Wednesday, September 7, 2011

An Article Worth Reading on Improving Bicycling in our Community

Georgia has a new law that allows citizens to vote on whether to add a 1-penny sales tax that would go to fund transportation improvements. Voters can decide to add the tax and provide regional funding for transportation projects, including roads, transit, and WE HOPE bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The Atlanta area will have such a vote next year.

The planning process for the proposed projects is quite involved. The process includes considerable opportunity for citizen input. Much of this process is in the concluding stages. Many spoke out and much support for better bicycling was heard.

Rebecca Serna, GSU alum and Executive Director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, has written a great story outlining the process and explaining how bicycling improvements are getting short shrift. Rebecca makes a great case for why additional money needs to be provided for bicycling infrastructure.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Bikes Blossom at Georgia State


On the first day of the semester, I drove to campus from my northeast Atlanta home. I exited from the freeway, and my first sight was a student riding on Jesse Hill near the Commons. It was a preview of things to come.

Several of us were really surprised at the increased number of bicycles that appeared at the beginning of the fall semester. Suddenly, it seemed like Georgia State really was a bicycling campus. Bicycle racks have been full each day, and bicycles could be found everywhere!


Georgia State bicyclists face many challenges, in addition to limited bike racks. Several of the streets on campus- Courtland, Piedmont, and Peachtree Center in particular- have heavy traffic, multi-laned streets, and fast-moving vehicles trying to get on the freeway or to their parking lot as quickly as possible. No bicycle lanes are provided. Although the sidewalks are often wide, riding on the sidewalk is not legal in Georgia (at least for those over 12 years old) and not as safe as streets, according to statistics.

Be safe out there. A good starting point is a helmet. Get one that you like and use it! Second, read up! The web have some good information on safety in traffic. Finally, consider a training course if you haven't ridden in a city environment. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition regularly offers a good course called Confident City Cycling.