Georgia Bikes announces annual Bike-Walk-Live Summit in Decatur October 3-5

Georgia Bikes’ annual conference, the Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit, returns to the metro area this fall. Coming to Decatur October 3-5, the Bike-Walk-Live Summit brings together all types of road and trail users and practitioners for informative educational sessions and new opportunities to work together to make Georgia’s roads, paths, and trails as safe and accessible as possible.


The Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit folds in the Georgia Outdoor Recreation and Trails Summit in 2024. This year represents the first official summit partnership between Georgia Bikes and the Georgia Outdoor Recreation Coalition.


“Trust for Public Land and the Georgia Outdoor Recreation Coalition are excited to integrate the Trail Summit into the Bike-Walk-Live Summit,” said George Dusenbury, Vice President of the Southern Region and the Georgia State Director at Trust for Public Land. “Pooling resources with our long-time partner Georgia Bikes will result in a more robust Summit and an even better experience for participants.”


As always, this year’s summit will offer a variety of learning opportunities, from informative plenary sessions to engaging and active mobile workshops, that highlight and improve on what makes Georgia bikeable, walkable, and livable, from complete streets and greenways to trails for walking, biking, rolling, and paddling.


“Georgia Bikes is thrilled to host this year’s Bike-Walk-Live Summit in downtown Decatur,” said Georgia Bikes’ Executive Director John Devine, AICP, said. “The Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit provides traffic engineers, professional planners, and active transportation activists and enthusiasts with an opportunity to learn best practices for their communities and celebrate everything that makes Georgia bikeable, walkable, and liveable.”


Previous summit sessions have included:

Bike-Walk Law 101: How to Deal with Aggressive Drivers

Want To Take an Ambitious Leap for a Regional Trail Concept? You’ve Come to the Right Place.

Design Collaboration on Urban Trails

The Accessible Trail Marking Project

Water Trails Planning and Programming

Youth Partners in Creating Change to Our Streets

Be Safe, Be Seen: How to Run (Or Not Hit a Runner) At Any Time of Day!


Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information about sponsoring this year’s Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit, contact justin@georgiabikes.org. Additional details, schedules, and registration will be available soon at georgiabikes.org.


What: Georgia Bikes’ 2024 Georgia Bike-Walk-Live Summit

Where: Courtyard by Marriott, Decatur, GA

When: October 3rd-5th, 2024 


For more information on Georgia Bikes, please visit www.georgiabikes.org or follow Georgia Bikes on Facebook and Instagram


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MACORTS (Athens Region) Metropolitan Transportation Plan 2050 Update in Process

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPO) are federally designated to administer transportation planning and facilitate federal and state transportation investments within the region for all urban areas with over 50,000 residents. Every five years, MPOs are required to update their Metropolitan Transportation Plan, which covers a 20-year planning horizon and provides MPOs the opportunity to assess the existing transportation network, estimate future demands, and identify needs and future investments. 

The public input process is an important part of the MTP update that provides the project team with context about on-the-ground conditions and the needs of people who regularly use the region’s transportation infrastructure. Having an MTP that accurately reflects the needs of all who use the transportation system, no matter what mode they use, is a crucial step to building more complete, accessible, and safe roadways.

Below is our letter to the project team, our responses to survey questions, and details on how to participate. 

The public input survey is open through March 31 – don’t miss your opportunity to protect people who bike, walk, or roll in your community! 

“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/

Georgia advocacy organizations working to connect people with donated bikes during pandemic

In Georgia, bicycles are essential transportation for many who need to get around during the coronavirus outbreak. This might include traveling to essential jobs, running crucial errands, or participating in mutual aid for vulnerable people who cannot leave their homes.

Bike Walk Macon is partnering with Re-Cycle Macon to connect Maconites who have an extra, ready-to-ride bicycle to Maconites who need one through Bike Match Macon. The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has rolled out Bike Match Atlanta

Bike Walk Savannah is taking a slightly different approach. Throughout the year its New Standard Cycles team works with area non-profits and service agencies to assist their clients in finding transportation. During the current crisis they will be temporarily working directly with individuals to provide free bicycles.

Live elsewhere in the state and need a bike to reach important destinations? Or have one to donate? We’ve got you covered. Georgia Bikes launched Bike Match Georgia today!

Thank you to New York City’s Transportation Alternatives for sharing their Bike Match program model with us.