Georgia Bikes, the statewide nonprofit working to improve bicycling and walking, is pleased to announce that it has been selected as the recipient of a grant by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) with funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The grant award, totalling $147,764.32, will fund Georgia Bikes’ statewide educational programs.

“Our safety education program grew significantly in fiscal year 2023 thanks to GOHS funds,” Justin Bristol, Safety Education Programs Manager, said. “In 2023, we added a full-time Safety Education Programs Specialist to our staff, more than doubled the number of classes that we offered, and trained a record-high number of law enforcement officers across the state on protecting people who walk and bike on Georgia’s roadways.”

The grant funds activities from October 1, 2023 through September 30, 2024 and is a part of a larger, robust initiative undertaken by GOHS to increase road safety statewide.

“The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and our partners continue to implement programs designed to save lives and promote safe driving behaviors,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety said. “We ask everyone to help our state and nation reach the attainable goal of zero traffic deaths by driving safe speeds, always wearing a seat belt, keeping the focus on the road and not the phone, and never operating a vehicle under the influence of any substance that impairs your ability to drive.”

Grant funds directly support bicycle and pedestrian safety classes for youth and adults, college campus outreach, bicycle-friendly driver classes, and state-certified law enforcement training programs.

“Georgia Bikes offers our classes and safety materials, including pocket guides for both adults and children, at no cost,” Bristol said. “This grant ensures that we can continue to offer classes anywhere in the state and distribute our guides to as many people as possible. The more people we can reach through these classes and guides, the safer we can make Georgia for everyone.”

For more information on Georgia Bikes, please visit www.georgiabikes.org or follow Georgia Bikes on Facebook and Instagram.