Georgia Bikes has announced that its 11^th Georgia Bike Summit will be offered entirely online. The event includes presentations and breakout sessions of interest to bicycle advocates, community members, business leaders, planners and engineers, elected officials, and government staff members. In light of the increased bicycling during the pandemic, Georgia Bikes decided to make the summit free to attend. 

“Since the pandemic began, thousands of Georgians have discovered or rediscovered cycling and they are increasingly interested in making their communities more bicycle-friendly,” said John Bennett, safety education programs manager for Georgia Bikes. “By waiving the normal registration fees, we hope they will be encouraged to attend and learn how to become better advocates for cycling — both for transportation and recreation — where they live.”

The theme of this year’s summit is, “Rising Together: Building a Healthy, Sustainable, and Just Future.” 

Georgia Bikes Executive Director Elliott Caldwell said, “We wanted the theme of the Bike Summit to be hopeful about the future of people bicycling while digging into challenging issues we see in advocacy. We know that bicycles are part of a healthier, more sustainable, and just future, but how do we get there?”  

The keynote speaker is Courtney Williams, founder of The Brown Bike Girl, a consultancy that works with institutions to increase bicycling access and adoption within communities of color, and bicycling education for all. She will be speaking about her role as the People’s Bike Mayor in New York City, COVID changes in active transportation, and the role of racial justice in the bicycle advocacy world.

“Courtney has been a leader in bicycle advocacy in New York City and in the US for many years, and has included a number of Georgians in her virtual programs over the last few months,” Caldwell said. “We are excited to have her as the keynote speaker and look forward to hearing what she has to share with us.”

Other session topics include bike network planning in small towns, development of cycling programs for young people, preventing traffic crashes, and serving the needs of people who depend on their bicycles for daily transportation.

Registration and more information can be found at georgiabikesummit.org. For more information, email [email protected].