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.
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City of Tybee Island press releases are available for download from the City’s web site at
http://www.cityoftybee.org/PressReleases.aspx.