Bike GT

Apply to be on the BIIC!

biic — Thu, 02 May 2013 15:10:11 +0000

The BIIC is bidding farewell to some of its members as they go off to bigger and better things; this means we’re looking for new members (particularly undergraduates!). If you’re interested, complete the application form below! We’ll contact you via email if we think you’re a good fit for the committee.

Incident Report Form now available

Johann — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:58:13 +0000

The BIIC, in partnership with Stamps Health Center, has made available on our website a new Incident Report Form that can be quickly submitted online to let us know about any issues you encounter around campus. We encourage everyone to take advantage of this tool to help us make better decisions about improvements to campus for cyclists!

The form can be found at the following link:

http://bike.gatech.edu/resources/incident-report-form/

Enlightened Cycling Class

Johann — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 17:28:21 +0000

On March 20th Georgia Tech is hosting a special bike safety class we’re calling “enlightened cycling” (with the support of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition). We call it that because it’s going to focus on safety skills that are highly practical in nature, as well as information that will help make you a safer and more knowledgeable cyclist. In addition, we’re putting a greater focus on maintenance skills than we have in the past, so this is a great opportunity to learn a wide range of new skills that will assuredly save you time, money, and hassle in the future (not to mention make you a safer cyclist!).

The course is being held on the Georgia Tech campus in the DM Smith building (on Cherry Street) in room 104. The class will run from 5:30 PM to 9PM, though it’s ok if you’ll be a bit late (we know people have to come over from work, etc!). Make sure to bring your bike and a front and rear light to the class, as well as the $5 class fee (this is mostly to help support bringing in highly trained mechanics and also to pay for PIZZA!!!).

Sign-up for the class below (Members of the GT community are encourage, but others are also welcome!):

ABC Fall Bike Counts

Johann — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:20:34 +0000

The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) began gathering data on cyclist travel patterns and demographics in the City of Atlanta in Spring 2009. Since then, with the help of volunteers across the city, ABC has been able to document a 386% growth in the number of Atlanta residents commuting by bicycle! Not only does this information highlight the need for expanded and improved bicycle infrastructure, it helps city officials and planners prioritize projects that will provide the greatest benefits to Atlanta’s cycling community.

This fall, from November 7th-21st, volunteers will once again hit the streets to track cycling statistics for ABC’s Bike Counts project. We are hoping to collect data on cyclist routes and demographics (age, sex, helmet, etc.) in more locations around the city than ever before, but we need your help to make it happen! Volunteers will work in teams of two per location and time, gathering information on cyclists as they pass for two hours during peak commute times in the morning and/or in the evening. Shifts scheduled for days with inclement weather will be rescheduled to prevent weather variations from throwing off our data, so you will not be expected to stand in the rain or extreme conditions.

Volunteering is fun and easy! Just follow these simple steps:

- Visit http://abcbikecountsfall2012.eventbrite.com/ to sign up as a volunteer
- Choose your location (many intersections to choose from across the city – find the ones nearest you): http://goo.gl/maps/tsbOz
- Pick the best date (Nov. 7-21) and time (7-9am or 5-7pm) to fit your schedule
- Sign up for as many shifts as you want (limit two volunteers at a time per location)
- Print the tracking documents that we provide you (or pick up copies at our office in Downtown Atlanta)
- Arrive at least 10 minutes early for your shift and track cyclist information per the instructions provided for the entire two hour period
- Once all your shifts are complete, turn in all documentation to ABC (in person or electronically)

Please help spread the word about this outstanding opportunity to support the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition in their mission, “To create a healthier, more sustainable Atlanta by making it safer, easier, and more attractive to bicycle for fun, fitness, and transportation.” If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Caceda at leslie@atlantabike.org.”

Bike Week Returns!

Johann — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 19:03:19 +0000

Well, it took some time, but Bike Week has returned for a second year! Last year’s event was a great time, and we had a lot of participation, but we’re hoping to do even better this year, with more events AND more prizes!

Details on each event can be found on the drop down menu up above (see “Bike Week 2012″), but a brief rundown of the events is as follows:

- Information tables Monday afternoon from 12-4pm along Tech Walkway

- A scavenger hunt Monday-Friday

- A Heels on Wheels Ride (ladies only!) on Saturday

- Townhall Thursday at 7pm (location TBD)

- Ride with President Bud Peterson Wednesday afternoon (5pm) with members of the administration, including staff of Capital Planning, Parking and Transportation, Facilities, and the President himself! (This ride is very casual, and will feature a demo from viaCycle Bike Share!) Departs from the Trolley turnaround adjacent to the Student Center and Tech Walkway.

There will also be free repair stations open along Tech Walkway throughout the week!

A big shout-out to all our sponsors, including Auxiliary Services BuzzFunds, Intown Bicycles, Rocky Mountain Pizza, the CRC, and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

GTPD Tabling and Free U-Locks

biic — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 13:52:59 +0000

FREE BICYCLE U-LOCK GIVEAWAY!!!
The GTPD is encouraging our community to choose cycling as a clean alternative mode of transportation in support of Earth Day.

Stop by the GTPD table on Tech Walkway this Friday, April 20th (Earth Day) for a chance to receive a free Bicycle U-Lock. To participate, you will need to bring your bicycle by our table and register it with the GTPD. One winner will be randomly selected out of the individuals who registered their bicycle with us at our Earth Day table. Winners will be notified via email or phone.

Come meet and talk with GTPD Officers on bicycle safety and security.

You will also have the opportunity to register your bicycle with the GTPD. We will be on Tech Walk Way, (formally Skiles) Monday, April 16, through Thursday, April 19, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Bikes+Think Green Week

biic — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 13:55:36 +0000

This week marks Georgia Tech’s annual “Think Green Week”, culminating with our Earth Day festivities on Friday, April 20th. Both Starter Bikes and the BIIC have some events planned for the week, so check them out!

- Starter Bikes Repair Station

Thursday and Friday of this week Starter Bikes will have a free bike repair station set up on campus (Th along Tech Walkway, on Friday they’ll be part of Earth Day by the IC lawn).

- GTPD Tabling

GTPD will have a table out on Tech Walkway Monday-Thursday from 10am to 2pm so they can answer your questions about bicycle safety and security, and provide free bike registration (which helps you get your bike back if its lost or stolen!). They’ve all recently taken an involved course on bike safety and current laws, so take advantage of their expertise!

- Spring Bike Counts

On Thursday, April 19th, BIIC will be engaging in the second bike count of the year, canvassing bike racks around campus to count the number of bikes on campus (we do this each year to get a sense for how many people use bikes on/around campus). If you’d like to join in on the counts as a volunteer, your efforts will not go unappreciated! (meeting at 1pm between the CULC and Skiles).

- Think Green Bike Tour

Also on Thursday, from 12-1pm, a group of students will be leading a tour of Georgia Tech’s major sustainability efforts around campus (departs from the CULC).

The Bicycle Infrastructure Improvement Committee is Looking for New Student Members!

Johann — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:52:41 +0000

As the end of the 2011-2012 school year approaches, the BIIC must sadly bid farewell to a few of its current student members, who are leaving Georgia Tech for bigger and better things. However, this means that we have the opportunity to invite students who are interested in being a part of the BIIC to get involved and represent the student body in all things bike-related at Georgia Tech!

If you’re interested in being a part of BIIC, or want to know more, send an email with following information to Johannw(at)gatech.edu

1) Name

2) Year and Department

3) Experience with bicycles or bicycling (how long you’ve been riding, if you have particular applicable knowledge or experience, etc)

4) One thing you’d like to see accomplished if you were part of the BIIC

We’ll review the submissions, likely ask a few brief questions via email, and then send the selected applicants a formal invitation to join the committee. The deadline for submissions for consideration (for the current openings) is May 4.

Feel free also to contact us with any questions!

Georgia Tech is a Silver Bike Friendly University

Johann — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 03:23:17 +0000

We’re very (very) excited to announce that the Georgia Institute of Technology has been recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bike Friendly University (BFU), with the rating of Silver (the potential rankings are None, Honorable Mention, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum). This is a tremendous recognition, and serves not only to validate the efforts of countless individuals and the university as a whole, but elevates Georgia Tech’s presence on the national scene as a university committed to truly serving the needs of its student body, who at Tech have demanded more support for bicycling in recent years.

Some background on the BFU title: As of this spring, 35 universities have been awarded Bike Friendly status, with one Platinum (Stanford), two Gold (UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis), and 14 total Silver schools. Emory University is one of the Bronze schools, having been awarded status as one of the first BFUs, making Atlanta the only city currently home to 2 recognized Bike-Friendly Universities! For fans of the Tech-UGA rivarly, note that UGA was awarded an honorable mention last fall.

We were recognized particularly for our subsidized bike education and maintenance classes, Bike Week, ViaCycle, Starter Bikes, and the involvement of President Peterson. We were also provided with a list of areas for improvement, which we’ll be reviewing and using to supplement other feedback from students and an internal gap analysis to direct our future efforts! For now, we’d simply like to thank everyone responsible for helping make this possible, and for supporting bicycling at Georgia Tech. The efforts of President Peterson, ViaCycle, Starter Bikes, the BIIC, hardworking staff (special thanks to Parking and Transportation, Capital Planning, Facilities, GTPD, and EH&S!), and countless volunteers, are why we have the programs and facilities we do, and they deserve the credit for this tremendous achievement.

Congratulations, Georgia Tech!

National Bike Summit: The State of The Federal Transportation Bill

biic — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 18:22:36 +0000

In this final installment of my reports on the National Bike Summit, I’m going to do my best to rundown the state of the federal transportation bill(s) and where Hill insiders think things are headed.

Inside the Senate, things are basically concluded for the time being; Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st century, or MAP-21, passed the Senate 74-22-4 (All Democrats voted Yay, Republicans were split close to 50/50 between Yay and Nay). MAP-21 preserves the critical bike/ped funding programs like Transportation Enhancements (TE), Safe Routes to School (SRTS), and Recreational Trails (RTP), consolidating them into one program titled ‘Additional Activities’, which will fall under the operation of CMAQ. While not perfect, MAP-21 is a tremendous victory compared to the House bill put forward by Speaker Boehner.

On the House side, the initial bill, HR-7, put forward by Boehner, cut TE, SRTS, RTP, and gutted transit funding, as well as reducing environmental review processes, and was generally panned by everyone, to the point that the House postponed it indefinitely. After a series of handoffs, the House was left with mostly question marks, and no resolution. As of earlier this week, the vibe amongst House staffers was that the House was not prepared to resolve their issues, knowing that they had little ground to stand on and that bipartisan resolution was less likely than in the Senate. Instead, the sense was that the House would take the easy way out and favor a clean 3-month extension of the expired (5 years ago) SAFETEA-LU. While this would protect TE, SRTS, and RTP, it would mean that in three months we’d be right back to this point, arguing once again for the same programs, and fighting the same political battles.

Given all of this, we devoted our efforts while lobbying on the Hill to thanking Senators Isakson and Chambliss, who both voted in favor of MAP-21, and working to convince our Representatives to step up and either support or advocate for an improved transportation bill out of the House. Optimally, we’re hoping to see the House review and pass their version of MAP-21, which will give us at least five years of funding and provide some stability to transportation planning once again.

Since I attended those meetings for which I was either a constituent or closest to being one (Representatives Scott, Johnson, and Lewis), I had the good fortune of being heard and supported by the Congressmen or his staff; other Georgia delegates had less positive meetings, but the general sentiment seemed to be that all the meetings were more positive than last years, and that the trend over time has been of increased support. Hopefully this will mean good things for bicycling and walking going into the future, not only amongst Georgians, but also across the country.

At least, there is reason for hope!

Thank you all for putting up with the delays on my NBS reports, and feel free to post or email me with any questions, I’d be happy to answer what I can.