Public meeting attendance, comments show strong opposition to Forsyth Park bike ban proposal

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Thanks to you, the City of Savannah appears to be putting the brakes on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit people 12 and older from riding bikes anywhere in Forsyth Park. After our Forsyth for All ride arrived at the Civic Center at 6 p.m. on Jan. 14, dividers were removed to expand the room and accommodate the crowd, which was clearly much larger than officials had expected.

cailaWe appreciate everyone who attended the meeting to show support for safe cycling in Forsyth Park and everywhere else in Savannah. Of the dozens who offered comments, only three expressed support for the ordinance. We have not yet completed a thorough review of the comments submitted through the city’s website, which were provided to us on Jan. 13, but an initial evaluation indicates only a small fraction of the more than 400 comments received were in favor of the bike ban.

The meeting was covered by the Savannah Morning News (Opposition rolls out against Savannah’s Forsyth Park bike ban proposal), WTOC-TV (Battle of the Bikes: Meeting held to discuss proposed ban at Forsyth Park and WJCL-TV (Cyclists fight proposed bike ban).

chadBy the end of the meeting, officials reframed the meeting and ordinance as the beginning of discussions about how to improve safety and access. City officials heard loud and clear what those who ride know all too well: Savannah’s bicycle infrastructure has not kept pace with demand and conditions are not safe for many residents and visitors who ride for recreation and transportation. Our city has the highest bike commuting rate in Georgia and is becoming a major bicycle tourism destination, yet of the nearly 700 miles of streets within the city limits, fewer than 20 are equipped with bicycle lanes that meet current standards. The creation of a city bicycle and pedestrian coordinator position, which was mentioned by Citizen Office Director Susan Broker, would be one positive step toward improving conditions for walking and bicycling in Savannah.

It’s too early to declare victory as city staff could still recommend the ordinance for approval by the mayor and city council. We will continue to monitor the situation closely as a report is prepared for the city manager. Your Savannah Bicycle Campaign remains committed to working with city officials, neighborhood organizations, businesses and other institutions to develop and implement sensible strategies for making our streets and other public spaces safe, friendly and accessible to everyone.

Thank you to Susan Broker for facilitating the meeting, and to Savannah city council members Carol Bell, Bill Durrence, Brian Foster, Van Johnson and Julian Miller for attending. And thank you to everyone who demonstrated that Savannah’s cycling community is organized, informed, engaged and insistent on improving and expanding our active transportation network for the benefit of everyone in our city. If you are not already, please become a member today. Your support is critical to our mission of making Savannah better for bikes.

Public meeting on proposed Forsyth Park bike ban set for Jan. 14, Forsyth For All ride planned

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The City of Savannah is hosting a public meeting on a proposed ordinance, which would prohibit people 12 and older from riding bicycles in all areas of Forsyth Park, on Thursday, Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Savannah Civic Center. The ordinance, if passed, will deny access to the thousands of people who ride responsibly though the park each week. The city has offered no plans for providing safe alternative routes for people who will be displaced by the ordinance. In 2013 the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department evaluated calls for increased enforcement against people on bikes and recommended against it.

The meeting format will be a formal presentation and followed by questions and answers, and an opportunity for the community to ask questions, comment, and provide recommendations on the revisions proposed to the ordinance.

If you plan to make comments at the meeting, here are some suggestions:

1. The meeting will be facilitated by Susan Broker of the Citizen Office. Please don’t take out any frustrations on her. She’s simply doing her job.
2. Explain how you use the park and how the proposed ban will affect you. Be passionate, but professional.
3. Offer specific suggestions on how to improve safety in our park and on our streets.
4. Thank city officials for providing this opportunity to talk about this important issue.

The bike ban has received recent media coverage:

Savannah Morning News (Dec. 17) Savannah officials consider Forsyth Park bike ban
Savannah Morning News (Dec. 19) Bikes in Forsyth Park: Go slow on bike ban
Savannah Morning News City Talk (Dec. 21) Proposed bike ban will hurt police effort
Connect Savannah News Cycle (Dec. 30) Bike ban in Forsyth: Blunt tool when precision needed
Savannah Morning News City Talk (Jan. 12) City schedules bike ban meeting

The Savannah Bicycle Campaign opposes the ban and has called on the city to find reasonable solutions that improve safety in the park and nearby streets, while preserving access to all. Please make plans to attend the meeting. If you are unable to attend, please contact your elected officials directly to let them know how the ban will affect you.

Forsyth For All

Join us at 5:30 p.m. at north end of the park (intersection of Bull and Gaston streets) and we’ll roll to the meeting together on the Forsyth for All ride. We need people to speak up about how the ordinance will affect them and urge city officials to find sensible solutions to improve safety in the park and on nearby streets, while preserving access for all. We’ll have some special gifts to help you show your support for active transportation in Savannah. Please join the Facebook event to let us know you’re riding.

Helmets are strongly encouraged. The meeting is scheduled to last until 7 p.m., so don’t forget your bike lights. If you can’t ride with us, please meet us there!

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

forsyth park riders

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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Second Annual Savannah Seersucker Ride rolls on Sept. 5

seersuckerWhat’s not to love about a bike ride with style? Our second Savannah Seersucker Ride is a great way to show off your southern, summer clothing on your bike. It will depart from Grayson Stadium in Daffin Park on Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. We hope you’ll join us for another leisurely trip around town, ending with a catered picnic in Forsyth Park.

Don’t have any seersucker in your closet? Don’t worry! We love you in seersucker or not. Try to dress for the theme with some dandy cycling attire (a helmet is strongly encouraged as part of your ensemble), even if it isn’t in this particular textile. Linen, madras and other seasonal fabrics are also good choices.

Let us know you’re coming by joining the Facebook event.