Proposed ordinance will ban people on bikes from Forsyth Park, push them onto dangerous streets

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Fun, healthy family activities like the one depicted in this photo, which is used by Visit Savannah to promote our city, could soon be illegal (at least for the adults in the photo).

A proposed city ordinance would expand the current “dismount” zone in Forsyth Park to prohibit anyone over 12 from riding a bike anywhere in the park.

The proposed ordinance revision is to eliminate all foot propelled vehicles (such as bicycles, unicycles, tricycles, quadricycles and skateboards) from being operated on all walkways, sidewalks and pedestrian thoroughfares in and around Forsyth Park. The only exception would be children less than 12 years of age when supervised by an adult, provided they yield to pedestrians.

The ordinance is being proposed without offering any convenient, safe alternative routes for people on bikes. As a result, many people will attempt to use Whitaker and Drayton streets, which are dangerous to bicyclists and pedestrians because of car and truck traffic, often traveling at speeds over 40 m.p.h.

More information and an opportunity to offer comments are available on the City of Savannah website. Please take a moment to let City of Savannah officials know what you think of this ordinance.

The Savannah Bicycle Campaign remains committed to working with city officials, neighborhood associations, businesses owners and other partners to find long term solutions that improve safety in the park and on nearby streets. Making Whitaker and Drayton streets safe for all users should be the primary and immediate goal.

Public comment will be accepted on the City’s website through Jan. 5, 2016.  A public meeting will be scheduled for mid-January to gather more feedback.

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City of Savannah adopts Complete Streets ordinance

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We have been working in partnership with Healthy Savannah toward an important goal.
On Jan. 22, 2015 we achieved it.

The Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Savannah unanimously adopted a Complete Streets ordinance that will help make our city’s streets safe and appealing for people of all ages and abilities.

The purpose of the ordinance is to “to encourage healthy active living, reduce traffic congestion and fossil fuel use and improve the safety and quality of life of residents of the City of Savannah by providing safe, convenient and comfortable routes for walking, bicycling and public transportation.”

Under the ordinance, all street improvement and new construction projects will be designed to meet the needs of people who walk, ride bikes and use transit, unless specific circumstances prevent inclusion. Among the bicycle-related Complete Streets components listed in the ordinance are shared use paths, bicycle lanes and bicycle parking facilities.

We thank Mayor Edna Jackson and Savannah City Council for adopting this ordinance, which will provide economic, public safety and public health benefits to our community. We are especially grateful to District 4 Alderman Mary Ellen Sprague for endorsing an amendment that significantly strengthened the ordinance.

On the same day that our city’s leaders acted, U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx launched the Mayors’ Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets, which calls on mayors and other local elected officials to take significant action to improve the safety of their constituents who walk or bicycle by implementing Complete Streets practices.

We are grateful to Healthy Savannah, YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Safe Routes to School Resource Center, Savannah Chatham Public School System, Transport Studio, Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization, Chatham Area Transit, Healthcare Georgia Foundation, Georgia Bikes, City of Savannah staff, and other partner organizations for their dedication to achieving this goal.

Ride to City Hall on March 20, show support for cycling in Savannah

cityhallOver the last six years we’ve worked cooperatively with the City of Savannah to expand our bicycle infrastructure network, organize cycling events, and earn Bicycle Friendly Community status from the League of American Bicyclists.

On Thursday, March 20 at noon we’ll ride to City Hall to thank city leaders for helping to make Savannah better for bicycles, and encourage them to do more to make our city safer, friendly and more convenient for people who ride bikes.

Meet us at Ellis Square for a short ride to City Hall, where we’ll hear remarks from city officials. If you don’t have a bike handy, you can rent a CAT Bike from the Ellis Square bike share station. Lunch will be served at City Hall and this event will serve as our Cycle Social event for March. Please let us know you plan to attend by joining the Facebook event or emailing info@bicyclecampaign.org

This event is being held during the same week as the annual Ride to the Capitol in Atlanta and rides to city halls around the state. Let’s show our bicycling friends throughout Georgia that Savannah is serious about cycling.