Community Workshop: Pedestrian Safety Improvements

At Clairemont, Church Street and Commerce Intersections and Church Street Bicycle Lanes

 A community worshop to discuss alternative plans for pedestrian safety improvements at Clairemont, Church Street and Commerce intersections and Church Street bicycle lanes will be held on Thursday, January 12 from 6pm-8pm in the City Commission meeting roo of Decatur City Hall, 509 North McDonough Street, in downtown Decatur.  As part of the City’s capital improvements program, the purpose of the work is to improve safety and accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists and others using these facilities.

The City has retaine the firm of Development Planning and Engineering to help plan the project, which will be partially funded through grants from the Georgia Department of Transportation.  An initial workshop to outline project goals was held in September.

The project is based on Decatur’s 2008 Community Transportation Plan and is a project in the 2010 Strategic Plan.  A major goal of the Community Transportation Plan is to encourage healthy lifestyles and active living in Decatur.

Bicycle Safety Training at 4/5 Academy at 5th Avenue

Thanks to all the volunteers that came out last week to help with the Annual Bicycle Safety Training at the 4/5 Academy at 5th Avenue. Active Living Staff coordinated the training and worked with the staff at 5th Avenue to train over 260 fourth grade children. Children learned to “ride slow like snail”, dodge fake rocks in the road, signal for stops and turns, and to scan before changing lanes. Thanks to community members, Firefighters, Police Officers, Active Living Staff and everyone who came out to assist with this great project.

The Bicycle Safety Training is part of the the Safe Routes to School Program in the city. We not only want to encourage children to walk and bike to school, but teach them good safety habits as well.

            

Bike Training Begins at the 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue

Decatur Active Living transported 27 bikes to the 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue on Wednesday in preparation for the bike training that begin on yesterday.  Cheryl Burnette, Lee Williams, Virginia Atchison, Kyle Morton and City of Decatur Police staff started the training with 4 grade students.   The session will involve rules of the road, turns, scanning, changing lanes along with other bike related topics. The bike training will run from Monday, October 24- Thursday, October 27.  If you are interested in volunteering to assist Decatur fourth graders contact Cheryl Burnette at: cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com

 

Volunteer to Assist with Bike Safety Training

Leslie Stuart Holds a Stop Sign to Remind Children to Stop

Decatur Active Living will be working with the City Schools of Decatur to provide Bike Safety Training for the 4th graders at the 4/5 Academy at 5th Avenue. We need your help! Volunteer to assist with the training – no bike skills are required. Volunteers will assist with making sure the children have their helmets on correctly, hold stop signs on the safety course to teach children when to stop, call out right and left hand turns and more. It is a lot of fun and the children really appreciate the training.

Shifts are 8:30am until 11am, or 12:30 pm to 3:30pm on Thursday, October 20, and Monday-Thursday October 24-27. Please contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com or 678-553-6541 to vounteer.

Bike Registration and Safety Fair on Saturday

Join the Decatur Police Department and Decatur Active Living for our first Bike Registration and Safety Fair on Saturday, July 9 from 10am until 1pm in the upper parking lot of Decatur High School.  Decatur Police will register your bicycle to aid in identification in the event that it is lost or stolen; Active Living will be teaching children how to use hand signals and ride safely and Bicycle South will be providing bike and helmet safety checks. There will also be information for adults on riding and commuting safely. This event is offered free to the community. For more information cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com or 678-553-6541.

Bicycle Registration and Safety Fair July 9th

Join the Decatur Police Department and Decatur Active Living for our first Bicycle Registration and Safety Fair on July 9th in the upper parking lot of Decatur High School. The event will be from 10 am until 1 pm and will feature bike  registrations, bike and helmet safety checks, and a “safety course” where children will learn about using hand signals, rules of the road and more. The event is presented free to the community. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information or to volunteer, contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com or call 678-553-6541.