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The Advocacy Advance team took a trip down to Atlanta for an Action 2020 Workshop this month and met with more than 50 advocates, agency staff, and elected officials from across the region.

The free, one-day training empowered attendees with a wealth of information about federal, state, and local funding sources and practices, and how to make bicycles and pedestrians a local priority. It also provided a unique and productive chance for professionals from different sectors to network and share ideas.

The workshop was hosted by the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition and the Atlanta Regional Commission. To provide some insight on the impact and take-aways from the workshop, Advocacy Advance staffer Matt Wempe spoke with Brent Buice, Executive Director of Georgia Bikes! and Fred Boykin, Decatur City Commission, District 1.

Advocacy Advance:  What did you know about federal funding coming into the workshop?

Brent Buice: I knew a lot about Transportation Enhancements (TE) and Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and an emerging awareness of the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). I had heard a little bit about Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ), but didn’t know anything else about the other programs.

Fred Boykin: I had some knowledge about TE and the local Livable Cities and Centers initiatives from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). Outside of that, I wasn’t too familiar with the other sources that were presented. It was really beneficial for me to see the statistics and comparisons between Georgia and other states.

Read the full story on the Advocacy Advance 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.

Advocates who attended the Alliance Leadership Retreat already know that Ali Mangkang can sing a mean rendition of “Proud Mary.” Well, the outreach manager for the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition has a great radio voice, too.

Earlier this month, the Georgia advocates wrapped production on a series of new public service announcements that emphasize motorists’ shared responsibility to keep streets safe for bicyclists.

“The concept of the PSAs really grew out of a desire to educate a broader audience with simple, non-confrontational messages about operating bikes and vehicles on shared roadways,” Mangkang says. “We were very fortunate to enlist the pro-bono services of a professional studio who helped us fine tune the messages, record, edit and find the talent. They were amazing and kept putting resources in front of us. (It probably helped that the producer and audio engineer are both avid cyclists!)”

The short spots, produced by Soapbox Studios, cover the safety basics for bikes and automobiles, including not texting while driving, giving three feet when passing, and preventing right-hook collisions.

But ABC didn’t want to confine their message to one segment of the Atlanta community. Mangkang says ABC found several translators within their own network and got hooked up with prime voice talent from Soapbox Studios.

“We wanted to produce the messages in Spanish because we just wanted to get the word out to a large part of our metropolitan population we aren’t reaching on a daily basis,” she says. “We want to continue to reach out to organizations, stations and community groups who can help us widen our reach to Hispanic populations throughout Atlanta.”

“We absolutely would love to share these clips and make them available for anyone’s use,” Mangkang adds. “We only ask that members contact us should they wish to edit the content in any way.” (Click here to find the PSAs in the Alliance Resource Library.)

Learn more about the campaign on the ABC website.

In 2008, some students at Georgia Tech discovered a stash of abandoned bicycles collected by the university’s housing department. Eager to put those wheels back on the road, the Students Organizing for Sustainability got in touch with the folks at the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, for help fixing up the run-down rides.

With that inventory and partnership, ABC created its Starter Bikes initiative, aimed at providing low-cost, entry-level bikes for students and others in need of inexpensive but reliable transportation. There was just one hitch: Where to store the donated bikes?

Well, problem solved.

Earlier this week, the ABC hosted a party at its new office. Not only will the expanded digs accommodate — and hopefully grow — the Starter Bike program, it will create an inviting space for the diverse bicycle communities of Atlanta to gather, plan and learn.

“The expanded space, in downtown Atlanta, provides an accessible central location on the ground floor,” says ABC’s Ali Mangkang. “ABC will use the new space to bring greater visibility to the group’s advocacy efforts, offer additional classes and continue their mission to make bicycling safer and easier throughout Atlanta.”

Click here to see the new office and some “fierce” photos form the ABC party.