Written by Amy Stoltenberg
Photo by Katherine Rountree
On Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:00 p.m., the city of Savannah held a town hall meeting at the Civic Center to discuss a proposed ordinance that would ban the use of bikes, skateboards, and roller blades on Forsyth Park for everyone, except for children aged 12 and under.
Half an hour before the meeting, the Savannah Bicycle Campaign (SBC) organized a group of cyclists to participate in a “Forsyth for All” ride, starting at the north end of the park and ending in front of the Civic Center. The SBC is not in favor of the ordinance, because they feel that it is an overreaction to what they consider to be a minor problem.
“Cycling happens in cities all over the country, and all over the world who have even less space to work with,” said Brent Buice, a board member with the SBC. “So this idea that the residents and visitors of Savannah are somehow the worst in the world is just insulting to all of us.”
Buice thinks that the ordinance, if approved, would be difficult to enforce.
Barbara Broker, the Director of the Citizen office of the Public Involvement Arm for the city of Savannah, facilitated the meeting. The Public Involvement Arm’s purpose is to allow community feedback in a neutral setting.
“The fact that there are so many people here is a sign of a healthy community, so congratulations to you all on being a part of that tonight,” said Broker.
According to Broker, community involvement online was successful as well with 423 people participating in the online survey.
The city wrote the ordinance in response to the complaints it has received from pedestrians concerning mostly bicyclists and skateboarders in Forsyth Park. However, there are no documented instances of bikers hitting pedestrians in Forsyth Park.
SCAD alum Alex Perez, 33, owner of Sulfur Studios and one of the founders of Emergent Savannah, has lived in Savannah for 15 years and takes the path through Forsyth because it is the safest option for commuting downtown.
“This is a public park, a way of transportation and getting around town. The streets are so narrow and dangerous; I’ve been hit by a car before on the streets,” said Perez.
The majority of people at the city meeting were in opposition to the bicycle ban, but there were also people there who felt like the ordinance is the solution to a pressing problem.
David Jones is a Savannah resident who lives in a neighborhood next to the park, and testified at the meeting that he has been hit once and his dog has been hit twice by cyclists in the park.
Ken Zap, who moved to the city in 2010 and lives in the neighborhood around the park, was also at the meeting in support of the bicycle ban.
“The sidewalks are increasingly crowded, especially around the fountain,” said Zap. “It is amazing how many near misses I see – and I sit there each day. We have 70-year-old tourists trying to get the best photo of the fountain, walking backwards and forwards, with bikes flying by. It’s just scary.”
“We have about five to ten percent of the cyclists who are creating problems for the rest of you,” said Zap. “I think we need alternative ways of creating safety, but right now this ban seems to be the only way that we can get protection.”
For Kate Greene, a leisure cyclist who has lived in Savannah for 10 years, pedestrians have just as much responsibility as bicyclists do to maintain safety on the paths.
“My big concern is all the people who walk, and are plugged into their headphones so they don’t hear us every time we announce ourselves,” said Greene.
Perez agreed. “You just have to be aware. Whether you’re walking your dog, or you’re with a group of friends, or whether you’re on your skateboard or rollerblading, I think everybody should just be aware of their surrounding environment.”
The meeting was no more than an hour and a half long. Many who spoke also shared some possible solutions for the problem, such as increased community education about bike safety, separated pathways for bikers and pedestrians around the park, as well as physical barriers to slow cyclists down.
Bill Durrence, the Alderman of District 2 in Savannah, was present at the meeting to show his support of public input. At the end of the meeting, he took to the microphone and thanked everyone for caring about the community, and mentioned the importance of continuing participation in the cause.
“The important thing now is that we keep the conversation going,” said Durrence.
Savannah residents are encouraged to contact the parks department of Savannah with their thoughts and concerns regarding this ordinance.
