Local and State Advocacy

Our friends in Georgia are currently working to beat back an anti-bicycling bill, HB 689, in the state legislature. The law would require tags and registration for bicycles, remove the righ to ride two abreast in the road, place strange requirements on group rides and make some unrestricted public roadways “off limits” to bicyclists. Georgia Bikes is working to stop this anti-bike bill from becoming law. This blog is cross-posted from their site — read more below to learn how to make your voice heard and stop this bill.

Campaigns to get bicycles on commuter trains are cropping up across the country. We’ve seen recent success in the Bay Area, and there’s been a national push to get Amtrak on board with increased bicycle services. This week, we’re seeing more positive movement in Chicago, where the South Shore Line rail is planning to announce a bike program by next spring, according to the Chicago Tribune. Last week, a number of local groups, including the Active Transportation Alliance, sent a letter to the rail line operator’s board, requesting bikes be allowed on the trains beginning next summer, with a pilot program phase in spring.