Who speaks for the bikes?
This post was written by John Bennett
February 7, 2008
Gather a group of Savannah bicyclists in a room and they will invariably begin to share accounts of near misses involving inattentive or aggressive motorists. They’ll compare notes on which portions of the Lincoln Street bike lane are most often blocked by parked cars. It happens every time cyclists come together, just as it did in a meeting I attended today.
Of course, there are some communities in which cyclists have it tougher than we do. And there are others in which cyclists can feel confident that the city’s highest elected official has their backs. I suppose Savannah is somewhere in the middle. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say we are in limbo. It could be worse, but it could be much better.
Is it time for a bicycle advocacy group to organize and lobby for infrastructure improvements, law enforcement initiatives and educational campaigns that will make Savannah’s streets safer for transportational cyclists? What form would such a group take? What would be it’s mission? How could it cooperate with our cousins in the realm of recreational cycling? Is there common ground to be found with those working to improve public transportation and pedestrian facilities? What would the group be called? How often would it meet? Would there be food at the meetings?
Please share your ideas in the comments section.
Posted in Advocacy, Transportation
February 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
There’s a great group in New York City called Times Up! that does a lot of things, including advocacy and direct actions to push for bike-friendly laws. They’re probably most famous for their monthly direct action rides called “Critical Mass,” in which they ride in big groups and effectively take over a street. It’s a fun way to raise visibility for the issue. It’s a pretty great thing. But they also do many, many other things, including run free workshop on simple bike maintenance (e.g., how to change a flat) for the community. They’re worth taking a look at for a model.
http://times-up.org/
February 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
oh, and, yes, there would be food at the meeting. what kind of meeting doesn’t have food?
February 11th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I agree about rules for bicylists, especially SCAD students. Rules of the road do NOT include diagonally crossing at major intersections downtown. Or, when a motorist’s RIGHT blinker is on, a bicyclist should NOT zoom on the right on the auto, and pull out immediately as if he/she has the right of way. I called SCAD to report haphazard cyclists and spoke with someone in security. Shortly there after was a serious accident with a SCAD cyclist. For a time students seemed to cycle more responsibly. Regretfully, either a new class of students don’t have the word, or the cyclists are forgetting that cars also can, and should be permitted to drive safely on Savannah’s downtown streets without worry of a cyclist zooming out of the normal flow of traffic.
February 19th, 2008 at 10:47 am
speaking of bikes in the city, here’s a great idea:
http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/02/19/granny-bikes-to-save-cities-london-edition/