Georgia Bikes is hiring: Now accepting applications for full-time safety education programs manager

Georgia Bikes is hiring: Now accepting applications for full-time safety education programs manager

The safety education programs manager is primarily responsible for directly overseeing bicycle and pedestrian safety educational programs for Georgia Bikes. This includes managing our grant with the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), which emphasizes hosting youth and adult safety events, training law enforcement officers, distributing educational materials, and assisting the Georgia Bikes executive director with activities that support the growth and development of advocacy and safety throughout Georgia.

GEORGIA BIKES ANNOUNCES $3M RURAL STATEWIDE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Georgia Bikes is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to develop and implement a Rural Statewide Active Transportation Plan. Funded by a $2.4 million Transportation Alternatives award from the Federal Highway Administration and $600,000 in GDOT matching funds, this will be the first phase of a robust statewide plan for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. The $3M grant award is the result of a successful application by project sponsor Georgia Bikes, the statewide nonprofit working to improve bicycling and walking.

“The Active Transportation Plan – the first of its kind in our state – will confront one of Georgia’s most serious roadway concerns: the disproportionate number of fatalities and injuries among people walking and bicycling,” said John Devine, AICP, Georgia Bikes Executive Director. “While this plan addresses issues related to rural travel, the project will also define a broader planning framework that GDOT will be able to extend to the rest of the state in future phases, as well as an in-depth examination of state-level policies related to bicycling and walking.”

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data from 2020, Georgia is the eighth-most dangerous state for pedestrians, with a fatality rate of 2.61 per 100,000 residents. Additionally, the state ranks 46th for bicycle commuter safety with 23.2 fatalities per 10,000 bike commuters. The Rural Statewide Active Transportation Plan will take steps to make walking and biking safer for people on Georgia’s roadways.

Data show the dangers of walking and bicycling on state routes, and the plan will seek to eliminate vulnerable road user fatalities along Georgia’s state-owned roadways. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association’s report issued in February 2023, Georgia saw a 4.35% increase in pedestrian fatalities from 2021 to 2022. Georgia’s most recent Bicycle-Friendly State report card, issued by the League of American Bicyclists in 2022, noted that “54% of cyclists killed in Georgia were killed on state DOT-owned roadways since 2015… Addressing safety on state-owned roadways is key to improving bicyclist safety in the state.” This partnership with GDOT is the first step in a proactive approach to combating vulnerable road user fatalities on Georgia’s state-owned roads and beyond.

The Rural Statewide Active Transportation Plan will generate input from people who already bike and walk in rural areas as well as individuals who would consider doing so if dedicated infrastructure existed. The public engagement process, along with creation and analysis of datasets relating to safety and demographics, will identify needs and opportunities unique to rural areas.

Further, the project will catalog gaps in funding sources and availability, and provide a thorough review of other states’ best practices for designing, funding, and building active transportation projects.

“This plan will establish a vision and implementation strategy to improve the safety and comfort levels of rural road users who haven’t benefited enough from the bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that’s so popular in denser areas of Georgia,” Devine said. “It will map out a safe, connective network for rural roadway users, whether they walk, roll, or bike, and it will ensure safer roads for all Georgians.”

For more information about the grant award for Georgia’s Rural Statewide Active Transportation Plan, contact John Devine, AICP, Georgia Bikes Executive Director at jd@georgiabikes.org. To learn more about Georgia Bikes, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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“I think I just hit you”

 

Justin Bristol: After being hit in 2014, I’m using my personal experience to make Georgia safer


In 2014, I left my job and packed up my van to spend the summer in Savannah and ride my bike full time. I was training for my last collegiate racing season and riding three to five hours almost every day.


Being on the road for nearly twenty hours every week meant two things: one was that I probably needed to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist when I got back home, and the second was that I was getting passed by a lot of cars.


I was riding to a bike shop one day that July. I don’t remember the route that I took to get to Victory Drive that morning, but I do remember trying to spend the least amount of time possible on that busy four-lane road.


Then I remember being in the dirt.


I’m lucky that I walked away from the crash without any injuries. I’m even luckier, though, that I get to work to prevent these events from happening to other people.


Through our education programs at Georgia Bikes, I work regularly with law enforcement departments to make Georgia’s roads safer for everyone. The continuing education courses that we offer to these local agencies take a detailed look at Georgia’s cycling laws (including the recently updated three-foot passing law), crash data, and best practices for crash reporting. Plus, I’m able to use a redacted version of my own crash report to share my experiences and discuss options for an improved response to the crash that day.


Your support this Giving Tuesday means that we can continue and grow these programs. With your donations, we can help children and adults who ride bikes learn strategies to stay safe on the road and how to choose safe routes. Your gifts help us offer more Bicycle-Friendly Driver classes to a diverse audience ranging from new, young drivers to professional drivers. Most importantly, we can offer more law enforcement classes to help police officers protect you on the road.


Donate now at: www.georgiabikes.org/donate-to-georgia-bikes/

Request a Georgia Bikes Class in your Town!

Request a Georgia Bikes class!

Do you or your cycling group want help hosting a Smart Cycling class or Group Ride Safety Clinic? Use our new form to request and begin scheduling a course. We’ll reach out as soon as possible to coordinate and work to put on a wonderful class or clinic for you!

You can request:

  • Smart Cycling (builds confidence and knowledge to comfortably ride on the road)
  • Group Ride Safety Clinic Program
  • Youth Cycling Clinic
  • Bicycle Friendly Driver
  • POST Certified Traffic Enforcement for Bicycle Safety Course (for law enforcement officers)

Unfortunately, Georgia Bikes can’t accommodate every request, but we’ll do our best to work with you to make sure you get the services you need! Whether that means connecting you to other League Certified Instructors or cycling advocacy groups, or scheduling a virtual opportunity, we want to make sure you have the tools to have fun and be safe on the road or trail.

Local Club Spotlight: Bikes and Friends

Georgia Bikes spoke with Dan Leonard from the Bikes and Friends Cycling Club. Bikes and Friends is a community of friends in Peachtree Corners, Johns Creek, Duluth, Suwanee and surrounding areas who have a passion for cycling, and work to promote health and fitness while supporting each other.

To have your club featured in our Local Club Spotlight, email justin@georgiabikes.org.

Georgia Bikes: Tell me a little bit about your group. When did the club start?
Bikes and Friends started informally in 2011 with a group of cyclists that purchased their bikes and gear at a shop in Johns Creek originally called The Bicycle Wheel. The manager of the shop, Amos Harvey, raced competitively and led our group ride on Saturday morning helping us build the skills needed to safely ride together since most of us had no prior experience with group rides. Over time, we became good friends while staying competitive with one another. And we have continued to build on our friendships adding many new “friends” to our group while taking our riding to the next level and beyond.

GB: I’ve noticed that a lot of group rides today lack this foundational approach and that every ride is a “Tuesday Night Worlds” type of hammerfest. Do you think building these skills together (rather than just getting on the bike and going as hard as you can) has contributed to the group’s longevity?
Amos was a huge influence, especially with the basics such as emphasizing safety by helping us build a better cadence, and establishing no-drop rides with periodic regroups. And when he later moved to Atlanta Cycling in Duluth with the former owner, Mark Gernazian, they both helped us take our skills to the next level while learning to safely ride in a peloton, optimizing our efforts, and having more fun. And building these skills together has clearly contributed to the longevity of our group. We know how far we have come together and have great respect for each other’s work ethic. And it has also made us very collaborative in sharing what we have learned. And of course by nature we are a competitive group, so we are always challenging one another and looking for new riders that share our spirit.  


GB: Who had the idea to found the club? What was the inspiration (raising money/awareness for a cause, racing, junior/women’s riding, or maybe just looking for an alternative to the existing clubs in town)?
When the Bicycle Wheel transferred ownership in 2015 and there was no longer a staff member to lead us, one of our stronger riders took over leading our Saturday group ride. And since we were now responsible for organizing our rides, we gave our group the name “Bikes and Friends Cycling Club” and created a Facebook page mostly to communicate our ride and route details.

Our inspiration was to stay a close-knit group and to work as hard as our schedules and families would allow for us to become the strongest and fittest riders that we could. In the beginning, we were still relatively new to group riding and were looking for an alternative to some of the larger and less personal rides.

GB: How many people were part of it initially? How many do you have now? Originally there were about 15-20 active riders in our club. Today we have 309 members that have signed up to be part of Bikes and Friends and actively use our Facebook page for communications. Although we closely monitor our page and member activity, anyone is allowed to post on our Bikes and Friends page. We also have a Bikes and Friends Cycling Club on Strava made up of our 62 most competitive members to share their ride results and compare with others. 

GB: What makes people want to ride with you- is there something different about your group that they may not find elsewhere?
We are competitive and we are compassionate. We are a competitive group who share a passion for cycling while supporting each other. As our group has gotten stronger our rides are faster, so we have started a group within our club called “Strivers Club” that attracts newer riders or experienced riders who are returning from injury or a gap that want to train back up. These rides are at a slower pace with the intention of mentoring folks new to Bikes and Friends to become better group riders.

Our 4-7 rides each week are communicated clearly on our Facebook page including links to the routes in Strava and pertinent details. And every Sunday we have a special ride that usually involves either a coffee and donuts break or a brew pub visit. We also have at least one annual 4-day ride in May typically over the Blue Ridge Parkway. Throughout the year our group participates in many charity rides wearing our embroidered Bikes and Friends shirts, and we train rigorously as a group beginning in May/June to prepare for the Three/Six Gap ride in Dahlonega on September 25th.

We are a multicultural group with active riders originally from Germany, Korea, South Africa, Colombia, and the UK. 

GB: How did the idea for the “Strivers” come up? It’s easy to take a Darwinistic approach to group rides and clubs, how important is it to you all to continue fostering new riders and growing those skills? I came up with the idea and the name “Strivers Club”. We encourage all of our riders to connect on the application Strava, and in Swedish strava means “strive.”  Striving is consistent with Bikes and Friends’ core desire in striving to get better. One of the challenges that we were having with our rides was that since we were getting so fast, many of the folks who joined us couldn’t keep up. And even with our best efforts to keep the group together, folks would occasionally get dropped. Following my recent recovery from an unrelated hip fracture and subsequent surgery, I was especially motivated to encourage new riders to join us along with previous riders that maybe gave us a try and stopped showing up. Many of these riders are strong but for whatever reason say injury or time off the bike, they have receded some and were interested in getting back to at least where they were before. You often see folks like this that are good riders and are out riding alone. I recognized through my own experience that it’s a lot more fun and effective in getting stronger by riding in a group. Especially a group like ours!       

GB: What has your club accomplished that makes you proud? What do you want to do next? We brought many new members into the group while maintaining our integrity with the primary goal of supporting one another to achieve a healthy and active lifestyle. We help each other build optimal training schedules, make healthy diet choices, and enjoy each other’s company getting together after most rides and in our many social events. We are also proud of the riders in our group that are now part of NGCA and participate in the many sanctioned races here in the Southeast. As far as what we want to do next, we have discussed an interest in having more frequent and interesting destination rides with a Natchez Trace Trail ride on the horizon.

GB: If our readers were to take away just one thing about your group, what do you think it should be? If you are interested in spending time with a nice group of folks that will help support your passion for cycling and desire to get stronger while having a great time then Bikes and Friends Cycling Club may be for you. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1522042881443737

2022 Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit Session Proposal

Georgia Bikes is pleased to open the session proposal period for the 2022 Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit.

This year’s summit will celebrate community successes achieved through walk- and bike-friendly infrastructure and culture. Bikeable and walkable communities are liveable communities, and we’re eager to feature a range  of measures that Georgia advocates and local governments are taking to make life better for the people who live here.

Questions? Contact us at summit@georgiabikes.org


Georgia Bikes improves bicycling and walking conditions and promotes bicycling and walking statewide. We interact with all levels of government, support local advocates, work toward common goals with partners, provide safety education, host an annual summit, act as a clearinghouse, and speak on behalf of safe, equitable, and accessible biking and walking.

Close to Home: Safety Education Program Manager, Justin Bristol, shares his experience when his friend and teammate, Maggie Evans, was struck by a vehicle

I moved to Savannah at the end of 2014 from Columbia, SC. I left a city with a small cyclocross scene and moved somewhere with an even smaller one. It was easy to feel isolated when I was riding my bike with the skinny tires and curly handlebars in the woods.

 

I was taking a break during a ride one afternoon in the big grass field at the Whitemarsh Island Nature Preserve trail in Savannah. It’s the trail behind the YMCA on Johnny Mercer Blvd., not far from the intersection with Highway 80. Another bike with curly handlebars and skinny tires came rolling out of the woods. This was a few short years before the gravel bike boom, another bike like this wasn’t the most common sighting. 

 

I had known Jackson Evans just through occasional group rides around Savannah. Every now and then, he would pop up at a local road race or Wednesday night ride, but his work schedule prevented him from riding too often. As a professional jazz guitarist, Jackson’s work started around the same time most people’s days ended. His ride schedule didn’t match up with everyone else’s. As a graduate student, I wasn’t bound to a nine to five schedule. It was easy for us to ride together during the day.

 

We exchanged phone numbers in the field that day to coordinate some rides together. Since the Georgia Cyclocross Series events happened on Sunday afternoons, he could usually get to those races after playing a Saturday night gig and a slightly abbreviated sleep schedule. Within a few years, we were regular travel and training partners. 

 

We became fast friends after all of that time on the saddle and in the car together. We had nearly the complete opposite taste in music. The absence of song in the car to break the silence meant a lot of silly conversations on Interstate 16 heading northwest. It’s easy to grow close to someone in that environment. 

 

Of course, it’s easy to grow close to someone’s family like that too. 

 

Where there’s Jackson, there’s Maggie. Maggie was a runner when I first became friends with them. When I would show up to their house for a coffee before a local race or training ride, Maggie was usually getting ready to go for a run. Those quick conversations around the coffee table turned into real friendship. I rushed home from a mountain bike race in 2019 to make sure I got to the Evans family holiday party in time. Maggie had arranged to have a birthday cake for me at their holiday party, letting me take the spotlight from their own event for a brief period of time. I’ll never forget her “31 is tons of fun” mantra that she repeated throughout the evening. 

 

I only knew Maggie the runner for a few years. I usually teased her for her sport of choice. She commuted by bike to her job at SCAD, so clearly she understood how great bikes were. She just hadn’t embraced them as a recreational activity quite yet. 

 

When Maggie got her first gravel bike, it was clear that she was hooked. She practically quit running overnight and became a cyclist. Jackson and Justin car trips became Jackson, Maggie, and Justin car trips to explore new dirt roads and sometimes new taco shops. We raced in Hillsboro, GA and rushed home so that they could play their Saturday night gig. We rode a loop of Lake Moultrie in South Carolina, and meandered home after a big meal. Maggie often posted the hashtag, “will travel for gravel” on her Instagram stories. It was hard to keep her away from any dirt road event that she could find.

 

I joked that the three of us were a gravel tricycle.

 

 

I got home from my lunch ride a little bit later than normal on Tuesday, April 12th. As was typical, when I got back from my ride, I sat back down at my desk for a few minutes still in my bike clothes and began to catch up on emails. I checked the work social media and saw that someone had posted a link about a bicyclist who had been hit by a car in our local cycling Facebook group. The last line jumped out at me. 

 

“Officials say the bicyclist has been taken to the hospital but are not sure of her condition.”

 

“Her.”

 

I texted Maggie immediately. When she didn’t answer, I called Jackson. He told me that he was sitting in the waiting room at the ER. I kicked something in my living room—I don’t remember what, but it was hard—and began pacing around our house. I had never felt so helpless. 

 

Eventually, I got dressed and got in my car and drove to the scene of the collision: Highway 80, near the intersection with Johnny Mercer Blvd. Not far from the grassy field where I first teased Jackson for having a flip phone in 2017. 

 

Yellow flags scattered around the site caught my eye. And then I saw a Cannondale Synapse laying just off of the shoulder in the grass. And then a shoe. Glasses. A helmet. Everything was still just sitting there. 

 

I drove to the Bike Walk Savannah office downtown. Caila Brown, the Executive Director, called the Chatham County Police Department. They released the items to be collected as the collision investigation had already concluded on site. We called Jackson, spoke with his lawyer, and returned to collect the items. 

 

 

Scattered amongst the grass, the roadside litter, and the shattered bits of pickup truck headlights were my friend’s belongings. I bounced between feelings of anger, sadness, and fear as I picked up her phone and her emergency flat kit. 

 

Maggie is currently stable in the hospital, but has a long road to recovery. Jackson was lucky that he was able to find her in the ER, but it wasn’t without effort. 

 

I personally rarely ride with my wallet. I’m too afraid of losing it, ironically, if I crash. I have a crash notification on my bike computer and have my wife listed as my emergency contact on my phone. I always assumed that, if I crashed, it would be easy to identify me that way. 

 

Maggie’s phone was lost at the scene (and later recovered by Caila and me) but it wasn’t functional. Her cycling computer was not recovered. 

 

I ordered a new identification tag today to wear while I ride so that I can be identified in the case of a collision or crash. Luckily, this also includes information like my blood type and any known allergies. A precaution that makes my family a bit more comfortable. There’s a popular brand of ID tags available for active folks that offers an interactive database online that you can update to change contact information, medical history, and allergies without replacing the physical tag. Smaller, more independent makers and brands can also be found on websites like Etsy. 

 

Of course, for a collision like this to happen, something has gone horribly wrong. Highway 80 may not be as safe as a cycle lane in Amsterdam, but there are certainly worse places to ride. On a clear, sunny day like it was, this four-lane road with a shoulder should be shared easily by all road users.

 

While I can’t speak to charges or decisions made by the police, it seems to me that there was a violation made during this attempted pass. The updated passing law in Georgia (§ 40-6-56, effective July 1, 2021) mandates that motorists change lanes if feasible (there are two lanes of westbound traffic available on Highway 80) or slow down at least 10 miles per hour, and “proceed around the bicycle with at least three feet between such vehicle and the  bicycle at all times.” This strengthened our previous three-foot passing law in that it requires a three-foot buffer and encourages changing lanes completely when possible. 

 

Consulting with legal counsel is always advised in the event of a crash, but with health being our first priority, it can sometimes be easy to overlook legal concerns. An experienced and knowledgeable counsel will be able to fill in gaps and make sure that all of the boxes are being ticked, especially if a police investigation is ongoing, leaving you and your family able to focus on healing and recovery (both physically and emotionally).

 

 

It’s important to know how to react and what to do in the event of a crash (Georgia Bikes has resources available on our website). Of course, riding predictably and visibly is the best that we can do to prevent a collision. It was a clear, sunny morning the day that Maggie was hit but she was still riding with a red rear light for increased visibility. Even when we take every precaution to be safe out on the road, we are still at the mercy of other road users. That is why the most important thing, especially when we operate a motor vehicle, is to be attentive at all times. A large pickup truck could weigh nearly 6,000 lbs., but even the smallest car traveling at speed could easily cause serious injury or death to a person on a bike. Every road user should take proper care to be aware of their responsibilities on the road, and work to remain vigilant of those more vulnerable road users out there. 

 

 

 

Local Club Spotlight: The GOAT RIDERS

Georgia Bikes spoke with Diane Seale of the GOAT RIDERS to highlight the efforts of this local cycling club. The GOAT RIDERS are a social riding group in Cumming, GA who focus on no-drop rides with a welcoming atmosphere and weekly goat-farm rest stops. 

To have your club featured in our Local Club Spotlight, email justin@georgiabikes.org.

Georgia Bikes: When did you originally organize the group? 

Diane: It officially became a group in 2014. A few years prior to that, we were a group of runners who decided we needed to do something more than run so we started cycling on Sundays.

 

GB: How did you come up with the idea? 

Diane: We would meet up at various places and someone always knew some of the roads and others we just explored. As the group of cyclists grew, everyone lived in different locations. We found the Forsyth County YMCA to be a centralized location for all to meet. We started exploring new roads from there and for some reason we always rode by the Goat Farm. At that time the goats actually had a Fisher Price play set in their field with country music blaring from the speakers. Since we never knew where we were going each week, one of the cyclists asked a particular Sunday if we were going to ride the Goat Route. We asked what she meant and she referred to the Goat Farm as being on the route and, from then on, every Sunday we made sure the farm was on our route and we stopped to share our snacks with the goats.

 

GB: How many people were involved initially? 

Diane: It initially started with about five of us and eventually others started asking to join in.

 

GB: How many are riding with you now?  

Diane: We have over 1,200 members with cyclists on Sundays numbering from 20 to over 100.

GB: I think no-drop rides are so important because they provide a welcoming and supportive entrance into riding. I’ve had friends that were dropped on rides and it really soured them on riding in groups. How important is the no-drop ethos to your group? 

Diane: That is THE most important aspect that we strive for as a group. Our motto, “No one left behind” is what makes the GOATS unique. There are leaders assigned to every group along with sweepers that make sure everyone in their group is accounted for along the whole route. I have seen sweepers actually turn around and ride back to be sure the LAST person is within eyesight. 

 

GB: Do you think it makes people more likely to join in rides? 

Diane: Yes, without a doubt. As long as a “new to the GOATS” cyclist joins a Sunday ride and does not jump in front of the leader, we try our best to prevent that cyclist from getting lost or left behind in the group. Not only are the leaders and sweepers looking out for the group, but the entire vibe of the club is to look out for others and help them in any way that they need help.

 

GB: And to come back? 

Diane: After the rides I encourage people to join us at Tanner’s Restaurant for not only food and hydration, but more so the camaraderie you get from sitting and talking to other cyclists. We are all at different stages in our lives, but share the common interest of loving to cycle outdoors.

 

GB: I really like the idea of “enjoying nature’s beauty from the seat of a bike” concept. How important is taking time to be present in nature to the members of your group?  

Diane: The routes that we have created are all on the rolling hills of country roads. We pass many farms and beautiful landscapes and homes. None of the routes from 21 to 40 miles have a traffic light so you really feel like you are out of the city and enjoying nature.

 

GB: If people were interested in starting similar rides in other parts of the state, what advice would you give them? 

Diane: Remember that it’s a ride and not a race. Always keep levity in 95% percent of the situations that happen, but of course be present when something does occur that needs the leader’s attention. Be consistent and concise in posting rides and information. Put yourself in the position that you have just moved to the area and this will be your first ride. Think of what information that you as a new rider needs to know and try to post that on every ride. Plan fun things for the group i.e. once a month have a field trip to another location to ride or pick a century ride to train for together as a group. We have done both of these things with the GOATS which was something out of the ordinary from the usual Sunday rides, but kept the enthusiasm going within the group.

 

Diane: One last thing I want to share with you was something I posted on the FB page in July 2020 after hearing that the GOAT RIDERS was MY group (note, this excerpt from Diane’s Facebook post has been edited for length):

 

“WHAT MAKES GOATS SO SPECIAL? Lately, when I’ve been giving my “safety briefing” on Sundays, I start off by saying, “Hello, my name is Diane Seale (yes, I have that in my notes to remember…) welcome to the GOATS…THIS IS NOT MY GROUP…”

 

I felt our group was more about having fun, meeting new people, enjoying being outside to exercise and most of all making EVERYONE feel welcome. We’ve never wanted anyone to be left behind with their kick-stand bike with no water, thinking that’s how group rides were structured.

 

So truly, the GOATS are special in that SO many of you help out to lead, to sweep, to share GOAT food, to organize the post-ride hydration, to encourage each other along the way. I am only the catalyst to post the ride and read a safety briefing which we borrowed from another club and restructured for our ride.

 

Each and every one of you are the reason why the GOATS continue to grow!!! It is OUR GROUP!!”

Georgia Bikes wants to thank Diane for taking the time to speak with us and for sharing photos!

Bike Walk Golden Isles, Georgia’s newest bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization, picks up speed

Bike Walk Golden Isles makes important progress in 2021, sets ambitious goals for the future

In December 2019, a public meeting was held in Brunswick to gauge interest in a new bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization on the Coast. Then the pandemic hit, stopping the effort in its tracks. But only temporarily. Bike Walk Golden Isles, Georgia’s newest bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization, is again rolling forward, having made significant progress this year.

Van Black, chair of the BWGI board of directors, said he’s proud of the speed with which the organization came together. A steering committee was formed and began meeting twice a month via Zoom, members started participating in socially-distanced outdoor activities, and a survey was conducted to identify priorities for the organization. 


“We built a board, we created a solid set of corporate bylaws, established financial systems, and we researched and implemented a comprehensive donor management system in just a few months,” he said.

Black is also pleased with the composition of the board of directors, which grew out of the steering committee, and the expertise that individual members bring to it.

“All of our board members are very knowledgeable and are experts in the roles that they have accepted. They have direct experience in running non-profit organizations, in maintaining and expanding infrastructure, and in creating educational and safety programs,” he said. “Additionally, everyone works well together and has fun as a group.”

Patti Sistrunk, program manager at the Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center, serves as BWGI secretary and is also enthused with the organization’s recent accomplishments.

“I’m proud that we’re seeing such an immediate interest from the community while being able to collaborate and partner with so many organizations and people already,” she said. “Every conversation I have about Bike Walk Golden Isles leads to more possibilities. This organization was needed.” 

Bike Walk Golden Isles, the Georgia Safe Routes to School Resource Center, Bike Walk Savannah, and Georgia Bikes teamed up to offer bicycle safety education programs to hundreds of students in Coastal Georgia.

 


One such opportunity for collaboration occurred in May when BWGI teamed up with Georgia Bikes and Bike Walk Savannah to develop a bicycle education program for hundreds of students at Burroughs-Molette Elementary School in Brunswick. The partnership continued when the organizations offered education programs in association with Loop it Up Savannah to students enrolled in Savannah-Chatham County Public School System summer programs. In all, nearly 400 students at seven schools participated in bicycle safety programs.

Bike Walk Savannah Executive Director Caila Brown said, “Having BWGI just down the road allows us to cooperate on issues throughout the coastal region. Our partnership with BWGI will also help us find opportunities to improve connectivity and expand mobility options in coastal communities — and amplify the effectiveness of both our organizations.”

Brown said she’s seen groups in Metro Atlanta work together and is glad to have similar opportunities for collaboration in Southeast Georgia. In addition to partnering with Bike Walk Savannah, BWGI has also worked with the Brunswick Downtown Development Authority, the Gullah Geechee Bicycle Ride Across Georgia Dream Team, the Golden Isles Track Club, the Camden Cycling Club, the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Coastal Regional Commission, and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

BWGI served as a local host for the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Capital to Coast bicycle safety event in Brunswick.

 

Black said the organization is well positioned to promote the region’s reputation as a good place for walking and biking, while advocating for projects that improve safety.

“The Golden Isles are one of the best places in the country for biking, walking, and rolling. Certain infrastructure elements designed to support these activities are currently in place, but there are tremendous opportunities for additional growth,” he said. “BWGI is striving to work with local officials to provide more trails, paths, and other opportunities to enjoy life in the Golden Isles. Additionally, there are many residents here — and tourists as well — who are new to biking, walking, and rolling and BWGI wants to help these people to learn to love these activities, to engage in relevant events, and to be safe while they are enjoying these undertakings.”

BWGI has big plans in 2021, including organizing fun, casual bike rides for people of all ages and abilities, growing its membership,  and becoming a, “trusted source in the community for delivering educational and safety programs,” Black said. This year BWGI has participated in and helped to promote the Gullah Geechee BRAG Dream Team’s monthly Justice for Ahmaud Community Bike Rides, staffed a booth at Brunswick PorchFest, and served as one of the local hosts for the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Capital to Coast bicycle safety tour.

BWGI members participate in the Gullah Geechee Bicycle Ride Across Georgia Dream Team’s Justice for Ahmaud Community Bike Rides and help tp promote the events.

 

The organization is also ready to represent coastal residents who want safer streets and public spaces, Black said, and members have been meeting with elected officials and other local government staff members.

“We want to be a resource for area politicians, the Georgia Department of Transportation representatives, Department of Natural Resources personnel, and other community officials as they focus on enhancing the local infrastructure by creating more biking, walking, and rolling opportunities for residents and visitors.”

Sistrunk has a similar vision for the organization’s role.

“BWGI will be a collective voice for people who want to bike and walk as well as people who have to bike and walk,” she said. “ I’m a project manager who works in bicycle and pedestrian programs for a living, and I value the important role bicycle and pedestrian advocates play around the state and country. I’ve seen the amazing things groups like Georgia Bikes, Bike Walk Savannah, BikeAthens, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, Bike Coweta, and Bike Walk Macon do. I want that here where I live and I want to be a part of it. I hope a lot of other people want to be part of BWGI, too.” 

Georgia Bikes began providing administrative support to Bike Walk Golden Isles in October 2019, as part of its efforts to strengthen bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations throughout the state and help to launch new efforts. If you are interested in how Georgia Bikes can help organize advocacy initiatives in your community, email info@georgiabikes.org.