In light of the proposed federal transportation bill, which eliminates the TE & SRTS funding programs, it is important to know what these programs have done for our state over the years.

The total TE investment in GA since 1992 is $377,877,809. These funds have been used to improve the downtown shopping districts of cities and towns such as Milledgeville, Baxley, Chamblee, and many others. TE funds have built popular multi-use paths, bicycle lanes, and other bike-ped facilities throughout the state.

Total Safe Routes to School investment in GA since 1995 is $9,633,771. SRTS funds have made hundreds of Georgia schools safer for children to travel to by walking and bicycling.

Above figures from AmericaBikes.org.

It’s clear that both of these programs have improved communities throughout the state, creating more livable, enjoyable environments for Georgia’s citizens and visits.

Tell your Congressional Rep and both GA Senators that these programs matter to Georgia!

HB 101, the “Better Bicycling Bill,” was enacted on July 1, 2011.

Click here for the the full version of the bill to see all of the changes it implements. Major updates & additions from HB 101 include:

• Motor vehicles must provide at least three feet of safe passing distance when overtaking a bicyclist
• Cyclists may move to the center of the lane, i.e. take the lane, when surface obstructions, hazards or debris make traveling to the right unsafe
• Cyclists must travel in the direction of traffic while using a designated bicycle lane*
• Bicyclists have the right of way in a designated bicycle lane
• Designated bicycle lanes must be built according to recognized national design standards

* While the new law only specifies that cyclists in bike lanes must travel in the same direction as traffic, bicycles, as vehicles, must abide by all normal vehicular laws. Wrong way travel in any traffic lane is unlawful and unsafe.

We are very pleased to announce that we have selected the following five deserving  organizations to receive our second round of Seed Grants for Bicycle Advocacy:

Bicycle Improvement & Investment Committee (Georgia Tech)
Bike Emory
Communicycle (Atlanta)
Griffin Bicycle Coalition
Tift Area Greenway Association.

These 2nd round seed grant funds will be used to assist the following programs and activities:

• Outfit a community resource center with bicycle repair tools, work stands, and other equipment
• Pay for bicycle parking racks, “Share the Road” signs, and children’s bicycle helmets for free distribution
• Develop educational materials instructing cyclists on safe, legal bicycling practices and motorists on safe road sharing behaviors
• Start-up organizational costs

Congratulations to our second round seed grant winners!

Our first round grant recipients were Wheel Movement in Augusta, Bike Alpharetta, Bike Decatur, Oconee County Cycling Organization , and Bike Cherokee.