100-plus attend Macon bike ride to advocate for streets that offer more transport options
A prominent bike and pedestrian advocacy group in Macon sought to raise awareness of the need for safer, more accessible streets Friday with a bike ride that featured hundreds of participants.
“Macon’s Big Bike Ride” was held by Bike Walk Macon for the first time ever to advocate for safer, more connected, accessible and sustainable streets. About 175 participants of all ages took part in the 7.5 mile ride through downtown Macon, making stops at Tattnall Square Park, Linear Park and ending at the Opera House.
The nonprofit has partnered with the local government a handful of times since 2015, making strides in pedestrian and road safety through different plans and policies, most notably the Vision Zero Plan in 2020, Complete Streets Policy in 2021, and now, policy related to traffic calming in residential areas, said Rachel Hollar Umana, founder and executive director of Bike Walk Macon.
The Vision Zero Plan focuses on reducing pedestrian deaths to zero by 2040 and the Complete Street Policy says that all new road projects have to consider all forms of transportation, according to Umana.
“We’re looking at how we can install bike lanes, widen sidewalks, improve lighting and cut back some of the overgrowth,” said Weston Stroud, Macon-Bibb County’s traffic safety manager. “All these different things play into what makes a safe system.”
The Pedestrian Review Board was created through an ordinance in 2015, and Stroud was hired as Macon-Bibb’s first traffic safety manager at the beginning of this year after the board received $500,000 in funding from the county in 2023.
The Pedestrian Safety Review Board also received $5.6 million from the Safety For All Grant to install three miles of multi-use trail and a mile of sidewalks on Gray Highway, which is one of the deadliest roadway networks in the state, according to Stroud.
From 2019 to 2022, Macon had 301 pedestrian fatalities, according to Stroud.
“That number obviously shows the need (for safer streets) and the effort that we have to make, and why the events like tonight are so important,” Stroud said.
In addition to safety reasons, Umana acknowledged that Macon has a high poverty rate, and that there’s a “really high need” for other transportation modes that are more affordable than cars.
“We’ve done a lot of projects in from Houston Avenue, to Vineville, to East Macon, and we’re bringing it here now,” said Paul Bronson, District 2 county commissioner, who was an ambassador for the event. “We truly believe in the safety of pedestrians,”
Beyond making Macon more bike and pedestrian friendly, Bike Walk Macon also wants to grow the biking community.
The number of biking commuters currently is “very, very low,” at less than 2%, Umana said.
Building streets that cater to bikers and walkers also has a positive environmental impact, according Umana.
“Focusing on building streets for cars is the most detrimental form of sustainability when it comes to getting around,” Umana said. “Biking and walking are no emissions.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated after organizers clarified the number of participants.
This story was originally published November 6, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
