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Bicycling advocates in Georgia have another reason to celebrate during this year’s National Bike Month. On May 11th, Governor Nathan Deal signed into law HB 101, commonly referred to as the “Better Bicycling Bill”.

This law includes several improvements to bicycling safety. Most notable is the inclusion of a 3 foot passing requirement – a late addition to the bill - which mandates that vehicles allow at least 3 feet of space when passing cyclists. The passage of HB 101 adds Georgia to a list of at least 19 additional states that have adopted 3 foot passing laws.

Senator John Albers added the 3 foot requirement after being inspired by testimony from Kathy Serrano, whose husband was killed when a car struck his bike in 2004. Albers’s goal in tacking on the 3 foot mandate is to educate drivers so they will know what to do when encountering cyclists.

Drew Wade, Georgia Bikes’ Board President applauds HB 101’s passage, stating. “This measure is the culmination of years of hard work by advocates from across the state,” he said. “It’s a huge achievement that modernizes our code to create safer conditions for bicyclists and motorists.”

The law will go into effect on July 1, 2011.

To read about the ongoing efforts of biking advocates in Georgia, check out the Georgia Bikes blog.

There’s quite a bustle with bicycling laws in the Georgia State Capitol this legislative season.

A lot is at stake for bicyclists in Georgia, and our members at Georgia Bikes! and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, along with other local and state advocates, are keeping a close eye on the proceedings. Three bills are currently in the works.

First is HB101, otherwise known as the “Better Bicycling” bill, which passed the Georgia House of Representatives just last week.  This bill contains a number of provisions, and most notably defines bike lanes for the first time in Georgia. It also gives cyclists the right of way when biking in bike lanes and makes it illegal for cars to park within the boundaries of the bike lane. The bill also addresses helmet use. Currently, all bicyclists ages 15 and younger are required by law to wear a helmet. However, because helmets are not specifically made for infants (those under one year of age), this bill makes it illegal to transport children under the age of one by bicycle.

Second, Georgia is trying to follow suit of 16 states by passing a 3-foot passing law. HB180, which requires a minimum safe passing distance of 3 feet, was not enacted last year because it hindered cyclists’ rights to ride two abreast. This year, the bill has been refilled without the restrictive language that required cyclists to ride single file.  As of February 17th, this bill was in the Public Safety Committee and has not been considered.

The final bill under consideration is controversial. HB71, which has passed House Public Safety Committee and was in the Rules Committee as of February 17th, permits riders of any age to operate bicycles on sidewalks. As the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition warns, sidewalk riding leads to higher incidences of car-bike crashes and injuries of cyclists. This law would also lead to an inconsistency of biking laws across the nation, making it difficult for out-of-town bicyclists to adhere to local law.

Because many newbie bicyclists are wary of riding in traffic, the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition offers Confident City Cycling classes to expose new riders to the benefits of vehicular cycling and to advocate “sharing the road.”

Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and Georgia Bikes! are closely monitoring the status of these bills on their websites.