Georgia rides to the Capitol [Mar 18]

Do you ride a bicycle? Would you ride a bicycle if you felt safer on our area streets? Join the annual Georgia Rides to the Capitol event! Riders gather in downtown Decatur and depart at 10:45 a.m. and reach the Capitol at 11:40am. The ride is free but you should register in order to be covered by event insurance. Read on for more information...

See full-size version at
http://www.georgiaridestothecapitol.org/images/flyer-2014.pdf

"Hi All,

The ninth annual Georgia Rides To The Capitol bike ride is coming up Tuesday, March 18th. I know a lot of y’all have done this ride and we hope y’all can join us once again.

The ride supports cycling advocacy efforts in Georgia and we routinely have over 30-40 metro area mayors and other elected officials join us on the ride. The ride is split into two parts – the Decatur option leaves from the E. Lake MARTA station parking lot (north side of DeKalb Ave.) and is a slow paced, 5 mile ride to the state capitol. We always have plenty of beginners, families and folks just riding for fun!

The ride is police escorted to the capitol, but cyclists are on their own for the return trip. Last year we had Lt. Governor Casey Cagle address the riders along with other statewide officials. It’s a great way to show support for cycling and an opportunity to meet (and ride with) a lot of elected officials!

For details, start times and registration (all pre-registered riders are covered by event insurance AND receive a free commemorative leg band), please visit the website:

www.GeorgiaRidesToTheCapitol.org

Please feel free to spread the word! Apologies for any cross postings.

Fred Boykin
Event Director"

Cyclists and pedestrians: be bright!

"The Governor's Office of Highway Safety is urging cyclists and pedestrians to wear reflective gear. 

GOHS officials say there were more than 130 pedestrian fatalities in 2012 and the number accounted for about 11 percent of all traffic deaths that year. Authorities say a majority of cyclist and pedestrian fatalities on a national level happen at night. Officials say about 32 percent happen between 8 p.m. and midnight, and 24 percent happen between midnight and 4 a.m."  Read the rest @ CBS Atlanta

For additional safety tips, visit the Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety.

Cycling: 3 Foot Safe Passing Bill

Great news for MANA cyclists and bike lovers across Georgia:

From Bicycle South's e-newsletter:

It's Official! 3 Foot Safe Passing Bill Became The Law On July 1st!
Georgia Bikes! and other bicycle advocacy groups were successful this past Georgia Legislative Sesson in getting a Safe Passing Law that requires motorists to maintain at least 3 feet of distance when passing cyclists. Previously, drivers were only required to keep "a safe distance."

Visit the Georgia Bikes! website for more information, but here is a summary of what the Better Bicycling Bill (HB 101) covers:

- Motor vehicles must provide at least three feet of safe passing distance when overtaking a bicyclist

- Cyclists may move to the center of the lane, i.e. take the lane, when surface obstructions, hazards or debris make traveling to the right unsafe

- Cyclists must travel in the direction of traffic while using a designated bicycle lane*

- Bicyclists have the right of way in a designated bicycle lane

- Designated bicycle lanes must be built according to recognized national design standards

* While the new law only specifies that cyclists in bike lanes must travel in the same direction as traffic, bicycles, as vehicles, must abide by all normal vehicular laws. Wrong way travel in any traffic lane is unlawful and unsafe.

The following image illustrates the kind of elbow room the new law protects:  

Photo courtesy of the GA Bikes! website