The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is pleased to announce it has received a $68,576.59 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS).The grant, which will continue through September 2022, will support efforts to reduce bicycle crashes and injuries.
“With the increase in the number of persons killed in traffic crashes in Georgia and across the nation over the last year, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is working with partners like the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition to implement programs designed to stop the risky behaviors that are contributing to a majority of our serious-injury and fatality crashes,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said. “Many of the fatal traffic crashes on our roads are preventable, and we will continue to work with our educational and enforcement partners to develop programs and initiatives that are designed to get Georgia to our goal of zero traffic deaths.”
“Thanks to GOHS, we are able to provide quality bike safety and skills training to hundreds of Atlantans. Our goal is to support more people biking while reducing bike crashes to zero in Fulton and DeKalb counties” said Atlanta Bicycle Coalition Executive Director Rebecca Serna.
The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition’s education program includes bike classes for a range of needs from people who are true beginners to those who are biking for transportation, with the goal of providing hundreds of Atlantans with safety training. Class types include City Cycling, Hack Your Essential Trip, and True Beginners.
2020 saw a sharp increase in traffic fatalities in Georgia, after years of declining incidents. People walking, biking, and using scooters are being killed in greater numbers throughout the state. In 2019 in the City of Atlanta, which comprises much of Fulton and DeKalb Counties, there were still significant fatalities of our vulnerable road users, including scooter-users, a young boy waiting for the school bus, and a cyclist biking to work. According to the NHSA County FARS data for Georgia, from 2015-2019 there were 125 fatal bike crashes. By providing bike safety education, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition aims to reduce bicycle crashes and create safer streets for everyone. Our education classes center the person on a bike while providing safety education for users of all types of vehicles.
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Founded in 1991, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reclaiming Atlanta’s streets as safe, inclusive, and thriving spaces for people to ride, walk, and roll. We envision an Atlanta where everyone moves safely, easily, and sustainably throughout the city.
For more information on this grant program, contact GOHS at 404-656-6996, and for more information on GOHS and its other highway safety programs, visit www.gahighwaysafety.org.