"Around Town" Courteous Mass this Friday, 6pm

Join us at City Hall this Friday (5/2) for our "Around Town" Courteous Mass Ride.
More information here. We hope to see you there!

BikeAthens at Twilight

Thanks to all the volunteers and raffle participants for showing your support to BikeAthens, and special thanks to the Twilight organizers for coordinating one of the most exciting weekends in the southeast!

Congratulations to Bo Qualls, winner of the inaugural Vintage Bike Raffle at Twilight!

Pics of Saturday's events and friendly faces below:

LIVE from Twilight

Hi out there!
We're all set up on College Ave. Come on down and pick up some cheap raffle tickets for a chance to win one of 7 vintage bicycles. Tickets are only $2!
Details and pictures of the raffle bikes here.
Good luck to all you Gamblers!

With neighbors like these...

Some of today's delightful comments from the Banner-Herald's story on this morning's Bike to Work Day, which was a success.

Why is it that I have to "share the road" with bicycles when they pay no fuel tax to maintain the streets and roads, no ad volorum tax, have no insurance, no registration, and are more of a traffic hazard than Winfield's telephone poles on Hawthorne Avenue?

Friday, April 25, 2008

Those cute little cock-roach hats is what I like.

[delete] [moderate]

Friday, April 25, 2008

How would I look wearing Spandex(sic) and driving my SUV with a Hemi engine? Bet I'd look cuter than these wimps.

[delete] [moderate]

Cincinnatus

Friday, April 25, 2008

How about because roads are also built using money from property taxes, sales taxes, federal grants, etc... Do you want to ban pedestrians from crossing the street as well?

[delete] [moderate]

Friday, April 25, 2008

YES!

[delete] [moderate]

Friday, April 25, 2008

Athens will look like Ho Chi Mihn city today.

[delete] [moderate]

Winfried J. Abbe

Friday, April 25, 2008

It's just another liberal ploy to raise the cost of gasoline. We must ban bicycles at once!

Makes you feel all neighborly, doesn't it?
I am concerned that Winfield J. Abbe is hip to our demonic conspiracy to raise the cost of gasoline (who knew BikeAthens and Twilight were so influential?).
I guess this means we'll have to find another secret subterranean lair in which to hatch our next nefarious plans for world dominance and economic manipulation...

Bike Raffles at Twilight

Come down to our table at the Twilight Expo (held on College Ave right across from the Arch) to pick up raffle tickets for our first Twilight Recycled Bike Raffle.

Available bikes include a classic Raleigh Mountie kids bike (pictured below) a vintage yellow Schwinn (his and hers available), and a Giant brand mountain bike.

All bikes have been fully refurbished by experienced Bike Recycling Program volunteers.

Raffle tickets are $2 each, and all proceeds will go to supporting BikeAthens' programs, such as Bike Recycling and Safe Routes to School.

Raleigh Mountie



To see a vintage ad for the type of Schwinns we have available, click here.

Important meeting tonight: new greenway

Please note tonight's important pubic hearing, below:

April 21 Monday

6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Community meeting on expanded sewer capacity in the Barnett Shoals area

Barnett Shoals Elementary School, 3220 Barnett Shoals

This project is an opportunity to take the first step in establishing a new, east-side, greenway trail, and is on the ACC Commission's agenda for May 6th. Access the agenda report at:

http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/documents/pdf/clerkofcommission/agenda/16.pdf

This project is an upgrade of a sewer line linking Lexington Rd (via Shadybrook Dr.), to Barnett Shoals Road, connecting to the sewage treatment plant off College Station Road. See agenda map. Sewer lines traditionally have not included provision for trails, despite considerable encouragement from some Commissioners. Now we have another opportunity, and an exceptional one connecting to the North Oconee Greenway and South Campus---all off-road!

This time there may be majority support on the Commission to include the trail option as part of the sewer project. But public support and encouragement are essential. Here's how to help.

1. ATTEND the public hearing tonight as an advocate of the trail option.

2. SUBMIT a written e-mail comment supporting the trail option. Deadline is Tuesday 4-22-08, at 5 pm.

Send email to edwardfocht@co.clarke.ga.us

More follow up on TSPLOST debacle

From Atlanta's Creative Loafing:

Do-nothing Legislature: Lack of action leaves Atlanta in gridlock

Senate Resolution 845 – the constitutional amendment that would've allowed counties in metro areas to join together to levy a one-cent sales tax for transportation projects – had the support. More than 50 stakeholders, including business leaders, environmental groups and public-transit advocates were on board. The road builders saw a hefty chunk of change and grinned. It even had language that would've raised money by shifting a penny from the gasoline tax and raising nearly $180 million without a tax increase. If legislation were a song, then SR 845 would be "We Are The World."
...
The transportation bill seemed doomed as soon as Gov. Sonny Perdue came out against the proposed constitutional amendment, and also promised to campaign against it if it went on the ballot in November.
...
"Unfortunately, the leadership in this state has not stressed transportation at all," [president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce Sam] Williams says. "We've been talking about this for the past six years. Every time we try to do something, we are told, 'Wait another year, wait another year.' People are fed up and we should let our elected officials know in the loudest voice possible."

Amen.

Full article here.

Bike To Work Day, April 25th

Put the keys down, save a couple bucks, and try a new form of transportation – for one day, opt from your rigorous schedule and take time to either walk or ride a bike to your daily destinations! Experienced bike commuters will lead group rides from a number of locations, convening downtown for coffee, refreshments, and a drawing for prizes! Support alternative transportation choices and help BikeAthens promote pedestrian, cycling, and public transportation.

Details at www.bikeathens.com/biketowork/register

Hopeful epilogue for transit expansion

Per today's article in the Banner-Herald, elected officials are still committed to improving public transit, despite the recent setback on the T-SPLOST legislation.
Excerpt:

Athens-Clarke commissioners frequently discuss their desire for more mass transit, but don't collect enough money in property and sales taxes to consider such costly projects.

"It'd be great to see a trolley system going up and down Prince (Avenue), Milledge (Avenue) and Lumpkin (Street) serving downtown and the university, but something like that isn't possible under our current funding system," Commissioner David Lynn said.

Athens-area legislators said they'll try to pass the sales tax again next year, but it can't appear on the ballot before 2010.

Lawmakers are more open to non-road forms of transportation, such as the "Brain Train," a proposed passenger rail line running from downtown Atlanta to the Athens Multimodal Center, said state Sen. Bill Cowsert.

"You're seeing much more interest in mass transit and innovative solutions to the transportation problem than you have in the past," Cowsert said.

Photos from April's Courteous Mass

Some shots from today's Cmass below - and thanks to all who came out! Watch the blog and bikeathens.com for details on the next ride.