By Vicki Griffin
With gas prices rising, spring right around the corner, and mild weather already here, maybe it’s time to embrace alternative modes of commuting. Believe me, if I could walk to work, I would.
But for most of us, that’s just a pipe dream. That’s why it’s important to remember that there are vehicles available to us with less than four wheels that require the fuel that is our own physical energy, for other journeys.
Roswell is doing lots to encourage us to get out of our cars and trucks. There are the extensive bike trails that are free and available. And just last month pedicabs were granted permission to travel through most of Roswell’s historic district. This will allow folks who tire of walking to ride along at an abbreviated pace and still enjoy the ambiance.
Mayor Jere Wood doesn’t stop there as he leads a pack of committed cyclists headed for the Gold Dome for the 7th annual “Georgia Rides to the Capitol” event, to help bring awareness of all the positives of cycling. The police escorted departure from Roswell City Hall is 9:45 a.m. March 27. The ride from Roswell is hilly, but for every uphill, there is a corresponding downhill.
Mayor Bill Floyd will be heading the contingent from Decatur, and there also will be departures from Alpharetta, East Cobb, Dunwoody, Peachtree City, Cumming, East Point, Stone Mountain, McDonough, Covington and Conyers. There’s still time to join the fray headed for the Gold Dome as part of “Georgia Rides to the Capitol” with registration and information available at www.georgiaridestothecapitol.org.
“Complete Streets” is a national movement that asks that any road work design include all users, including pedestrians and bicyclists, and Roswell and Cobb County are among the local communities that have already adopted this philosophy. This movement and Georgia Rides have already been instrumental in securing other share the road legislation, such as the 3-ft. law that says motorized vehicles must be at least an arm’s length away from bicycles on our roads. And a provision that would have prohibited cyclists from riding two abreast has been dropped, as two abreast is safer because cyclists riding as pairs are more visible to drivers, among other advantages.
When using the wonderful bicycle trails in Roswell, or anywhere, we need only be reminded to mind our manners as we share the trails with other cyclists and pedestrians. Be courteous and predictable, don’t block the trail, obey any traffic signs and signals, stay to the right and pass on the left and let those behind you know you are stopping, and those ahead of you know that you are passing.
For now, though, it is going to be tough to catch a pedicab ride in historic Roswell as no one has applied for a permit to operate one, yet. That’s right, here’s a wide open opportunity for burgeoning entrepreneurs interested in slimming their physiques and possibly fattening their wallets.
Vicki Griffin has lived in Roswell for 22 years. Reach her at vlg1230@hotmail.com.
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