FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 16, 2013

City leaders announced today that Savannah received a Bicycle Friendly Community Award for recent accomplishments in bicycle infrastructure, education, and programming. The City joins 291 Cities nation-wide and just 4 Cities in the State of Georgia that have been recognized with the award.

"The City of Savannah is playing a critical part in creating a truly Bicycle Friendly America," said Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists which issued the Award. "We know Savannah’s investment in bicycling will be returned many times over in the health, environmental, and quality of life benefits of a thriving community.”

“The City has worked hard to provide new public bicycling facilities for residents, including the lanes on Washington Avenue in the 4th District,”, said Mary Ellen Sprague, 4th District Alderwoman. “This award celebrates the progress made, with more accomplishments to come”.

Recent accomplishments of the City include the Price Street and Washington Avenue bicycle lanes, “sharrows” throughout Barnard Street, an expanded bicycle rack program, the launch of the downtown bike-share program, and the receipt of a 2013 Play Streets grant.

“The City of Savannah has made great strides in fostering a bicycling culture in the last several years”, said John Bennett, Executive Director of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign. “We’re measuring growing numbers of riders each year, and have seen increased national recognition of Savannah as a bicycling destination”.

City leaders invited the public to get on their bikes and join others at the last two Play Streets events on October 19th and 26th.

What’s next: The final two Play Streets events take place on May Street (October 19, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.) and in Daffin Park (October 26, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.). The events are designed as festivals for families to enjoy on foot or on bike and include arts, healthy food, and games for all ages. Both Play Streets events are sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation. The October 26 event is a partnership with Savannah Food Day, and is the largest Food Day event in the country in the national event series. Savannah Food Day will boast live music all day, a (synthetic) ice skating rink, healthy food workshops and vendors, and even live farm animals. Learn more about Food Day at wellfedsavannah.com or savannahga.gov/play.

For more information, contact Garrison Marr at (912) 651-6926.