GSU Bikes Blog

2011-11-05T20:03:00.002-04:00

Research conducted at the University of Wisconsin about the potential for bicycling to improve air pollution, increase physical activity, and improve health has been attracting a considerable amount of articles in the media, including newspapers, public radio, and magazines. The team looked at the benefits of using bicycling to make short trips, instead of driving a car (the same strategy that GSU Bikes advocates). Their study calculated the effect on 11 midwestern cities.

The positive effects included a reduction in pollution and billions of dollars saved from health care costs as a result of increased physical activity and reduced exposure to fine particles in the air.

Georgia State and downtown Atlanta can learn from this study. If we work together to make Atlanta friendly to bicycling and walker and move away from a car-centered environment, we can make positive impacts on the air and our health. We can make Atlanta a more livable and desirable place.

You can read the published study in the online journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

2011-10-04T15:12:00.003-04:00

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, our most important partner at GSU Bikes, is celebrating its 20th year. See a short video about Rebecca Serna, Director and ABC's work.

An Article Worth Reading on Improving Bicycling in our Community

2011-09-07T18:58:00.003-04:00

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.

Bikes Blossom at Georgia State

2011-09-04T19:44:00.002-04:00

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.

Atlanta Streets Alive Returns to GSU June 11

2011-06-06T11:58:00.002-04:00

Did you know that the Atlanta Streets Alive event returns to GSU and downtown Atlanta on June 11 and on June 25? Atlanta Streets Alive had two events last year that brought thousands out into the streets of Atlanta to walk, run, bike, or do whatever activities moved them. Edgewood, Auburn and other streets will be closed during the event for activity. Woodruff and Hurt Parks will be filled with activity.

GSU Bikes, in conjunction with Touch the Earth from the Rec Center, will be providing bikes to loan during the event. Anyone with a Panther Card or other University System of Georgia ID can borrow a bike for a short spin around the ASA route. We will also be sharing information about bicycling at Georgia State, our plans, and how to get involved.

See the Atlanta Streets Alive! web page for a map of the route and for more information.

Event: Atlanta Streets Alive!
Dates/times: June 11, 10 am- 2 pm
June 25, 4 pm- 8 pm
Where: Downtown Atlanta, near Woodruff and Hurt Parks and eastward along Auburn and Edgewood Avenues

2011-06-02T12:51:00.002-04:00

Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood discusses bike sharing programs in cities and other important transportation topics.

The Ride to the Condesa Coffee Shop

2011-03-13T16:29:00.004-04:00

The students and I were to meet a couple of people at the Condesa Coffee Shop on Friday. It was a beautiful early Spring day and I have a BFO*: let's check out GSU Bikes and enjoy a bike ride to the meeting!

The GSU Bike Shop at Touch the Earth, located in the Student Recreation Center, was happy to oblige. We did the necessary checkout in quick fashion and off we went. North to Edgewood, east to Jackson, north again to the Freedom Park Trail, and down a long block to the corner of JW Dobbs and Boulevard. Our ride was a bit more than a mile.

I could have driven everyone, but in less time than we would have walked to the parking lot, started the car, traversed the streets, and found a parking spot at the destination, we completed our ride. We all arrived alert and mentally refreshed thanks to the brief exercise. We helped decrease the air pollution burden. and we helped to relieve congestion.

It was a short, healthy trip and a productive meeting, and one that each of us is likely to remember. Why don't we step out of our normal routine and take the opportunity to practice what we preach more often?

*BFO= blinding flash of the obvious

Come play in the streets again- October 17

2010-08-10T15:09:00.002-04:00

Atlanta Streets Alive will hold its second day in the streets on Sunday October 17 from 1-6 pm in downtown Atlanta, on the Georgia State University campus. Details are being finalized, but we expect that the event will extend along Edgewood Avenue for more than a mile and encompass Hurt and Woodruff Parks. Everyone is invited to take part in activities along the route or just use the street (closed to motorized traffic) for walking, running, bicycle riding, skating boarding, roller blading, pogo stick hopping, unicycling, handwalking, crawling, dancing, skipping, jumping, or any other non-motorized way of moving imaginable.

The first ASA, held on May 24, attracted 6000 people to play in the streets and was a great time for all. See http://www.atlantastreetsalive.com/ for videos, photos, and other information about the event. Information is also available on how to get involved in helping with ASA.

Atlanta Streets Alive! Sunday May 23

2010-05-22T12:22:00.002-04:00

Don't miss your opportunity to participate in a sure-to-be-historic event! Atlanta Streets Alive! will take place Sunday May 23, from 1-6 pm. Woodruff Park will be the event headquarters, which will close Edgewood Avenue for over 1 mile to the east.

Georgia State is partnering with the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta Regional Commission, Central Atlanta Progress/Downtown TMA, and many other local organizations to conduct the inaugural Atlanta Streets Alive!

Atlanta Streets Alive! is a Ciclovia style event. It is also a promising strategy to increase opportunities for physical activity. Atlanta Streets Alive! will close down Edgewood and Auburn Avenues and other streets in downtown Atlanta to cars for the afternoon and open them up for people to bike, walk, run, jog, crawl, roll, hop, skip, unicycle, roller blade, dance, play, and recreate without a motor. Woodruff and Hurt Parks will be centers for the activities that will stretch for more than a mile.

Atlanta Streets Alive! will be an entirely free opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with the public realm, build community and participate in healthy activities. By closing streets temporarily to cars, Atlanta Streets Alive! will create a safe and welcoming space for people of all ages, fitness levels, and degrees of confidence to bicycle in a safe and welcoming setting. The event will animate many of the dead spaces throughout our downtown, featuring arts installations, improvisation, theater, dance and fitness classes, and will bring a healthy dose of imagination and spontaneous joy to our city. Many stores, restaurants, and other vendors will be open on Sunday afternoon.

We hope that this Sunday, Atlanta Streets Alive! will demonstrate overwhelming interest to convince the City to allow it to become a regular event increase the size of the event.

Whether you have an hour or the entire afternoon to spend, please join us on May 23rd to help our streets truly come alive and bring your friends and family! For more information on the event, to see the route and to check out the long list of planned activities, please visit www.atlantastreetsalive.com

More about Earth Day and the Bike Rack Unveiling

2010-04-08T17:51:00.011-04:00

We participated in the GSU Earth Day celebration today. We had a table at the event where we shared information about our project and about bicycling at Georgia State. Then, around 12:15, we recognized artist Spencer Murrill, the designer and fabricator of the winning bike rack- work of art. We quickly dashed outside between showers and unveiled the new bike rack, which is located on Gilmer Street, near the entrance to Unity Plaza and the Student Center.

Given that rain forced the event indoors, we felt that the turnout was great! Rebecca Serna spoke about bicycling activities, and GSU V.P. Beth Jones helped us unveil the bike rack. There was great energy and enthusiasm about the new addition to the GSU campus.

To cap the afternoon, Nancy Pope who has served as student lead for the past 6 months, successfully defended her master's thesis. Nancy's research analyzed the results of the survey about bicycling behavior and perceptions among Georgia State students. The results of her thesis will be extremely important to shaping the future projects of GSU Bikes. Dr. Christine Stauber chaired her thesis committee.

Check out the bike rack- it's a beautiful addition to campus and serves a useful purpose in providing another place to secure a bike.

GSU Bikes Unveiling

2010-04-08T14:00:00.008-04:00

The rain didn't stop us from unveiling the new bike rack in front of the Student Center on Gilmer St. Here are a few pictures from the event. Congrats to Spencer who designed the rack, it looks great. Hope to see lots of bikes locked up to it in the future!

See you there!

2010-04-06T19:54:00.001-04:00

Thursday April 8, 2010 as GSU Bikes joins the Georgia State University
Earth Day event with the unveiling of the GSU Bike Bicycle Rack
Competition winning entry!

Winning artist Spencer Murrill’s creation will be unveiled at 12:15
p.m. on the sidewalk just outside Georgia State’s Student Center’s
Unity Plaza, on Gilmer Street.

Bicycle Ride to the Capitol

2010-04-01T07:35:00.002-04:00

I've posted some photos from the recent bicycle ride to the Capitol on my FB page. The bicyclists went through the GSU campus both on the way to the Capitol and on the way back.

Wouldn't it be great to see this many bicycles on campus every day?

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2270635&id=22623749&l=9fe36f54be

NPR's Morning Edition discussed bike trails

2010-03-31T09:50:00.001-04:00

This morning (March 31) they were talking about the importance of bikers contributing to Google Maps bike trail feature. Great to see so much public interest in bike commuting these days.