Georgia Bikers, Fall In Line!

Two steps forward, one step back. Progress in certain places often ratchets ahead, avoiding a path of continuous gain.

As for the state of bicycling in Georgia, it's more like one step forward, two steps back. Yesterday I responded to an urgent call from the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition for bicyclists to attend a meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee at the Georgia State Capitol.

They met to consider SB 468, a bill that would require bicyclists to ride single file in the presence of other traffic. Specifically, cyclists must ride single file if there are approaching vehicles within 300 feet of them.

The bill's primary sponsor is Butch Miller. He explained that the bill is a response to the many concerns about safety that he and other Senators have heard from their constituents.

With respect to the 3-foot passing law that the Georgia Legislature passed last Summer, Miller said, motorists now find themselves stuck behind packs of cyclists, sometimes prompting them to make unsafe maneuvers...even to cross the double yellow center line to pass the cyclists. By Miller's reasoning, a prior law designed to safeguard cyclists necessitates new restrictions on the same cyclists, because motorists, after all, have jobs to get to.

Seriously. He cited this matter as a threat to the economy.

None of SB 468's cosponsors are cyclists themselves, and all expressed amusement/befuddlement with spandex cycling attire. I wanted to ask whether any of them were hunters.

Interestingly, Butch Miller is also the Chairman of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association. Steve Gooch of Dahlonega acknowledged the importance of cycling to the North Georgia economy (e.g., the Six Gap Century) but insisted that something be done about the safety issues presented by cyclists riding on their two-lane roads.

One of the Senators asked how it is that a bicyclist can discern whether an oncoming vehicle is within 300 feet. Miller suggested that the bicyclist use a mirror.

Miller insisted that he does not wish to rush this legislation and did want to hear from all parties concerned. He accepted a "friendly amendment" that limits the new single file riding rule only to two-lane roads.

The Committee heard from seven cyclists and cycling advocates. No one spoke in support of the bill.

Then Chairman Jeff Mullis asked for a motion, Butch Miller motioned to pass the bill, Democrat Doug Stoner seconded the motion, and it passed by unanimous voice vote.

Now it is heading to the State Senate's Rules Committee.

As written, SB 468 will jeopardize:

• Group rides
• BRAG, the Wilson 100 and other organized events
• Racing team rides and double pace lines
• Parents riding alongside their children
• The ABC's BeltLine Bike Tour
  
• Tucker, Six Flags, Pizza, Airport rides? Fuggetahboutit!

We have yet to hear from state and local bicycle advocates about their strategy. Presumably, they are mounting a vigorous campaign to defeat SB 468?

As the late author William Gibson once wrote,

The future is already here -- it's just not evenly distributed. 

Here in Georgia, the forces of ignorance, fear and sloth are conspiring to keep Georgia on the tail of that distribution.