Loading...
HomeMy Public PortalAboutCOTI_PR20100511_BikeWeek.pdfMAYOR Jason Buelterman CITY COUNCIL Shirley Sessions, Mayor Pro Tem Wanda D. Doyle Bill Garbett Frank Schuman, Sr. Kathryn Williams Paul Wolff CITY OF TYBEE ISLAND CITY MANAGER Diane Schleicher CLERK OF COUNCIL Vivian O. Woods CITY ATTORNEY Edward M. Hughes P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749 (866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737 www.cityoftybee.org PRESS RELEASE: CONTACT: Michael Bodine For immediate release (912) 786-4573, x126 Tybee Receives Bicycle Friendly Honorable Mention Tybee Island, GA – (May 11, 2010) 2009 marked the beginning of serious efforts on Tybee Island to obtain the League of American Bicyclists’ “Bicycle Friendly” city designation. Last year, new bicycle route signs were posted, 2nd Avenue was repaved with a new, smooth surface to make it, the official north-south bike route, acceptable to bikers, and new street stencils were placed to mark the route more clearly. In 2010, the second annual Bike to Work Week has been declared for the week of May 9th, and the month of May was also declared Bike Month on Tybee Island. Long a favored transportation method on the small island, only two mile s north to south, and one mile east to west, several businesses have sprung up to offer bike rentals to visitors, with home delivery and pick-up services. To promote bicycling further, an ad hoc Bicycling Committee has been formed with: the City Manager, an avid cyclist with some racing history who also recently became a League-certified instructor; members from the Police Department’s bicycle-based Beach Patrol, also with League-certified staff; bicycle businesses; and cycling enthusiasts from City staff and the community at large. This group has been focusing on bicycle safety education and an application for the Bicycle Friendly accreditation from the League of American Bicyclists. The City received an Honorable Mention for its first year of effort, and is hoping to achieve full recognition in 2011. As the coordinator of this year’s Bicycle Friendly application, Jonathan Lynn, Director of Community Development, notes, “We are very proud to have received an Honorable Mention because this tells us that we, as a community, are on the right path to becoming a more bicycle friendly community. We now have our roadmap for the future and will continue to strive for higher levels of designation through continued improvement efforts for cyclists on the Island. It is quite an honor to be one of only 19 communities in the United States to receive this certification this year.” In keeping with Health Magazine’s designation of Tybee as the Nation’s Healthiest Beach in 2009, the City is striving to make bicycling a health and recreation stand-out to help keep the island first and foremost in the minds of potential visitors. P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749 (866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737 www.cityoftybee.org About Tybee Island, GA.: The City of Tybee Island, Georgia is on the outermost barrier island off the Savannah area coast. With a wild bird sanctuary, over three miles of ocean beache s, and salt marshes on the back river, outdoor recreation activities abound for visitors to the island. As a key defense point to the important Savannah port, Tybee’s Fort Screven, Tybee Fort Theater, Fort Pulaski, and the Tybee Island and Cockspur Lighthouses combine with the unique architectures of the island’s raised cottages to form a rich backdrop for history buffs. Attracting a strong artistic community, there are several local supporting art galleries. Keeping the island interesting year round are several arts festivals, the Annual Pirate Fest, the Beach Bum Parade, St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Hot Rod Run, the Beach Bash, and the Christmas Parade, as well as fireworks display, ,on Independence and New Year’s Days, off the Parker Pier and Pavilion. The Marine Science Center cooperates with Georgia’s DNR to protect threatened sea turtle species by searching for nests, protecting their eggs, and making sure hatchlings make it to sea. For visitor information, stop by http://www.tybeevisit.com/, and to find more about the City of Tybee Island, visit our web site at http://www.cityoftybee.org/. You can also find ‘City of Tybee Island’ on Facebook and CityofTybee on Twitter. Pictures: City staff bike to work year-round, but in larger numbers during the summers. P.O. Box 2749 – 403 Butler Avenue, Tybee Island, Georgia 31328-2749 (866) 786-4573 – FAX (866) 786-5737 www.cityoftybee.org Biking on the beach is a popular pastime for visitors and residents alike. # # # City of Tybee Island press releases are available for download from the City’s web site at http://www.cityoftybee.org/PressReleases.aspx.