The Telluride MountainFilm festival is coming to town Jan. 20 and 21 and the Savannah Bicycle Campaign is celebrating with a group ride and a chance to learn more about how bicycles are changing lives all over the world.

The Tellu-Ride leaves from the south end of Forsyth Park at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 and touches every square in Savannah on its route. Refreshments will be provided at the end of the ride, courtesy of the Sentient Bean and Brighter Day Natural Foods.

One of the most exciting films to be screened at the festival (at least in our opinion) is With My Own Two Wheels  and the filmmakers will be joining the ride and participating in a question and answer session afterward. What’s With My Own Two Wheels All About?

“For Fred, a health worker in Zambia, the bicycle is a means of reaching twice as many patients. For Bharati, a teenager in India, it provides access to education. For Mirriam, a disabled Ghanaian woman, working on bicycles is an escape from the stigma attached to disabled people in her community. For Carlos, a farmer in Guatemala, pedal power is a way to help neighbors reduce their impact on the environment. For Sharkey, a young man in California, the bicycle is an escape from the gangs that consume so many of his peers. With My Own Two Wheels weaves together the experiences of these five individuals into a single story about how the bicycle can change the world—one pedal stroke at a time.”

The ride is free and open to the public. Helmets are strongly encouraged. The total distance is about 7 miles and that number is significant: 5-7 miles is average bicycle commute for a student in rural Zambia. A map of the route is available here. Want to spread the word? Download and print out the event poster here.

Our popular Bike 2 Beer social event continues Tuesday, Jan. 17 at Moon River Brewing Company, from 6-8 p.m. Join your fellow bicycle (and beer) enthusiasts downstairs and learn about the big things happening in bicycling this year. We’ll have the latest on the Telluride MountainFilm festival tour ride and bicycle-related film screenings, the first Pedal Medal awards, and local efforts to make our streets safer for cyclists. See you there!

Savannah’s Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization is hosting a series of meetings to solicit citizen input on its Total Mobility Plan, “an in-depth planning effort which will emphasize sustainability, Complete Streets, Context Sensitive Design, non-motorized transportation and transit. The thoroughfare planning component will address facilities for auto traffic, bicycles, pedestrians, and public transit vehicles, including intersections.”

Adopting and abiding by Complete Streets policies could begin to reshape Savannah’s transportation infrastructure by addressing barriers to safe cycling caused by streets designed with only two goals in mind: maximizing motor vehicle speed and increasing traffic capacity. Thoroughfares of this type are unwelcoming and dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists (and drivers, too).

It’s important for cyclists to express their support for Complete Streets at the meetings and take advantage of this invitation to participate. The meetings will be held at the following times and locations from 5-6:30 p.m., and will and citizens can drop in at any point during the meeting to “map context areas, creating a vision of the desired character in each community.”

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Armstrong Atlantic State University – Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn St.

Thursday, Jan. 19

First Presbyterian Church, 520 Washington Ave.

For more information, contact Mark Wilkes at (912) 651-1451 or wilkesm [at] thempc.org

• SAT 11/12: 9pm. Geekend Block Party – SBC pedal blending and bike valet will be on the scene at Montgomery and Broughton, just south of Franklin Square.
• SUN 11/13: 2pm. Jerry Jaycox Fort Pulaski Wheelie - A November tradition, free entry to Ft. Pulaski for the ride, with a cookout to follow. We’ll bring the burgers – you bring a friend and food to share!
• MON 11/14: 5:30pm reception/6:30pm forum. Mayoral Candidate Forum co-sponsored with USGBC and LWV.
  Runoff candidates Jeff Felser and Edna Jackson will answer questions about transportation and sustainability (see press release below)
• TUE 11/15: 7pm. Bike 2 Beer - Our monthly social at Moon River Brewing Company, 21 W Bay Street

MAYORAL CANDIDATE FORUM TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 14 AT COASTAL GEORGIA CENTER
Savannah mayoral candidates Edna Jackson and Jeff Felser will square off Monday, November 14, fielding questions regarding their positions on transportation and sustainability issues. The forum will start at 6:30 p.m., following a brief reception, and will be moderated by Jim Morekis, editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah. The Forum is hosted by the Savannah Bicycle Campaign, the US Green Building Council-Savannah Branch and the League of Women Voters.

Candidates will answer formal questions delivered by the moderator before taking questions from the audience and the media.

“As we choose our next mayor, it’s more important than ever to ensure that Savannah grows into the future and grows wisely,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, Chair of the US Green Building Council-Savannah Branch. “Through this forum, candidates can express their vision for how Savannah can be a leader by demonstrating responsible stewardship of our environment while incorporating innovative strategies as part of that solution.”

“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the use of bicycles for transportation in the community. The City of Savannah government has been a positive influence in that growth, and we hope this forum allows candidates the chance to address how they will help continue this trend and also make transit and pedestrian options more viable,” said Drew Wade, Chairman of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. “Several long-term transportation planning efforts are reaching the point where those decisions become a critical part of the community we live with for the next several decades; we need to make the right decisions.”

The Forum will be held at the Coastal Georgia Center for Continuing Education, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah, GA, http://cgc.georgiasouthern.edu/. For more information about this forum, please contact Frank McIntosh, Executive Director, Savannah Bicycle Campaign at frank@bicyclecampaign.org or 912-272-1074.

Make sure these folks get the credit they deserve by nominating them for the Savannah Bicycle Campaign’s first Pedal Medal awards. Nominations are open now through Dec. 1. Simply fill out the form below now closed. Pedal Medal winners will be honored at the Pedal Medal Celebration on Thursday Feb. 2 – purchase your tickets today!

This November Savannah will elect leaders to watch over the present and future of our city. Because the decisions they make on transportation and the built environment have long reaching effects, election season is an important opportunity to educate and get feedback from candidates and voters on how those changes should shape the community.

Savannah Bicycle Campaign, U.S. Green Building Council, and
the League of Women Voters present
Alderman At-Large Candidate Forum
6-8pm, Tuesday September 27
Coastal Georgia Center

With that in mind, we have partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council and the League of Women Voters to host a forum for city council candidates elected by city-wide vote — Alderman At-Large Post 1 and Post 2. The forum is next Tuesday, 9/27 at 6pm at the Coastal Georgia Center. More details are below in the press release.

ALDERMAN AT-LARGE CANDIDATE FORUM TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 27 AT COASTAL GEORGIA CENTER
Alderman At-Large candidates will gather Tuesday, September 27 to field questions regarding their positions on transportation and sustainability issues. The forum is free and open to the public, will start at 6pm and be moderated by Orlando Montoya, news producer with Georgia Public Broadcasting in Savannah, and Jim Morekis, editor-in-chief of Connect Savannah.

Candidates will answer formal questions delivered by the moderators during the program before taking questions from the audience and from the media.

“As we choose those that will represent us in deciding policy for our City, it’s more important than ever to ensure that Savannah grows into the future and grows wisely,” said Mark Fitzpatrick, Chair of the US Green Building Council-Savannah Branch. “Through this forum, candidates can express their vision for how Savannah can be a leader by demonstrating responsible stewardship of our environment while incorporating innovative strategies as part of that solution.”
“We’ve seen a tremendous increase in the use of bicycles for transportation in the community. The City of Savannah government has been a positive influence in that growth, and we hope this forum allows candidates the chance to address how they will help continue this trend and also make transit and pedestrian options more viable,” said Drew Wade, Chairman of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. “Several long-term transportation planning efforts are reaching the point where those decisions become a critical part of the community we live with for the next several decades; we need to make the right decisions.”

The Forum will be held at the Coastal Georgia Center for Continuing Education, 305 Fahm Street, Savannah, GA, http://cgc.georgiasouthern.edu/. For more information about this forum, please contact Frank McIntosh, Executive Director, Savannah Bicycle Campaign at frank@bicyclecampaign.org or 912-272-1074.

Our Monthly Bike 2 Beer social is at 7pm at Blue Turtle Bistro at 5002 Paulsen Street. We also welcome you to join us to ride there starting at around 6pm at Savannah Arts, or just come straight to Blue Turtle at 7. We’ll have some giveaways there including Midnight Garden Ride raffle tickets for the 2011 Fat Tire Cruiser…

Bike 2 Beer this week follows the Price Street Bike Lane Open House from 3-6pm at Savannah Arts Academy, a drop-in public meeting on the Price Street Bike Lane project, the final step before city council takes up the issue for an up-or-down vote.

A very special Tuesday August 16 awaits. Two jolly bike related events are planned for your enjoyment.

First, join the City of Savannah’s Open House on the Price Street retrofit (pictured below) at Savannah Arts Academy from 3-6pm. Be present to add your voice to others acclaiming the wondrous changes thermoplastic will bring to Price Street: a southbound bike lane out of downtown, traffic calming, and a more positive pedestrian atmosphere. We won’t miss the small total volume of cars travelling much too fast, to be replaced by a small volume traveling at a reasonable speed.

As if that weren’t enough, follow it up with a sneak partial preview of the Midnight Garden Ride route as we mosey to our third Tuesday Bike 2 Beer, this month at Blue Turtle Bistro on Paulsen Street. We should arrive around 7pm for Bike 2 Beer if you can’t join us for the ride from Savannah Arts at 6pm.

What: Bike 2 Beer monthly social

Where and When:
Savannah Arts Academy, 3-6pm: Savannah Price Bike Lane Open House
Savannah Arts to Blue Turtle Bistro, 6-7pm: A Midnight Garden Ride route preview
Blue Turtle Bistro (5002 Paulsen St), 7pm: Bike 2 Beer social

Who: You and all of the rest of our awesome Campaigners

Why: Celebrate the coming of the new Price Street bike lane and the Midnight Garden Ride

As mentioned last week and correctly indicated on our calendar, the July Bike to Beer social is TOMORROW, Wednesday 7/20 at 7pm. This time, Bike-to-Beergoers will be witnesses to a secret early announcement of our post-ride entertainment for this year’s Midnight Garden Ride… AND we’ll be giving away 2 pairs of free tickets for this year’s ride to some lucky SBC members – you must be present to win, and must be a current member, so join or renew today!

So, c’mon out with us and enjoy the impressive B Matthews beer selection, and grab a bite while you’re there.

Join us for the National Bike Month edition of our Bike to Beer social at Moon River Brewing Company tonight starting at 7pm.  We’ll be celebrating a year with Frank McIntosh as Executive Director as well as revealing upcoming changes to Price Street, Bike Education, and the Midnight Garden Ride.  See you there!