Grassroots bicycle advocacy - we need you!

Georgia's General Assembly is considering several bills that would create new funding sources for transportation projects in the state. ABC has been asking what these bills would mean for bicycle transportation projects since last year through our membership in the Get Georgia Moving Coalition. The answer so far is, a) no one is sure b) maybe c) who knows? or d) nothing. And that's not good enough. Read on to learn how to help.

There are competing bills in the Georgia House and Senate, neither of which will help fund the infrastructure Georgia needs to crawl out of the bicycle-unfriendly basement of the nation (see "Georgia ranked 49th for bicycle friendliness").

The Senate bill, which most sustainable transportation advocates believe to be our best bet for getting real improvements in this state currently defines transportation projects or purposes as:

"without limitation, roads and bridges, freight and passenger rail, airports, public transit, buses, seaports, and all activities and structures useful and incident to providing, operating, and maintaining the same; provided, however, that 'transportation project' or 'transportation purpose' shall not include projects which are inconsistent with any state-wide strategic transportation plan adopted by the General Assembly."

Please take ten minutes to contact your state senator and representatives. We'll make that as easy as possible below.

HERE'S OUR MESSAGE: Support funding for bicycle transportation purposes. Whatever bill is passed should allow local government to spend its sales tax revenue according to local priorities, including bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Now that transit funding is finally getting the attention it deserves, we are ready for a new approach that understands bicycles can be an extremely cost-effective form of transportation that complements other modes.

Here are the bills: House Bill 277 and Senate Bill 39 (or view this summary from Fred Boykin).

To find your representatives, go to votesmart.org- simply enter your zip code+4 (here to find your zip code+4).

Transportation committee members are especially important to contact - click here to see if you are represented on either the House Transportation Committee or Senate Transportation Committee.