Good Magazine and Bikes

Good Magazine, which does an excellent job communicating information and data through visuals and maps, has an extensive set of articles and graphics relating to bikes. Check it out at www.good.is/tag/bikes. The most recent is something they call an "infographic" illustrating the connection between active transportation (biking, walking) and obesity rates: "Working out on the way to work" (excellent phrase!) Check it out at www.bit.ly/bikesobesity.

Disappearing bike lanes and reappearing sharrows

The bicycle corridor on the east side of downtown is going through some changes. There are two streets affected - the Baker-Highland Connector and Jackson Street. There is cause for both concern and celebration - keep in mind as you read through the sequence of events that the city is currently programming nearly $1 million in Quality of Life bond funds for bicycle infrastructure. While we have seen a slate of disappearing bike lanes recently, and we do ask your help in contacting the city about one of those lanes, within the next 14 months we expect existing miles of bike facilities in the city to nearly double, from 30 to approximately 55 miles.

Who wants to join our track team?

Submitted by Kyle on Wed, 2009-11-18 17:48

I valeted bikes at the 2009 Enviro Expo, all weekend, which gave me plenty of time to proselytize about bicycles to curious passersby, talk shop with several cyclists new to the city, and swipe handfuls of Lara Bar and Cascadian granola samples when their keepers’ backs were turned.

I also had opportunity to speak with fellow Atlanta Bicycle Coalition member John Tackett; this is when I learned he is made of iron and baffling science. John ran the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Nov. 14 in 3:13:00, which, if you’re familiar with running and marathon times, you know is jaw-droppingly fast.

So, as usual, we talked about bikes, then we spoke at length about marathons and running.

"Governor Certifies $66 million in transportation projects;" bicycle and pedestrian Transportation projects miss the boat

"Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced that he has certified $65.8 million in transportation projects under the “1511 Certification” that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). These projects will bring safety improvements and needed maintenance and support to roads, intersections and bridges around Georgia ,” said Governor Perdue . “The federal funds will make our roads safe and strengthen our transportation network.”

Bicyclist killed in Woodstock

ABC is saddened to share news of the death of a bicyclist in Woodstock yesterday. Initial reports were light on details, but it now appears the man was riding on the sidewalk against traffic and did not see the van emerging from a parking lot. Woodstrock police have stated it is unlikely the driver will face charges. ABC is in contact with the AJC reporter on this story (read more for details) to request additional information and to point out discrepancies in how the story was reported. We have also contacted the Woodstock police to ensure that the driver faces appropriate consequences if warranted. Now that we know the bicyclist was riding on the sidewalk, probably because he felt unsafe biking in the street, we should all ask our elected officials when they will think it's worthwhile to invest in safe and livable streets for all users. Link to the story.

Whoops! Technical Difficulties

We caused a couple bugs while switching over to the new site, but most things seem to be working fine. If there are any issues you'd like us to know about, please let me know.

Website update coming soon

Ah, technology.  It can make life so much easier, but first you have to bend it to your will.  Over the past few months we've been working on updating our website to a newer version of Drupal (a free, open source content management system - it's like our online back office).  In so doing we will be able to link registered website users with ABC members.  We think this will reduce the paper, postage, and time spent on membership renewals and create a simpler, more fully automated process.

London mayor rides bike, saves girl

Attention Atlanta mayoral candidates: here's how you can fight crime while protecting the environment: "London Mayor Boris Johnson rescued a woman attacked by a group of girls wielding a metal bar after answering her plea for help during an evening bicycle ride, a spokeswoman for his office said Wednesday." Full story here.

Starter Bikes

Starter Bikes is a collaborative project with Georgia Tech's Students Organizing for Sustainability and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition. Volunteers refurbish abandoned and donated bikes into low-cost, entry level bicycles for students and community members in need of inexpensive but reliable transportation. The program is also available for people who would like to try a bike, but don't want to make a large up-front investment until they have more experience.

 

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Monthly Member Spotlight

We're kicking off a new feature each month - a chance for you to meet some of the great members in our ranks as well as learn more about the different types of bicycle users among us.
November Member Spotlight - Kyle Torok


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