As we have mentioned before, the excitement about Tour de Georgia returning to the coast is all around. It has not been to Savannah since 2003, and the race connects far east and west Chatham County for a spectacle of international professional riders.

This is an opportunity for our local leaders to take action. Much of the route, in particular along the Tybee Road (US 80) is a designated Georgia bike route, though the shoulders include wide rumble strips which make them unridable. The Bull River and Lazaretto Creek Bridges are narrow and have no bicycle facilities. Yet, this scenic stretch of road is still one frequented by serious cyclists from all over the region, and in fact marks the beginning or ending point for many east-west transcontinental rides. Tour de Georgia’s Ride for Research will include this stretch on Sunday, April 20, and will surely demonstrate the hazards cyclists face when riding here.

Let us all take this opportunity to encourage our local, state, and national elected officials to end the delay and make a safe bicycle corridor from Savannah to Tybee a reality. Tybee is in full support of this idea, as we are all aware of the immense potential of cycling tourism for our local economy. We should all echo what Tybee Mayor Jason Buelterman notes on the Tour de Georgia website (emphasis is mine):

We are extremely excited that Tour De Georgia officials have selected Tybee Island as the venue for the start of this year’s highly acclaimed bicycle race. The event will bring a great deal of international recognition to Tybee and will additionally provide a major boost to our tourist-driven economy at a time of year when it is most needed. We also hope the event will bring to light the need for State and Local officials to make plans for improving road conditions for the safety of the thousands of cyclists who ride along the Tybee Road from Bull River to the Lazaretto Creek Bridge.

Posted on March 31st, 2008 by Drew Wade
Filed under: Chatham County, Get Involved, Latest News