Discounts, freebies offered to bikers who park at new racks downtown

Bicyclists now have a suitable place to secure their wheels downtown with the installation of new bike racks.

Bike Walk Macon, a pedestrian and bicycling advocacy group, unveiled its first rack — a black, steel-framed sculpture that spells out “Macon” — outside of Just Tap’d at First and Poplar streets.

Another artistic bike rack in the shape of a saxophone was installed outside The Creek 100.9 FM on Cherry Street.

“We’re trying to encourage people to consider, if you’re coming within a mile or two miles, try riding a bike or walking instead of driving a car,” Rachel Hollar, executive director of Bike Walk Macon, said at a news conference.

Bibb County Commissioner Larry Schlesinger, who lives and bikes downtown, said he “figured out a few years ago that the best way to get around downtown Macon was on two wheels, on a bicycle.”

“I think downtown Macon is really a place to bike and a destination for bikers,” he said.

Downtown businesses were invited to apply for a bike rack on Bike Macon’s website. Ten of them did so.

Those businesses will “provide incentives for people who park their bikes at the bike racks,” Hollar said.

Bike Walk Macon will announce monthly which business will offer the discount deal or free item.

The new bike racks were paid for with a $9,500 Downtown Challenge grant, which is funded by the Knight Foundation and the Peyton Anderson Foundation but administered by The Community Foundation of Central Georgia.

NewTown Macon also won a Downtown Challenge grant for $2,200, which went toward paying for two new bike repair stations. The stations, equipped with an air pump for tires and other tools, are located outside the Tubman Museum and in the median of Poplar and First streets, across from the new bike rack outside of Just Tap’d.

Other bike racks are located at the following places:

▪ Golden Bough Book Store at 371 Cotton Ave.

▪ H&H Restaurant at 807 Forsyth St.

▪ Kudzu Seafood Co. at 470 Third St.

▪ NewTown Macon at 555 Poplar St.

▪ Pink Chief Boutique at 408 Third St.

▪ Taste and See Coffee Shop & Gallery at 546 Poplar St.

▪ Theatre Macon at 438 Cherry St.

▪ Macon-Bibb County Government Center at 700 Poplar St.

This story was originally published August 30, 2017 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Discounts, freebies offered to bikers who park at new racks downtown."