On Commuting

I wrote another story for the faculty/staff newspaper at the Savannah College of Art and Design. This time the topic was how to get started in the exciting world of bicycle commuting. Want to read it? Click here.

Who speaks for the bikes?

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.

(This item was cross posted on Sustainable Savannah)