Savannah.
Sandfly-Isle of Hope
Echoing the letter to the editor a week ago, today’s SMN printed an article where the opponents of connectivity take center stage. Unfortunately, the article did not include the overwhelming support in Sandfly for making safe bicycle and pedestrian access as they have previously indicated in master planning efforts, nor did it include the many Isle of Hopians who support the idea.
Central Avenue: The bridge from the old Isle of Hope trolley is missing, but the rest of the causeway is intact.
Our organization, while enthusiastic about bikable and walkable communities, certainly has no interest in forcing infrastructure projects on communities who are not interested in them. We will continue to assist Sandfly and Isle of Hope in discussing options. We will continue to support planning efforts that include significant bicycle and pedestrian improvements everywhere in Chatham County.
SBC Board Meeting
All are welcome at meetings of the Board of Directors. Monday at the American Legion (1108 Bull Street) we will be discussing the progress of Bicycle Friendly Community efforts with the city and reviewing our goals to set time tables and divide them among our newly selected committee heads.