Expanding their efforts to promote environmental sustainability, B Street Salon has begun a partnership with Savannah Bicycle Campaign. Patty McIntosh (below arriving at her appointment with salon owner and master stylist Monica McMasters), already a B Street client and regular bicyclist kicked the program off yesterday. Going forward, B Street will donate 10% of proceeds from services and products purchased at the salon by Savannah Bicycle Campaign members.

B Street sources environmentally responsible products and has long recycled materials from the business, even beginning a program to reuse bottles at their “Filling Station,” so their efforts are of course a good match for our own focus on sustainable transportation, and we hope this will be a model for similar partnerships with other local businesses.

Members of Savannah Bicycle Campaign and their immediate family members simply indicate their membership prior to checking out and the donation will be applied. This is a great way to make your dollars count in supporting local businesses who support sustainability, and support our efforts specifically to improve bicycling conditions here in Chatham County. If you or someone in your family is already a client, make sure to let B Street know you are an SBC member when you are at your appointment; and if you’re not already a client, consider giving B Street a try!

Georgia has been slow to jump on the Safe Routes to School bandwagon, but we are finally on board.  SRTS is a program to encourage elementary and middle school students to walk and bicycle to school (which 42% did in 1969, but only 16% do today) for the potential benefits of health, decreased traffic congestion and pollution.  Because there are federal dollars backing it, we now have a staff member from the Safe Routes Resource Center who is helping schools get programs off the ground here in coastal Georgia (it also means that both public and private schools that establish programs will be eligible to apply for 100% federal funding of infrastructure projects — i.e. sidewalks, bike paths, traffic calming, etc — so this could be a great thing for our kids and our streets if adopted in a big way).

Patti Sistrunk, former South Carolina SRTS State Coordinator and now the Coordinator for Coastal GA, has organized a workshop for SRTS at Jacob G. Smith Elementary next Thu Feb 25 from 2-5pm.  The workshop includes a walkability assessment, and participants will observe and comment on a regular day’s dismissal of students, while learning how to build incentives for kids and their parents to walk and bicycle to school.  It’s open to all who are interested, so RSVP to Patti by Mon Feb 22 if you would like to attend.

Next week several sessions will focus on the removal of the I-16 flyover and the resultant changes to the streetscape. Of particular interest to you campaigners will likely be the opening night on Wed Feb 17 from 5:30-8pm (includes an opening presentation and facilitated discussion) and the session on Thu Feb 18 from 9-11am (the hands-on design charrette), though it is all open to anyone interested. Take a look at the flyer here and let us know if you can help us make the case for including Complete Streets in a new Martin Luther King, Jr Boulevard.

Georgia Bikes!, our statewide advocacy group has reorganized and added a lobbying component.  Part of that effort in the statehouse this year is the annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol.  With rides beginning at two main locations around metro Atlanta, this event brings together elected officials and cyclists to highlight the need for better public policy with respect to bikes.

If any of you has a reason to be in Atlanta on March 23, or you just want to support legislative efforts (let us know — there may be an opportunity to meet with our legislators while you’re there), check it out!  If you do plan to go, please pre-register so the organizers know how many to expect and consider making a donation to the effort — the ride has been put on for free in the past, but due to mounting costs, this may not be the case in the future.

(1) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle;

noting of course that bicycles are vehicles under the law.  16 other states have laws that apply a 3 foot safe passing distance for cars passing bicycles, which works as an educational tool for drivers and a standard for enforcement (how close is too close?  “I didn’t hit him — he just fell down after I passed”).  Based on Georgia numbers from 2004-2006, more than half (55%) of recorded deaths from car vs bicycle crashes occurred when the car and bicycle were travelling in the same direction — speeds tend to be higher and injuries more severe, highlighting the need for education and enforcement of a safe passing distance.

Georgia is now one of 7 additional states with a proposed 3 foot passing law:  HB 988 was introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives by Wendell Willard of Roswell, and we need you to contact your State Representative to make sure it becomes law!  Follow this link to find your State Representative.  Two clicks later (click the name and then contact website), you should be able to find an email and phone number for your representative.  Some facts have been assembled by advocates statewide as part of the new Georgia Bikes Alliance, sister organization to Georgia Bikes!, and this file includes the relevant details that spell out the need for this legislation.  Contact your legislators and ask them to cosponsor HB 988 to make Georgia safer for bicycles.

Paul’s looking for volunteers to pass out koozies for the recycling campaign in the Tybee Mardi Gras parade February 13.  The parade starts at around 3pm and volunteers will bike the route (Paul has a few loaner bikes you could use if you like) which sounds like it should be a pretty fun time.  To top it off, you’ll walk away with an I don’t recycle t-shirt and koozie with which you can taunt your friends. So, if you’re ready to laissez les bons temps rouler, let Paul know you are on board — contact him at tybeeduo {a t} bellsouth {d o t} net.

Our first LCI, Eve Seibert, will be teaching two Traffic Skills 101 courses in preparation for new LCI candidates, and there are spaces available in both classes!

WHAT: TS 101, Gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. The course covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques and includes a student manual. Recommended for adults and children above age fourteen, this fast-paced, nine-hour course prepares cyclists for a full understanding of vehicular cycling.
WHEN: Jan 9-10 and Jan 23-24.
Saturday 9-4 and Sunday 12-4 each weekend.
WHY: Ride safe.
WHERE: Downtown Savannah, 645 E Broughton.
HOW (much): All are responsible for the $10 book. The course is otherwise free to current Savannah Bicycle Campaign members. We ask nonmembers to consider joining or giving a donation. If you would like to take the course, please let Eve know and indicate which weekend, as each class is limited to 10 participants.

Furthermore, we are pleased that with the support of the city of Savannah, a League Cycling Instructor certification (See below or here for LCI details) course is being held in Savannah the weekend of Feb 19-21. It will begin in the late afternoon on Friday and extend through Sunday afternoon.

You need to be an League of American Bicyclists member ($35) to take the LCI certification and have taken TS101/Road I (see above for available times). The $200 course registration will be paid by the city of Savannah in return for your commitment to at least 3 classes in Savannah over the next 3 years. It’s a great way to serve your community through education, so if you or someone you know may be interested, we’d love to have you join us!

Online registration for LCI certification through the League of American Bicyclists is available at this link. Please contact us if you are interested in having Savannah pay for your certification, and pleave us a comment or send an email if you would like more info.

Stay warm and ride safe!
Drew

LEAGUE CYCLING INSTRUCTORS
Becoming a League Cycling Instructor (LCI) certified to teach BikeEd is a great way to help cyclists in your community. Certified instructors can teach BikeEd classes to children and adults. Help bring the joy of safe cycling to others. If you are an experienced cyclist and would like to teach others please consider taking the next step towards certification.

Just so you know, there will be great stuff available at the raffle. Proceeds benefit Oxfam America’s initiatives against poverty (buy a bike for an impoverished community) and SBC’s new program to outfit the underserved with lights and helmets. Some highlights from the raffle include a Simple Cruiser and Brooks B17 saddle from our friends at QBS as well as a chrome messenger bag and loads of other great camping and outdoors gear thanks to Half Moon Outfitters.

If you are free Thursday afternoon, Ben and crew will be coming in from Beaufort, expecting to arrive at the intersection of US17 and SC170 at around 2pm. Drop us a line in the comments and we’ll put you in touch if you want to join them as they ride into town. As a reminder, our night ride through downtown starts at 6pm and music starts at 7:30 at Blowin’ Smoke.

If you want the lowest price on the Tybee-Savannah Trailblazers’ Ride Sunday Nov 8, today is your day! Save yourself a little green and get out for the Greenway. The goal of this 23 mile ride is to raise awareness on the need for safe nonmotorized access between Tybee and Savannah, and proceeds benefit the Coastal Georgia Greenway’s efforts to build trails in the coast, so it’s a win-win!